Henry’s Instagram account started as a purely creative outlet. Since we visited him for the first time at 6 weeks old, we haven’t stopped taking pictures and videos of him. I’m such a nostalgic person, I knew I would want to look back on the puppy days when he’d be older. I may be biased, but he’s just so photogenic! Now, I have all his pictures all in one place, and I can have fun looking back on all the memories we’ve created from day one.

Over the last couple of months, though, it has evolved to so much more, and I am loving it. I’ve gotten a variety of different questions and comments on Instagram about the stories I post, what pre-sets I use for Henry’s pictures, how to get more followers and so on, so I thought I’d take to the blog and share my opinion on navigating your dog’s Social Media (and maybe indirectly answer some of those questions simultaneously.)

I think when you first launch any kind of social media account for your pet, you need to have some kind of idea where you’re headed with it: are you looking to simply share pictures every once and awhile? Stay connected with friends around the world? Maybe blog? Start a business? Connect with brands? When it comes to social media, the options are literally endless.

What’s Your Motivation Behind Your Dog’s Social Media Account?

When the world basically came to a stand-still due to the global pandemic outbreak, in March 2020, I became a lot more active on Henry’s Instagram account, engaging with fellow dog-parents, and truly starting to create bonds with different dog-moms around the world. Henry’s even been given the opportunity to represent a few pet brands! It’s been loads of fun. To a certain extent, it became an escape to find some positivity. It also became a way to stay connected to people when we were forced to stay apart.

Today, I absolutely love checking in with my Insta-friends daily, and seeing all the beautiful, funny or inspiring content they publish. It’s also been a way for Henry to make new furiends in real life! For me, checking my dog’s social media is my favorite way to start the day!

My basic motivation behind Henry’s Instagram was simple: pure joy. I soon realized that the more engaged and present I was on my dog’s social media, the more my following started to grow, and the more people became interested in what I had to say.

That’s when, in May 2020, I finally took active steps toward starting this blog—something I’ve wanted to do for maybe the past ten years now, but never had the time (or, let’s face it, the guts!) The blog was launched in June 2020 and was created as an extension of Henry’s Instagram account: recounting in words what was being shared in images.

Telling Your Story Through Instagram Stories

There are so many things I love about Instagram, but Stories has got to be one of my absolute favorite features. These little nuggets of videos give you a little peak into someone’s world: what are your friends up to?

This has been my favorite way of interacting with so many different dog-parents and ultimately making new friends. Through stories, I can also share my opinion on new products I purchase or receive for Henry. It’s also a great way of catching a funny moment and sharing it right away, or showing Henry’s true reaction to a new product or treat! I also love to do different polls or ask questions through stories. It’s a great way to get advice or hear what others have done about a similar experience you might be going through, making it an excellent way to bond with fellow dog-parents!