Welcome to the ultimate destination for dog enthusiasts and social media mavens alike. At Dogfluencers, we're passionate about showcasing the best and brightest in the world of four-legged fame.
Whether you're looking for adorable photos, heartwarming stories, or expert tips on how to turn your own pup into a social media star, we've got you covered.
Today we got the honor of interviewing Heather (Cherry + Shortstop's Human). You can find a direct link to their Instagram here.
Here is their story:
Can you tell us about your journey to becoming a dog influencer? What inspired you to start sharing your dog's adventures on social media?
Gilbert: I work in advertising and social media. I've been doing this for brands and companies for almost a decade, so it's nice to utilize that skill for something fun. I also genuinely love social media and sharing pieces of my life. I'm a big internet user and I find having parasocial relationships and getting to know animals you may never meet is one of the most fascinating things ever.
What do you think sets your dog apart from other dogs on social media? What makes them unique or particularly interesting to your followers?
Gilbert: I know that the dog influencer game is a packed market with a lot of unique tactics or creative choices. It's overwhelming honestly and so the first goal with all my content is to make *ME* happy. I try to create content that I would want to see on my feed and I’ve found that people seem to resonate with that.
I would say one thing I do intentionally is I often let Cherry and Shortstop control the environment. I’m just there to witness and capture it. If I set up a tripod to take videos or photos I let them wander and smell and engage with whatever is in front of the lens. I work around them. That’s when I get the best moments.
With all of that said, I am always recording and taking photos and getting content for my personal use so I usually just take that and put the best of the best online. It’s embarrassing how many photos and videos I have of dogs on my phone.
How do you come up with ideas for your dog's posts and content? Do you have a specific creative process?
Gilbert: Most of my process is to let them do their thing and be the stage mom recording it all in the background. They grab a toy and fight over it for 20 minutes and I get a lot of solid content out of it. It's easier for me when I’m working my day job to make this fit in the small moments vs make it a chore.
I try to stay relevant to trends or seasonal moments but I also don’t let myself get stuck on that because if I did I’d be in a tailspin trying to get it all done.
Have you ever faced any challenges or negativity on social media, and how have you dealt with it?
Gilbert: Oh, for sure! It’s inevitable. I feel like my perspective on this is not normal because I run social media channels for a living. There are so many ways to deal with it and I tend to take it on a case-by-case basis. If it’s really bad I’ll ignore it, delete it, or block the person. Maybe all of the above. If it’s just trolling, I’m here to troll back. I grew up chatting with folks on Reddit, Tumblr, and Twitter. I've seen a lot...
What advice would you give to someone who wants to start their own dog influencer account or share their dog on social media?
Gilbert: Don’t go into it thinking you’ll be a million followers deep in a week but don’t ignore the potential of that happening. Algorithms are changing daily, people are consuming an unheard-of amount of content and if you like it odds are someone else will.
And I can't go without saying CONSISTENCY IS KEY. Post often. Post on a schedule if you have to but don’t stop just because you aren’t seeing the engagement you want. Instead: change your content type, update hashtags, change post times etc.
How has your dog influenced your life outside of social media?
Gilbert: Oh my god, let me count the ways! I could talk for hours about how Cherry (and now Shortstop) has changed our lives outside of social media. They are our babies and we love them to absolute pieces. We laugh daily at their antics! They are the absolute center of the universe in this household.
My husband and I lived in NYC for almost a decade and left during the pandemic to move closer to my family in New England. We knew we wanted to get a dog once we got out of the city so getting Cherry was a total life changer. We recently got Shortstop and he's added a new level of chaos to our days.
Can you tell us about a particularly memorable or funny moment you've had with your dog during one of your photo shoots or adventures?
Gilbert: Absolutely every single thing I've ever shared has been laughed at in the moment in some way. Cherry is SO funny and she understands a lot more than she likes to let on.
A recent favorite was when I just happened to be recording them playing and Shortstop decided to run full force into Cherry and - from what I can tell - attempt to jump over her but instead he just smacks into her side and falls backwards. I cried laughing after that and I watch that video daily.
What is your favorite thing about being a dog influencer?
Gilbert: I love seeing other people enjoy our pups as much as we do. Truly. It's a wonderful thing to know that someone else is as excited as I am to see Cherry roo.
Lastly, what's next for you and your dog on social media? Any exciting plans or projects in the works?
Gilbert: I can't say too much but we have some big plans in 2024 that I hope will come together! We've also got some new brand collabs, places to visit, and costumes to wear!
