Expert advice on how to make your pet a social influencer

Experts share tips for how to profit of your pet's cuteness.

ByABC News
August 1, 2017, 8:05 AM

— -- Experts shared some of their top tips for how to make your pet famous on social media, and cash in on the cuteness with sponsored content from advertisers that can earn up to $15,000 per post.

"They tend to resonate better with consumers, they reach everyone whether you're a teenager or a grandparent," Loni Edwards, the founder of The Dog Agency, a talent management firm for social media famous pets, told ABC News of so-called "pet influencers," or social media famous animals.

Edwards left her job at a law firm to start The Dog Agency after her own Mini French Bulldog, Chloe, became an Instagram superstar.

PHOTO: The owners of some of the most influential animal social media stars shared their tips with "Good Morning America" for how to turn your pet into a social media star.
The owners of some of the most influential animal social media stars shared their tips with "Good Morning America" for how to turn your pet into a social media star.

Edwards now manages Chloe and her other clients, which include dogs, cats, hedgehogs, monkeys and pigs.

"And pets, unlike human influencers ... they're never going to say the wrong thing," Edwards added of pet influencers appeal for marketers.

Courtney Dasher, a former interior designer, left her previous job to manage the social media accounts for Tuna, her 7-year-old Chiweenie full time.

Dasher said managing Chiweenie's account can take a lot of work.

"There's producing content ... and then coming up with the captions," Dasher said. "But then there's a lot of administration, we get inundated with requests from followers and businesses so it takes up time to make sure you're managing the accounts well."

The pay, however, is nothing to bark at.

Animals with thousands of followers can bring in anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000 per sponsored post, and pets with followings in the millions -- such as Tuna -- can bring in between $10,000 and $15,000 per sponsored posts, according to Edwards. They may also get opportunities for merchandise lines and book deals.

Edwards shared some of her tips for launching the social media career for your own pets.

"Having a strong brand is important, Chloe for example, her themes are fashion, travel and food," Edwards said. "So the content has to be very human-focused."

She said another one of the most important guidelines is "definitely posting regularly."

Lastly, Edwards said, "the photos and the video should be on brand with the message that you're creating."

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