How to Make Your Dog Famous on TikTok

If you’re reading this, chances are you want to make your dog a TikTok sensation. And why wouldn’t you? You’re their biggest fan, after all! We are confident your pet has what it takes, but know it will take some heavy lifting on your part too.

While we can’t guarantee your precious pooch celebrity status, we can give you tips and tricks to help you grow your following on TikTok, maximize post engagement, and hopefully get your dog's adorable face on the screens of millions. Read on for the low-down on everything TikTok, from targeting demographics to monetizing your account!

First, let's start with the basics: growing a following, understanding the algorithm, and increasing your visibility and shares.   

Growing a following 

The first question most TikTokers ask when joining the platform is, "How do I grow my TikTok followers and likes"? Unfortunately, there's no one straightforward answer. Growing a following takes a lot of work and consistency, and there are no guarantees that your dog will get famous despite your best efforts. However, these tips can give you an edge up. 

Promote and share your content on other platforms, especially if you already have a decent following. Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter are just a few platforms you can use to promote your pet's TikTok channel. 

Give your videos some added flair by using sound clips, text overlay, voiceover, and special effects. This will make your videos more exciting for viewers.

Target your ideal demographic from the start, especially if you plan to partner with brands and monetize your channel in the future. For instance, people without pets are unlikely to buy dog gear, but pet parents will. Likewise, people who love animals are much more likely to engage with your content than those who don't. 

Switch to a pro account to better understand your reach and audience demographics. Pro accounts allow creators access to critical analytics data that will help you accurately gauge your performance, see who your content appeals to, and create a content strategy specific to your goals. 

Remind your viewers to like and follow for more content. Briefly describe your content so they understand what they'll be getting, which will help prevent unfollows later on. 

Understanding the TikTok algorithm  

A solid understanding of TikTok's algorithm can really help maximize your channel's potential. All social media platforms have an algorithm that influences what content the users see. 

Simply put, an algorithm is a set of code that analyzes users' information (like the types of videos they search for, what videos they watch to completion, and the type of content they like and share). This data is used to create the user's "for you page" content. Creators can make the algorithm work in their favor by creating content that influences interaction and encourages viewers to watch until the end — but more on that later. 

Increasing visibility and interaction

The number of likes, comments, and shares (interaction) definitely boosts your visibility. But engagement alone is not enough to make your dog go viral. You'll need a high retention/video completion rate to "prove" that your content is valuable and influence the algorithm to recommend it to more users. 

Likewise, you'll need to interact with other people's content and respond to comments on your videos to increase views and user engagement.   

Posting at the right time is also crucial. You want your videos to drop when viewers are most likely to engage with your content. It may take trial and error to find which posting times work best for your audience, but stick with that sweet spot when you find it.

Now that you've got the basics down, let's explore some ways to ensure your channel stands out amongst #PetTok.

There are thousands of TikTok dogs, so you'll need to find a unique angle to set your account apart from the rest.

Sure, just having an adorable dog is enough to get you followers, but having a cute dog with a talent or a sense of humor? That will really get your viewers interacting. It's also more likely to earn followers since viewers will want to see other unusual things your dog does. 

Some examples of tricks that might help your dog go viral on TikTok: 

• How to ride a skateboard 
• How to "talk" with dog buttons
  
• How to play the piano
• How to paint  
• Parkour moves 
• Any other silly or unique tricks

Users also tend to gravitate towards content that's funny, informational, or both! So we encourage you to sprinkle in some humor or educational content whenever "pawssible"! 

TikTok is unique because users can search the platform for videos containing specific audio clips or challenges. This enables users to come across content they may otherwise not simply because a creator partook in a trend. Plus, when a user watches these videos to completion or interacts with that content, the app will recommend more video content like it. 

Participating in TikTok trends, whether using a trending audio clip or doing a dance challenge with your dog, could substantially boost your visibility.

Hashtags are another simple tactic pet content creators can use to make their videos easier to find. Here are some tips to make sure you’re using hashtags effectively.

• Use a mix of broad and targeted hashtags to reach a wider audience while minimizing competition.
• Don’t go crazy with hashtags — try to stick to 5–8 hashtags for maximum impact. 
• Be sure to regularly check the “trends” section under the Discover tab to see which hashtags are trending and help you decide on relevant and popular hashtags. 
• Don’t caption your videos with random hashtags that don’t match your content.  

Examples of relevant and popular hashtags within the dog niche on TikTok:

• #DogsofTikTok
• #FYP (or #foryoupage)  
• #DogPhotography
• #Puppy
• #DogOfTheDay
• #DogLover
• #DogLife
  

To be a successful TikTok creator, you need to post at least 2 to 3 times daily — but don’t feel like you have to spend all day creating content. You can dedicate one day a week to film all your content and space out your uploads throughout the week. 

Don’t upload all your videos at once, either. Post them throughout the day to keep your account active and viewers engaged.

TikTok has stringent community guidelines, ad policies, and terms of service. If you intend on getting serious about your dog’s TikTok channel, you’ll need to get well acquainted with these policies. Failure to adhere to these guidelines could result in video removal, account suspensions, and even a permanent ban.

Watch popular accounts with similar content to what you wish to create. Ask yourself: What sets them apart from other, less popular accounts? You may want to implement some of their strategies into your own content. Likewise, pay attention to what gets your posts the most engagement.

Do you find personal stories about your dog get more engagement than videos of them being silly? If so, you might want to shift your focus to producing more of that type of content. That being said, it's good to have a healthy mix of content — it keeps your page fresh and exciting.

Don't underestimate the power of captions, either. Research keywords that target your desired viewer demographic and place them into your captions in an organic way.

For instance, if you're targeting French Bulldog parents, you might use targeted keywords like French Bulldog puppy, French Bulldog tips, or French Bulldog tantrums, which are all commonly searched phrases in the Frenchies of TikTok niche. But don't just stuff relevant keywords into your captions — make them flow naturally whenever possible.

You may be inclined to post longer, elaborate videos since TikTok extended its maximum video size to 10 minutes — but more isn't always better, at least when it comes to engagement. You may be surprised to learn that 15-second clips tend to perform better than clips longer than a minute. 

Unfortunately, making short clips isn't enough — you'll need to grip your viewers' attention within the first few 2–3 seconds to prevent them from swiping past. If your viewers don't watch the entire clip, TikTok may downrank your future content.

A video's completion rate is the most important factor in boosting visibility across the platform — at least as far as the algorithm is concerned. TikTok is a fast-paced platform, so try to make the majority of your content quick and snappy to keep viewers coming back for more.

Want to really boost your retention rate? Make looping videos a priority. Seamless video loops increase the likelihood that viewers will watch your content more than once, which boosts the completion rate even more. 

Lastly, stay up to date on algorithm and policy changes. Tiktok will rarely notify its users of algorithm changes, so use outside resources to stay current on creator information. Keeping up with the latest TikTok guidelines can prevent you from violating TikTok’s user agreement and prevent your account from being penalized.

Congratulations, you've built your channel, uploaded a decent amount of videos, and garnered a small following. Here's how to take your channel to the next level (and make money while doing it).

Upgrade to a more professional setup 

First things first, you'll want to increase your production value. You don't need studio-quality recording equipment, but you should at least invest in a phone that shoots in 4K. Ideally, you should also have a quality mic that's compatible with your recording equipment and something to edit videos on (like a laptop or desktop computer).

Monetize your dog's TikTok account

Another common question of PetTok creators is, "How do I monetize my dog's TikTok account?" Monetization may seem reserved for creators with millions of followers, but you may be surprised to learn that's not the case. There are two ways to monetize your channel directly through TikTok.

TikTok Creator Fund

Very successful creators may be eligible for the TikTok Creator Fund, but be aware that this is for the most prominent creators on the app. To apply for the creator fund, TikTokers must create original, organic (not sponsored) videos and have a minimum of 10,000 followers and 100,000 video views within the past 30 days.

Creators must be of legal age and a resident of the US to apply for the program. It's important to mention that how much TikTokers make from this fund will depend on several factors, including how many organic views, likes, shares, and comments they receive.

TikTok Creator Marketplace account

The second way you can get paid to create TikToks is to make a TikTok Creator Marketplace account. This platform connects creators with brands looking for influencers who will pay the creators to create sponsored content.

Brand partnerships

You don’t have to limit yourself to TikTok’s monetization programs to monetize your account. TikTok also allows more traditional brand partnerships, which may be easier to acquire in some instances. The only downside to traditional brand partnerships is that you'll have to research and reach out to companies, which can be very time-consuming.

When pitching brands, focus on the value you can provide to them through your content. Once you land your first potential partnership, be sure to read the fine print closely. If you're unsure about compensation or expectations, ask questions to make sure everyone is on the same page.

Wag! partners with TikTok creators — if you've launched your TikTok account and built up a following, reach out to us at partnerships@wagwalking.com!

Our last and final tip is to have fun! Your viewers will be able to tell if you and your dog are enjoying yourselves and your views and interaction will reflect that!

Are you considering starting a TikTok account for your dog? We’d love to see your videos!  Be sure to tag us (@wag) on TikTok so we never miss a post!