How Sharing Photos of Your Dog Can Radically Change Your Business (and make the world a better place)
On an unremarkable weekday afternoon not long ago, I was sitting on my sofa, enjoying a cup of coffee, scrolling through my Facebook feed as I often do, when I saw a hilarious video of a dog carrying a stick that was at least three times the length of his body.
When I opened up the comment thread and began reading the thousands of comments that had been left, I realized that people seem to connect on a really personal level over their love for animals (and just like that, a lightbulb clicked on).
Animals unite us.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who has noticed that things have been a bit…well…tense… over the last few years. It has gotten to the point where our communities feel more fractured than ever before. It definitely feels hopeless sometimes!
But what I realized in that moment is that even when everyone seems at odds with each other over politics, climate change, or whatever the current crisis is, they’ll share the same adorable dog or cat memes. No matter what kind of day they’re having, people across every demographic will jump at the chance to comment on a photo of an adorable puppy or share a cute photo of their pet.
And that got me thinking…
Could it be that our shared love for our animals actually makes us more human?
As it turns out, the answer is, YES! (and there is actually a lot of research to back it up, as this article from The Atlantic explains).
This connection we share through our pets is so powerful in fact, that it is used by large corporations to sell more products (i.e. Target, RCA, Subaru, etc.), and even by US Presidents to make them appear more relatable and trustworthy!
In fact, just seeing pictures of dogs has been shown to improve overall wellbeing and happiness! (source).
So, what does this mean for you as a business owner?
This is AMAZING news for you because it means that just by hanging a few photos of your dog in your business or posting more content featuring your dog online, you can instantly increase engagement and break the ice with new or potential clients, build more meaningful relationships and increase trust with existing clients, and put more smiles on more people’s faces every day! If that’s not a win/win/win, I don’t know what is!
Next Steps
Feature your dog on your Instagram or Facebook stories. Stories are a really great way to invite your followers behind the scenes, and they offer a direct line to your inbox. When I post videos and pictures of my dog to my stories, it almost always results in a direct message from someone, which is the perfect opportunity to start a conversation and build a more meaningful connection!
Create specialized content for your social media pages centered around your dog- even better, create photos and videos of YOU with your dog! Not only will it stop the scroll, but it will make you seem more relatable to your audience and increase your engagement.
Include your pets on your website and on your marketing materials. Again, the goal is to make you more relatable, break the ice with potential clients, and build stronger relationships. Including your pets in your brand will do wonders!
Hang artwork featuring your pets in your place of business. You’ll be amazed at how many conversations will start just at the mere sight of your adorable animals!
