Section 3 of 3 · about 1 min read
Building a friendly community and partnering with brands honestly.
Your dog’s wellbeing always comes before the perfect shot. Advertising rules can change, so check the latest guidance from the ASA and CMA before posting paid or gifted content.
Lesson 1
The pages people love have a clear personality. Think about what makes your dog unique: a rescue journey, a silly habit, adventures, training wins or life with a senior dog. Post regularly at a pace you can keep up, write captions in a consistent voice and use a few relevant hashtags. Quality and kindness beat quantity every time.
Lesson 2
Growth comes from real connection. Reply to comments, support other accounts and share useful, accurate tips. Never buy followers or likes; it damages trust and engagement. If someone gives poor welfare advice in your comments, gently point them to reliable sources. Remember to take breaks: your dog doesn’t need a post every day to be loved.
Lesson 3
In the UK, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) expect paid promotions to be clearly labelled. If a brand pays you, gives you something or has control over your post, make it obvious up front, typically with “#ad” or “Ad” at the start. Vague tags like “#sp”, or hiding the label among lots of hashtags, aren’t clear enough. Gifts and affiliate links need disclosure too.
Lesson 4
Your followers trust you, so only promote products you’d genuinely use and that are safe for dogs. Try them properly before reviewing, share honest pros and cons, and never make health claims you can’t back up. Read contracts carefully, keep a note of agreed payments and deadlines, and say no to any brief that would put your dog in an uncomfortable or risky situation.
In the UK, paid posts should be clearly labelled, for example with #ad.
Hiding #ad at the end of 30 hashtags is clear enough.
Free gifts from brands never need any disclosure.
Buying followers is a quick, harmless way to grow.
You can turn down a brief that would make your dog uncomfortable.
Put the steps of a responsible brand partnership in order.
#ad
Score 70% or more to pass this section.
Question 1 of 8
