Puppy influencer. What does it take?

Have you ever wondered what goes in to running a popular Instagram account? This is one of my absolute favourites and so I asked Lily from @angus.the.border some questions to get a better insight in what it takes.

A brief introduction “Hi! I’m Lily, I’m 16 years old and I have a red grizzle border terrier called Angus. He is one year old and has his very own Instagram account!”

“When did you create the account?”

“I created the account in the August of 2022 when Angus was about six months old.”.

“Why did you want to start an Instagram account for your dog?”

“My initial thought was that it would be a fun way to document our adventures together and to collect all our precious memories in one place as Angus was still very young when I made it. The day I started the account we had been to a dog show where we talked to lots of other puppy influencers. I saw the community they had created, and they were so welcoming I wanted to join. They told me all the fun things you can do with an Instagram account and gave me lots of tips on how to get started.”.

“What do you think has been your greatest achievement so far?”

“I would have to say the community we have built and all the genuine friendships that have come along the way. The community we are in is so diverse in many ways, particularly age, there are accounts my age, some middle aged and some older people who started their accounts inspired by their grandchildren and something about that is just so beautiful to me. Of course, I’m so happy with my followers and so grateful to them all but I think sometimes as influencers we forget where we come from and what we are part of which is why I love my community so much.”.

“What opportunities have been presented to you from your Instagram account?”

“I think the dog shows are an important one to mention. Through them we discover so many new friends and brands. I have also been interviewed a couple of times which has been amazing. Another exciting thing that I’m going to be able to do is I’ve received an invitation to a Christmas party by the brand Pawesome Paws Boutique, all of their workers and brand ambassadors will be there and it’s one of my favourite brands so I’m super excited to be there. It is also especially exciting as I have been investing in the brand since before we even owned a dog, so it feels amazing to be part of their community.”

“What is one thing you hope to achieve in the future?”

“I’d love to become a brand representative for either Pawsome Paws Boutique or Tide and Country. I think they are amazing small businesses, and you can really tell how much they love their work and their products. When I see businesses such as these, I always wonder how one doesn’t immediately want to support someone who’s so clearly in love with what they do.”.

“What is your favourite thing about Angus?”

“I think the companionship we have built is amazing. When we got him, we had just come out of lockdown, which, as an only child, was kind of lonely. We were expecting to get a dog but not so soon, so I think the excitement really foreshadowed the rest of our relationship. I love the fact that now every day when I come home, I always know he’ll be at the door wagging his tail or wanting attention. Something about that is so special to me.”.

“Why should people follow Angus?”

“I think on Instagram you see lots of what I call city dogs, you know the little French bulldogs who are all dressed up and can do cute tricks, very typical photogenic. I have always tried to market his account as a typical country working dog in the countryside. We don’t do the same glamour or tricks; we go out in the mud and the rain. I think the fact he is a country working really appeals to those who want a little bit of the country.”.

“What is your favourite part of running the account?”

“I honestly think just getting to spend time on taking photos of my dog. I love going through the process of picking out an idea, figuring out ways to get Angus’ attention then doing all the editing. I have done photography in the past, so it is a wonderful way for me to still be able to enjoy the process. I love taking time to edit ideas and photos and then getting a cute photo of my dog as the end product!”.

“How much time do you spend working on the account?”

“I am still in education and our account is still in the early stages so right now I don’t find it too tiring. Of course, when accounts grow, a lot more work goes into it, and it changes but we aren’t there yet. What is especially important to remember is that Angus is still a dog and won’t want to always be working so some days we may spend about an hour working on things together and other days it will just be me editing for 30 minutes. I try to at least do half an hour a day, but life happens so if there is not anything big going on (unlike during Halloween) I may not do any at all for a couple days.”.

It was an amazing experience interviewing Lily and Angus and I highly recommend checking out their Instagram account @angus.the.border if you want to see some adorable content.