tech
January 10, 2026
I tried to make my dog go viral on social media
Making a star of Murphy the labrador seemed like a harmless and plausible quest. But I hadn’t reckoned with all kinds of costs
TL;DR
- The author launched new Instagram and TikTok accounts for their dog, Murphy, aiming for popularity and virality without paid sponsorships.
- Research involved studying successful Australian pet influencers, focusing on elements like outfits, perceived wealth, and unique skills.
- The author's initial attempts at posting engaging content on Instagram and TikTok yielded low engagement.
- The experiment revealed that many pet influencer accounts operate by selling paid promotion packages to aspiring pet owners.
- Advice from Eddie the chihuahua's owner emphasized consistent posting, active engagement, and a distinct pet personality.
- The author resorted to printing flyers to promote Murphy's accounts, highlighting the desperation involved.
- A messy incident with Murphy falling into a septic tank led the author to question the constant need for content creation.
- The experiment concluded with the author valuing genuine moments with their dog over online validation.
Continue reading the original article