This is a business strategy that I came up with while going in a rabbit-hole on YouTube of cute pet videos. Particularly dogs, but pet videos are so hot right now… there are even some adorable lizards out there. Who would have thought?
I realized that some of these videos have freaking hundreds of thousands of views and some with even millions of views. In awe of the appeal that these simple videos have, I was inspired to strategize an online business model for the type of people that post these videos- pet owners. We’ll focus the topic of this article on dogs, because, well, dogs are the best 🙂
Just a disclaimer, I haven’t pulled off this strategy yet, and until I have more free time, I won’t get to it, but it logically makes sense, proof of this being that these videos have amazing amounts of views. There is no reason why you wouldn’t be able to hack this type of virality and then strategically monetize it.
Feel free to implement and innovate with this whole concept. The thing I love about the internet is the amount of room there is for new content creators and businesses. People can subscribe to a near infinite amount of channels and there will be millions of more internet-users every year. The market is just growing and growing, giving you room to slide right in there and get your piece.
Think about it, there are hundreds of online business owners that you never heard of that are making a lot of money. Every few days I’ll stumble upon a YouTuber that I’ve never heard of that has a million subscribers.
You’d think anyone with that kind of following would not slip under your radar, but those days are gone. There are now many more niches that are profitable in the content-making industry than in the days of radio and network television, and therefore there are many more opportunities for you to make a splash with your particular brand of content.
For example, in the dog owner niche on YouTube and other social media outlets. So let’s get to it.
First of all, I want to explore the idea of why these cute as hell videos get so much attention.
Having a bad day?
Well, look at this photo.
Probably having a little less of a bad day, all of a sudden, huh? That’s my dog, Rocky, and he has a YouTube channel. And our plan is to alleviate the bad days of thousands of people around the world.
Thanks to the power of the internet, non pet owners can live vicariously through pet owners on the internet. They can share the beautiful story of companionship that a dog weaves into your life, all in the comfort of their own homes, or when they are waiting for a bus, or in the school library, or when they wait in line to pay for groceries.
I’ve seen co-workers literally spend a whole break period sharing cute photos of pets, or pets that they wished they had, with each other.
Cuteness is undeniable and a powerful force on the internet, to say the least. YouTube was originally known for its viral cat videos, and the constant cat memes posted on Reddit does get out of hand sometimes.
So what does this mean if you love dogs and you want to make money online?
These two categories of people definitely intersect (puts up hand), and there are many ways to monetize a business based on this passion if you are able to create high quality, high value content.
One way to do this is to create a vlog style YouTube channel for your dog, in which you will consistently upload videos of you doing dog-owner related activities. If you create value in these videos, like for example, teaching people how to trim your dogs nails properly, or exploring new forms of diet for your buddy, you will be gaining views in no time flat.
This being a business, let’s say you schedule for two videos every week. You can come up endless ideas for content. Go to the dog park and meet new dogs. Take your dog to the vet and maybe promote your veterinarian while you’re at it. Maybe charge him for it. Maybe that’s another business idea right there.
Once again, this being a business, you will consistently upload videos and promote them on Facebook groups, Google + groups, and YouTube SEO will take care of the rest. Eventually, your dogs life will have a following that far surpasses yours and he will be the bread winner of the house. Who’s getting neutered now?
Speaking of which, monetization of this kind of content can be from sponsors. Follow these guys on YouTube: Video Influencers. I learned a lot about creating video content from them, and they opened my eyes to how easy it is to become sponsored nowadays. In short, you don’t need that many subscribers, just a few thousand. Big pet-store companies have digital asset managers that will gladly pay you a good amount of money to have their brand associated with yours.
Another way to monetize is with CPA offers from a network like Maxbounty. They have plenty of dog-related products that you can promote on your channel and website. For example, SuperChewer (only available in the US/CA). Being that most of your audience will likely be other dog-owners or potential dog owners, your influence and endorsement will likely lead to plenty of commissions for these offers.
Another disclaimer I want to add is that not everybody has a “video personality” and this type of content may not be lucrative for a lot of people just because they have, like, no charisma. Then again, it does not take much for someone to be captivating on YouTube. There is something genuine about someone just being themselves, though it is a dull self, on video. To an extent. To make this type of content work, you have to at least let your love of your dog shine through.
Which brings me to another benefit of making content around your dog- you don’t have to be the center of attention. Of course, one of the barriers people have to making video content online is that they are self-conscious and are deathly nervous in situations where they are being recorded.
Then there’s the basement dwelling haters that will inevitable comment on your work. Well, if you just stay behind the Go-pro and let your dog be the star, this will lessen these barriers. I mean, this can potentially work with no one ever seeing your actual face. As for the haters, c’mon, it’s a dog video, those barely get any hater-attention. Who talks shit about dogs?
Another sub niche that would be great: dog training videos.
If you have a dog that has behavioral problems, or you just got a new puppy (awhhh), you can chronicle his journey on learning new habits, and at the same time, your own learning of how to probably communicate with your dog.
This may very well be the perfect time to finally learn how to train your dog properly, and you may even get paid while you do it. (disclaimer: if you work hard and have enough tenacity to actually build a successful business)
Clickbank has a couple of popular training products that you can promote. Getting a Clickbank account is very simple compared to other affiliate networks. Because of this, it is the first network that a lot of beginners choose to be involved with.
Simply, get an account at Clickbank, buy the product, like Dog Training 4 Dogs, go through the course, learn the content, and create content around promoting the product.
This can include a step by step walk through of the course (without giving away too much of it), and a before and after of how your dog behaves thanks to the course. Remember, the reason why these courses have such a high rating on Clickbank is because they actually do work.
The amount of value, in entertainment or education that you provide your fellow dog owners will be invaluable. Like with the other method I mentioned earlier, you will eventually create a brand around your personality and more importantly your dogs personality.
Once again, the beauty of the internet- allowing the regular person to develop a following of fans that are passionate about the same specific niche. It can be super specific, but at the same time, very successful because of the accessibility of the interwebz.
Some house keeping…
In order for you to actually be profitable and create a successful business around this concept, and not just another random person posting random videos on YouTube, you’ll have to set yourself apart.
I believe the easiest way to set yourself apart from other pet vlogs is to actually think of your channel as a business and your dog as a business partner.
So, being a business venture and all, you’ll be investing in education on how to edit videos to make them more appealing. This includes learning from experts and purchasing some high quality tools. Maybe you’ll even invest some of your money into free-lancers, like the ones you can find on Fiverr.
High production value goes a long way to captivating and retaining viewers. Your viewers might not subscribe upon finding your videos the first time around but after they see that you are constantly producing content and high-quality content, at that, you will win a lot of people over.
I know personally I’ve subscribed to a lot of channels on YouTube just because I admire the hustle of the owner of the channel, whether I was actually that interested in the subject of the content. While I may not be watching every single video, I like to be inspired by someone else’s hustle 😉
Take this concept and run with it
If you want. If you need something interesting to work on because your regular online hustle is getting bland or if you just want to create something to remember your dog by.
Come to think of it, it would be amazing to create countless videos dedicated to your buddy, and something you can use to remember him forever. Dogs have an undeniable impact on our lives, they are like little pieces of our hearts zooming around our backyards and sometimes I like to just sit and ponder about how profound of a relationship it is. Anyway, that’s a different article 😛
Like with any sort of affiliate marketing, it is all about testing, finding the right market to promote your business, and eventually creating that audience. With pets, and particularly dogs, there definitely is a market. Which is why I’m pretty confident that if someone takes the time and effort, they can turn their dog into some internet celebrity, or as they call them these days, social media influencer.
Don’t forget to leave a comment! Tell me what you think. Brainstorm with me. Do you have a pet? Share a picture.
Talk to you soon 🙂