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 Alexandra (Sully'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?
Baljon: The journey to becoming a dog influencer has been hard as sometimes those that call themselves dog people will still use/refer back to a lot of stereotypes. The challenge is reaching followers as sometimes people will not follow you due to your dog breed or feeding style (we feed raw). The reason I started sharing Sully's dog adventure on social media is because I am trying to show people that it is not the dog breed in themselves, it is the owners behind the breeds that make or break them. A second point to sharing Sully's dog adventures is to show people that dogs are not bought to sit at home in crates and be neglected. My mom always said "if you buy dogs you have to live life WITH them" and for this reason my life does circulate around my pets. I take every opportunity to take my dogs out with me and I advocate for them in every situation. A big thing I push on Sully's social media is an active lifestyle with constant training and good food. I am strong believer that the food you put into your dog, like humans, reflects their development, lifestyle and the obvious health. I drive 2 hours every couple weeks to grab raw treats from a small business who pride themselves in their supply and this is just one example of me putting my dogs first. Another point I like to push on his social is with Sully being an XL bully breed, he faces the backlash of the resent laws that came into place in the UK; now he doesn't experience the backlash directly but the connection to him being an imported XL Bully is there. Often times when I take Sully out people will be terrified and especially if I am walking him alone without my partner, people see a small girl handling a large dog and that makes them worry alone; they worry until they see me get down and kiss his face and get all up in there. I believe big dogs, especially those of a bully breed, are often going to carry a negative stereotype because of the negative stigma associated with the 'look' of the dog; the whole purpose of our social media platform is to change the way people see bully breeds. As I said earlier and it's said by many bully owners, it is not the dog but the people behind the dog that result in the behaviour and training. Sully is just about to turn 1 years old and I can't wait to keep sharing his journey on his platform and keep advocating for him everyday. Love for all animals always <3
What do you think sets your dog apart from other dogs on social media? What makes them unique or particularly interesting to your followers?
Baljon: I think Sully sets himself apart from other dogs with his personality in all honesty. He has the most interesting personality, he can make me laugh all day. He is so caring and loving when it comes to his owners and other fur siblings. As I've been told from a few of my followers, they send my messages as he keeps growing and developing and they say 'you can really see his personality coming through' and I see it too. He is incredibly goofy and so silly, you can just see the love in his eyes.
How do you come up with ideas for your dog's posts and content? Do you have a specific creative process?
Baljon: In regards to content, some ideas have a base from other videos I've seen on social or I take a bit from each video and put it together as one. Other videos, majority of them, are just from scratch using music or voice clips as the base of the idea. I like to get creative and work outside of the box so this is what I try to do with Sully's content. We learn new trends and ways of filming everyday.
Have you ever faced any challenges or negativity on social media, and how have you dealt with it?
Baljon: I have been lucky so far and have not come across a lot of negativity on social media but we did come across one comment once that was questionable. I got a comment on one video regarding Sully's ears being cropped; I did not react or let this comment impact me or our time on social media. As it's been said, social media can be a very supportive space but also a very hard place as people will say more behind a screen than they would face-to-face but this is something I remind myself constantly. You can't please everyone on social media; I'm sure there are people who watch our raw food videos who have their own opinions in how we feed. We have not started e-collar training with Sully yet but I am sure once we do people will also have an opinion on that as that is also another tool that is used in dog training that can be thought of negatively by a pool of people. The key to social media is not letting comments get to you, someone could be leaving a comment just to see what reaction they can get from you.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to start their own dog influencer account or share their dog on social media?
Baljon: My advice would be to be you !!!! I know that is the most generic advice but every time I look into ways I can grow his account, the main feedback is to be you. If you show your true personality to your followers then they will have a reason to follow. Share your dog and as much of their life as you can so people can get an idea of who this dog is that they are following.
How has your dog influenced your life outside of social media?
Baljon: Outside of social media, Sully is my baby and people can see that. I think doing a social media account for him has allowed our relationship to grow because we spend so much time together. Outside of social media we are still always together, training and living our best life possible.
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?
Baljon: If I can be honest, filming anything with Sully makes me laugh to the point I am in tears sometimes. He is SOOOOO food motivated when it comes to his raw treats that when we did our last unboxing haul, he stood in the camera the whole time. I tried to film this from different angles for over an hour and every time it was the same thing so I just dealt with it and we filmed. The last time we had a beautiful sunny day, I had brought him outside to eat his raw duck wing and here I was thinking the natural lighting is beautiful and he decided to take his wing and eat it in the raised garden and completely cover it in dirt; those photos were very... lets say.... dirty LOL
What is your favorite thing about being a dog influencer?
Baljon: My favorite thing about being a dog influencer is the people you get connected to. I have met some of the most amazing people after starting up Sully's social media; that is actually how we discovered the raw food company we travel to buy from. We have met a community where people will support each other and be there to share their advice and experiences.
Lastly, what's next for you and your dog on social media? Any exciting plans or projects in the works?
Baljon: There is nothing we have planned except for upping out content to try to get some paid partnerships with brands that align with us and our lifestyle. We love sharing Sully and his adventures and the next step is to elevate that with some great products.
