We were lucky to catch up with Kate Withers recently and have shared our conversation below.
Kate, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.
I always saw my mom taking pictures with her camera and usually I was right beside her on those adventures. Believe it or not, when I was little, I used to hate having my picture taken! I would turn around and refuse to look at the camera. So, there’s plenty of pictures floating around our house with just the back of my head as I stare off into the beautiful horizon. Some might even say they’re “candid”. Don’t worry though, I’ve gotten my fair share of karma from my little Westie, Whiskey, who likes to look away whenever I pull out the camera.
Nevertheless, my mom put a camera in my hand at a young age. I have albums filled with the most random photos you’d expect a five-year-old to take, and that is where the journey began. Growing up, I loved to take photos of anything and everything, and I still carry that trait with me today as a content creator. When I was around fourteen, I picked up a GoPro for the very first time and that’s when my filming hobby started. My uncle was the one who inspired me. I used to remember him going out spearfishing and taking his GoPro to film the adventures and thought that was so amazing! Inspired with awe, I wanted to film my adventures too. Right before I had a trip to go explore the Grand Canyon, my grandma bought me a GoPro so I could film my trip, and I did just that.
I learned the value of taking pictures and filming videos, and to me that value is being able to capture memories not only for myself to look back on in the years to come, but so I can also share my memories and experiences with others. That is what ultimately sparked my interest in sharing my life on social media and creating content for others to enjoy.
From developing every little picture that I took, to buying endless camera accessories, my family never put any limits on my photography and filming creativity. Looking back on it, if it weren’t for my family and their own creative outlets, I wonder if I ever would have ventured down the path of content creation all on my own. They definitely were huge inspirations and supportive of me every step of the way which is more than I could have ever asked for.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Kate Withers and I share my life and adventures with my dog, a Westie named Whiskey, on social media, @barkfluent. In 2017, I adopted Whiskey, and by 2018, you can imagine how many adorable puppy photos I had stashed in the camera roll of my phone! I decided that I wanted to do something with them and getting them developed and stored in a photo album seemed very overwhelming. That’s when I decided to create an Instagram account and upload them all there. We eventually grew a community, and then a following with people from all around the world. I met others who were just as obsessed with Westies as I was! Today, we have amassed around 75k followers collectively from Instagram (@barkfluent), TikTok (@barkfluent), and YouTube (@barkfluent)!
One thing Whiskey and I share in common is that we both love to always be on the go. All I have to say to Whiskey is “Let’s go!” and he’s at my feet, never leaving my side. It doesn’t matter where we go, he’s always ready and excited to take on the next adventure. I love sharing our travel adventures, including dog-friendly travel spots. I also love to share relatable dog-mom content, and content centered towards the Westie breed. We’ve recently started a new series called “Paws + Stay” where we collaborate with local hotels in our area that are dog friendly. We go to the location and film the hotel’s amenities and perks for humans and dogs alike. Be sure to check it out on our YouTube Channel, Barkfluent!
I think what sets us apart from others is that we quite literally put it all out there. There is no filter on our life. I try to be authentic, kind, and overall, just myself. Life’s too short to take it seriously, if we’re forced to be here, we might as well have fun with it! So that’s why I love to share our day-to-day life on social media, even the “mundane” parts. I know for me personally, I connect more with other content creators who are authentic and just themselves, because it makes me remember that they’re human too. That is what I aspire to be with my followers.
I am very proud of how far my little virtual photo album has come. I cherish all of the friends I have made along the way, and all of the cute dogs that flood my feed daily. This is truly something I never could have imagined, and honestly, I wouldn’t change it all for the world.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
A lesson that I had to unlearn was to stop being afraid and accept that nothing will ever be perfect. For a while, I was so afraid of what people would think about the content that I produced. Which ultimately made me not want to post what I had made. I was posting what I thought the audience wanted. I was even afraid for the longest time to create a YouTube channel because I wanted everything to be perfect. Finally, in 2021, I went for it, and I started my YouTube channel. I didn’t actually post a full video or anything because I was still contemplating what I wanted to do and how I could make it perfect. So, I just recycled my TikTok videos and IG Reels to make YouTube Shorts.
It wasn’t until last year in 2022 that I finally posted my very first YouTube video! I was so tired of holding back on my full potential and finally I decided it’s now or quite literally never. I realized that nothing is ever going to be perfect. The content that I produce is going to be a reflection of me, my life, and my dog. While none of it is perfect, it’s all authentic.
How did you build your audience on social media?
I posted every single day and sometimes multiple times a day. At first, I had it in my head that I could only post one picture a day on Instagram because I didn’t want to spam people’s feeds. Then one day, I was like who wouldn’t want to see cute dog photos!? So then, I began posting 1-3 times a day. I would utilize hashtags, geolocations, and tag brands to help increase my exposure.
Another big thing to keep in mind when trying to grow your audience on social media is to always be consistent and always engage. Posting daily helps keep you relevant and in the back of people’s minds. My followers love to see Whiskey and I’s day-to-day, so I always try to share a little bit of my life to them on a daily basis whether it be a story post, feed post, or a reel. It’s also important to engage. I love to acknowledge my followers in the comments, respond to their messages, and even follow their pages! Engagement helps build a community, and a community helps build a foundation for friendships, brand deals, and much more.
Always make time for yourself though. Don’t let the pressure of posting daily and responding to every comment and message take away from the fun and meaning behind why you started. It’s always good to take a break every now and then so you don’t burnout. Your followers will most likely understand and support you every step of the way.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barkfluent/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@barkfluent
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@barkfluent
Image Credits
Kate Withers