We recently connected with Kara Duncan and have shared our conversation below.

Kara, appreciate you joining us today. Going back to the beginning – how did you come up with the idea in the first place?

This whole business actually started as a COVID pivot! So cliche but my previous business was destination wedding planning, which as you can imagine came to a screeching halt in March of 2020. Once it happened, I didn’t have the luxury of time like I did before (when you start your first business and can take as long as you want to go from idea to execution haha). I made a list of everything I knew how to do and the skills I wanted to learn. I ended up on Pinterest management and DFY ghost blogging because they were the same marketing services that had made my first business successful and I wanted to share the same passive lead generation I enjoyed with more small businesses! I launched The Kara Report from here!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Such a fun question! I feel like I’ve been “finding my way” since I started my first blog in 2012!

I’ve always loved writing but didn’t feel like I could ever make it a “real job” so I got my degree in Psychology instead. Now, I combine the two to write website copy and blog posts that get other small businesses found on Google (and their readers excited to work with them!).

This ultimately leads to less “feast or famine” marketing for small business owners that feel enormous pressure to show up on Instagram and other social media platforms all day everyday. I’m so passionate about it because I think it helps solopreneurs and small business owners really establish a strong marketing foundation and reframes the idea that you can never take time off your marketing (because you can – if you focus on search-driven lead gen!).

I might be biased but I feel like there is so much talk about “passive income” and “work life balance” and not enough people telling you how to get it without devoting your life to social media. This is how you get it! I’m proud to have my words sprinkled all across the internet behind some of the brands you know and love. And I’m proud of all the smaller businesses I’ve worked with who are reaping the rewards of SEO, Pinterest, and blogging even AFTER we’ve stopped working together!

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

Most of my clients are on Instagram and I think it’s the most underutilized way to keep in touch in 2023. I make a consistent effort to follow past and current clients and I am always their biggest cheerleader publicly (and in their DM’s!).

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

First, in my destination wedding business, my reputation was built solely on having a good website and informative blogs. When I started, even if my friends and family wanted to support me, they weren’t exactly in the market for a destination wedding haha. I wrote blog posts that showed I knew my stuff and created a website that reflected the work I wanted to book (and updated it OFTEN).

Then, in my current marketing business, I would say sharing case studies and my client wins that helped a lot! I love to share a mix of the results I’ve gotten for other businesses, as well as a super transparent behind-the-scenes look into my wedding business where I like to “test” things.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thekarareport.com https://loveatfirsttravel.com
• Instagram: @thekarareport