While the top human influencers on Instagram can reportedly command as much as $1 million per sponsored post, our four-legged friends can also make a substantial living as pet influencers, says Loni Edwards, the founder of top animal talent management firm The Dog Agency.
A pet with 100,000 followers can garner a few hundred dollars for an Instagram grid post, Edwards tells Vox, while animals with millions of followers can garner as much as $15,000 per post. And in terms of Instagram Stories, a pet with 1 million followers could bank “a couple thousand dollars” per post. Given the non-verbal nature of the content, most sponsored content is being distributed on Instagram, she says — as well as Facebook and YouTube, but to a lesser extent. In addition to spon-con, pets are also signing massive book and merch deals.
Edwards, a former lawyer, now works with the likes of Harlow And Sage, canine fashion blogger Ella Bean, Popeye The Foodie, senior dog rescue account Wolfgang, and a fat cat named Bruno, who recently went viral for his voluptuous frame. The creatures in Edwards’ stable — which also includes pigs, monkeys, hedgehogs — have collaborated with top pet brands like PetSmart and Purina as well as human-facing marketers like Dyson, Ralph Lauren, Ritz-Carlton, Sony, Coke, Barneys New York, and The Body Shop.
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And while top YouTube stars annually gather for creator convention VidCon, their animal counterparts now have a gatherinf of their own. PetCon, a two-year-old event co-founded by Edwards, will be held at New York City’s Javits Center on Nov. 17 and 18. “There will be meet-and-greets with celebrity pets, brand shops, a dog adoption garden, an adoptable cat cafe, and a keynote with the Animal Legal Defense Fund on the laws status on pets as property and the associated consequences,” Edwards tells Vox.
You can learn more about PetCon, which is expecting to welcome 10,000 guests this year, right here. Tickets start at $75.
