Did you know pet brands give away free products to dog owners on a daily basis? Did you know they pay pet bloggers just to post a pic of their dog enjoying their stuff on social media?
The internet has changed the way all pet brands work. “We” as the consumer now have more power than ever regarding what brands people buy, what products do well and what the pet industry makes for our pets. Its a great time to have a fur baby. Information is at our fingertips helping us make better and better decisions.
One of the funnest developments of this change is the ability for our pets to become “famous”. Literally thousands of pet owners have uploaded pictures and video to facebook, instagram and their own blog to see their pet go viral. Pet’s are out earning their owner with some making MILLIONS in yearly salaries! No joke…
Plus pet brands are now sending free product to almost any blogger who requests it for their pet. If you are like us, we love free stuff from great brands – it saves us money!
But how does that work? How does someone make their pet famous? How do you put yourself in the position to reach out to pet brands?
It all starts with a blog. A blog is a place where you upload pictures and videos about your pet and then share those across social media (Facebook is a big place to share). Because of technology, it has become really, really easy. (We’ve provided a step by step instruction below to start your own blog with pictures in PART 2 of this post)
We all have lots of pictures and videos of our dogs. Why not get free stuff or even get paid? IHeartDogs.com is the largest dog blog on the web and was started because of Splash our Husky 3 years ago.
Once you have your blog live with some pictures, video and started a Facebook page, just start emailing brands for product. You’ll be surprised how often you’ll get free stuff if you post a pic. Once you get enough traction, brands may even pay you to post about them.
Bottom line – High quality toys, treats and food can be expensive. By setting up a blog like we did, you could save hundreds per year AND your dog benefits big time. 🙂
If you are ready to get started setting up you “dog blog”, we’ve included a step by step walkthrough below:
Part 2: Your complete walkthrough on how to setup a blog for your dog – step by step.
ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT YOUR DOG? DO YOU LIKE TO WRITE? DO YOU WANT TO GET FREE STUFF (TOYS, FOOD, TREATS, ETC.) WHAT ABOUT MAKE EXTRA MONEY?
Starting a blog might be your answer.
Blogs are no longer just for the “professional writer”. They are for the pet lover, the designer, the mother, the craftsman, and the teacher.
BUT ITS NOT. BELOW I HAVE OUTLINED AN EASY STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO GETTING A DOMAIN, SETTING UP HOSTING, AND INSTALLING WORDPRESS IN 10 MINUTES OR LESS.
IMPORTANT: The first step for setting up a blog is buying a domain and setting up hosting.
TO GET STARTED YOU’LL NEED 3 ITEMS:
1. A Credit Card ( Average startup costs can be around $50 – sometimes less and sometimes a little more depending on upgrades)
2. A Domain Name
3. Setup Hosting
4. WordPress
5. A Theme To Install
STEP #1: BUYING A DOMAIN NAME
The domain name of my blog is MovingMountains.co. That’s where people have come to find me on the web. Choosing a good domain can be tough. Your domain can either be your name or a branded domain like MovingMountains.co. Luckily, the hosting company I will recommend in step #2 provides you a free domain when you sign up.
STEP #2 SETTING UP A HOSTING ACCOUNT.
This is where your blog will “live.” This is a server in the cloud (i.e., a remote computer), where you will rent space to install the WordPress software and manage your blog. It’s far easier than it sounds. Stick with me.
There are a hundreds of hosting services available. However, based on my experience and research, I recommend Bluehost. I believe it is the best option for most people for the following several reasons:
- Bluehost is large and well known.
- They offer excellent customer service (located in the US).
- Their packages are highly affordable. If you sign up with the link below, I’ve actually locked my readers a $3.95 per month fee + a free domain. Which is incredibly cheap.
- Their service provides extremely fast page load times.
- Bluehost is very easy to use.
ACTION STEP: Click HERE to buy your domain and signup for hosting with Bluehost. I have provided a visual guide of the steps below.
BLUEHOST STEP #1
Visit This Link (the same as the one above) and Click “Get Started Now” button.
BLUEHOST STEP #2
Choose your plan.
BLUEHOST STEP #3
Choose your free domain name or bring over your current domain. Both are very easy processes.
OR IF YOU KNOW YOU NEED A NEW DOMAIN, YOU CAN SEARCH RIGHT FROM THIS POST TO SEE WHAT IS AVAILABLE.
BLUEHOST STEP #4
Place your order and pay for your plan.
BLUEHOST STEP #5
Once you’ve logged in, you will be taken to your Bluehost dashboard where you can install WordPress (the software that runs your blog) in a few simple clicks.
BLUEHOST STEP #6
Click the the green install button.
BLUEHOST STEP #7
Choose the domain you just registered or the one you brought over.
BLUEHOST STEP #8
Check the “Show advanced options” box and fill in the title, username, and password. Your title will be the name of your blog (mine would be Dale Partridge). The username and password will be what you use to login to the backend of your blog (your WordPress dashboard).
IMPORTANT: Save this information somewhere where you won’t lose it. You will need it for step #10
BLUEHOST STEP #9
Bluehost will install WordPress on your server and let you know when it’s complete.
Click the “View Credentials” button on the top right.
BLUEHOST STEP #10
Click on “Admin URL” (located below the green box) and enter your WordPress login credentials from step #8. This will take you to your WordPress dashboard. Your WordPress dashboard is where you will do almost everything on your blog. From writing articles to changing design.
FINAL STEP
This is your WordPress Dashboard. You can either begin blogging or upload a new theme for your blog. I would recommend purchasing a new WordPress theme at Themeforest.net. At ThemeForest, in the navigation go to “WordPress” in the upper left section of the page. Then choose your theme type and begin exploring thousands of themes. After purchasing your theme from Themeforest, you will return to your WordPress dashboard and click “Appearance” > Themes > Upload a New Theme. Here you will upload the .zip file of the theme your just purchased.
Lastly, you will then follow your theme’s setup features provided by the person who developed your theme. This is where you will upload your logo, change colors, add pages, and more.
Congratulations! You have officially setup your blog.
Toledo, United States.
