The Kara Report | Online Marketing Tips and Candid Business Conversations

Even after seven years in business, I still sometimes think of branding as this intangible thing. We know we need it to stand out. Nobody is disputing that good design and strategic branding for service providers has a strong ROI. It's been proven over and over again, and yet it's still something that I feel a lot of business owners—who are not designers, have questions about. It's more that we don't know the right questions to ask.So that's why I am THRILLED to say that I brought Ellie from Ellie Brown Branding on the podcast to talk about brand and website design for service providers. She was absolutely fabulous. She's such a talented designer based in Cañon City, Colorado, and works primarily with service-based businesses and lots of local businesses. So, if you're a service provider or you are in Cañon City or Colorado, definitely hit her up.🎙️ In This Episode:When is the right time to invest in a brand and website design? Should you do a brand refresh or a complete rebrand? Should you go with a completely custom website or a customizable templateWhat role do messaging and visuals play together?What are the biggest mistakes we are making on our website?Links Mentioned:Learn more about Ellie Brown Branding: http://www.elliebrownbranding.comHang out with Ellie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elliebrownbrandingSign up for Booked Out Designer (Ellie's affiliate link - but this was a tipping point for her!): https://elliebrownbranding.com/bodFREE guide on how to balance fast and slow marketing strategy: https://thekarareport.com/roadmapLearn more about working with our marketing agency here: https://thekarareport.com/services Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/thekarareport 

 Today I have a fun episode! I was recently planning my toddler's 2-year-old birthday and obviously the first place I went is Pinterest. I don't think that's a surprise to anyone, and I kind of was just really nerdily thinking about my buying decisions, what my natural user behaviors are, and that kind of stuff. So as I was planning and shopping, I gathered seven things we need to remember about the way that people use Pinterest specifically when making a buying decision. Want more sales from Pinterest? That's what I want to talk about today. Let's get into it. 🎙️ In This Episode:7 reminders if you want to make more sales from PinterestWho I bought from on Pinterest, and what I looked forWhat inspired me (that I ended up buying local!)How I felt about affiliate links on Pinterest Links Mentioned: Read the full shownotes: https://thekarareport.com/13Hire us to be your Pinterest Managers: https://thekarareport.com/pinterestThe research: 1 in 3 Pinterest shoppers have an annual income of $100,000+, 70% of Pinterest’s luxury audience is under 35 years old, Pinterest users spend 80% more per month than on other platforms FREE guide on how to balance fast and slow marketing strategy: https://thekarareport.com/roadmap Learn more about working with our marketing agency here: https://thekarareport.com/services Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/thekarareport 

Melissa brought REAL data and numbers in this episode, where she shared exactly what running ads in 2024 looks like, the buzzwords that aren't working anymore, and how we can better set realistic expectations when it comes to how fast things will work (and how much it will cost!). I absolutely loved this conversation and I can't wait to share it here today!🎙️ In This Episode:What a good starting budget for ads isHow to reverse engineer your goals to decide how much you should spendThe truth behind SLO funnels (tiny offer funnels) + what's working nowRed flags for hiring an ads manager in 2024Links Mentioned:Start your ad campaign with confidence with Melissa's FREE Proven Pixel Permit™: https://litchfieldmedia.org/proven-pixel-permitJoin the Beta Launch of Ad Traffic School: https://litchfieldmedia.thrivecart.com/ad-traffic-school-membership-beta/ Learn more about Litchfield Media: https://litchfieldmedia.org/Hang out with Melissa on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/litchfieldmediaWatch Melissa's Youtube video breaking down her threads strategy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xY2jOAXKATUFREE guide on how to balance fast and slow marketing strategy: https://thekarareport.com/roadmapLearn more about working with our marketing agency here: https://thekarareport.com/services Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/thekarareport 

I think I literally jumped for joy when Candice Coppola agreed to be a guest on the podcast. To know her is to love her, she's an author, podcast host, business coach, and entrepreneur who believes that you shouldn't have to do business (or happy hour) alone. In this interview, we talked about her omni-channel marketing approach, what it is, how she views marketing differently, how she used Instagram as a part of her strategy (but not her entire strategy), and so much more. So if you know or you have been feeling that kind of itch to start diversifying your marketing efforts, this is the episode for you. 🎙️ In This Episode:What am omni-channel marketing strategy even isHow she translates her marketing efforts into dollars without selling all the timeHow she created an INCREDIBLE affiliate marketing revenue streamWhere to start expanding if you’re only on Instagram right nowWhat we all need to do if we want Gen-z to pay attention to us Links Mentioned:Learn more about Candice Coppola: https://candicecoppola.com/ Hang out with Candice on Instagram: https://instagram.com/candice.coppolaTune into Candice's podcast episode about how to market to Gen Z in 2024: https://blog.candicecoppola.com/marketing-to-gen-z-in-the-wedding-industry/Listen to Candice's interview on Honeybook's podcast about affiliate marketing: https://www.honeybook.com/blog/affiliate-marketing-top-earnerFREE guide on how to balance fast and slow marketing strategy: https://thekarareport.com/roadmapLearn more about working with our marketing agency here: https://thekarareport.com/services Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/thekarareport 

Have you ever had a difficult client? Have you ever got stuck in your head and spent more time thinking about the client and how you can make them happy than you did actually doing the work? Have you ever had a bad day that was caused by someone not absolutely loving what you created for them? Today's episode is for you. It's going to be, I want to say a little more vulnerable and a little bit more motivational than the content that I usually put out, but that's one of the things I wanted to do on this podcast. On my Instagram and on my blog, I typically will stick to marketing content. That's what I do for work, that's what I'm selling, that's what I do for a job. But I really wanted this podcast to be a space for just honest conversations and that's what this is. Today, I'm excited to share three things that I think we just need to remember when we are what we're selling, whether it's our work or our brand. It is hard not to take things personally. So here's my advice when selling yourself!🎙️ In This Episode:A reminder from Princess DiariesWhat to do when you catch yourself spiraling3 Mantras for when YOU feel like the product (and it's hard)Links Mentioned: Read the full shownotes: https://thekarareport.com/10 FREE guide on how to balance fast and slow marketing strategy: https://thekarareport.com/roadmap Learn more about working with our marketing agency here: https://thekarareport.com/services Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/thekarareport 

What's the point of blogging if you're not being found on Google? Okay, I am obviously a blogging stan, so I could go on and on about the benefits of blogging beyond SEO, but the truth is SEO is probably the biggest reason you're reading this right now. After all, you want to be found on Google. That's kind of the whole point. Today we're going to talk about blogging and ultimately: how do we know if our time spent blogging is paying off? How do we know if our blog posts are ranking on Google and what are we supposed to do if we can clearly see that they are not ranking? I cover everything you need to know about blogging for SEO in my Blogging for Bingeable Brands mini course, which you can get 20% off with code Podcast 20, but today, I want to talk about four ways to make your blog posts more findable and how to keep track whether or not they're ranking at all. If you're spending literally any amount of time or money on your blog posts or SEO, this is a MUST listen! 🎙️ In This Episode:The free Google tool that not enough people use and know about4 things you should do when writing your blog postsWhy your blog posts aren't ranking Creating GOOD content that Google lovesLinks Mentioned: Read the full shownotes: https://thekarareport.com/9Hire us to write SEO-driven blog posts for you: https://thekarareport.com/bloggingJoin Blogging for Bingeable Brands (Use Code PODCAST20 for 20% Off!): https://thekarareport.com/bbbSign up for Google Search Console: https://search.google.com/search-console/about Learn more about working with our marketing agency here: https://thekarareport.com/services Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/thekarareport 

2024 is going to be all about the little tweaks we can make in our business that create a bigger impact. Don't you agree? I am so tired of the "burn it all down", of the create a course, then create a membership, then do this, then do that. Even though that has been great and has definitely served us for a season (let's ignore the fact that we're all burnt out and half of us are completely leaving entrepreneurship), I feel like I am very ready for the shift that's happening. Today I'm going to be sharing the top two tweaks you can make to make more sales from your website today. 🎙️ In This Episode:The 2 most neglected pages on your website (And how to fix them if you want more sales!)Why SEO traffic is different (and needs to be treated so)The biggest opportunity you have after someone inquires!Links Mentioned: Read the full shownotes: https://thekarareport.com/8Hire us to write SEO-drive website copy for you (and make more sales from your website!): https://thekarareport.com/copywriting Join Blogging for Bingeable Brands (Use Code PODCAST20 for 20% Off!): https://thekarareport.com/bbbLearn more about working with our marketing agency here: https://thekarareport.com/services Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/thekarareport 

I'm in marketing, but I don't specialize in Instagram marketing strategy. Today, I wanted to bring you guys my biz bestie turned real life bestie, Laura Milroy Media to spill the dirt on what we should be doing and what we need to know about social media strategy in 2024. In this episode, she shares her 4Cs of conversion, what we should be doing with B-roll, how we can become better storytellers, how we can kind of combine Instagram with the rest of our business, and so much more. 🎙️ In This Episode:What the 4C's of conversion are (and how to create content when you're not "launching" all the time)What we REALLY need to focus on to make more sales with our Instagram marketing strategyHow to implement message-first marketing to get better resultsBetter ways to use B-rollEasy ways to make your messaging less boringHow to implement a holistic marketing strategy from your Instagram contentHow to work well with a social media manager (if that's the next step for you!)Links Mentioned: Read the full shownotes: https://thekarareport.com/7 Her recent vlog-style reel we reference: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2QO_iHvFAc/Grab Laura's Free Guide to B-roll: https://lauramilroymedia.com/small-business-broll/Work with Laura: https://lauramilroymedia.com Follow Laura on Instagram: https://instagram.com/lauramilroymedia FREE guide on how to balance fast and slow marketing strategy: https://thekarareport.com/roadmap Learn more about working with our marketing agency here: https://thekarareport.com/services Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/thekarareport 

 Are you marketing like matcha or like coffee? Hear me out on this one. I've recently switched to matcha in the afternoons over coffee (and if you know me, I am a huge coffee drinker!) because I find that it helps me overcome the afternoon slump. And it had me thinking (don't judge me - I'm in marketing), but there is a big difference between matcha and coffee and in a lot of ways it can translate to your brand and business model too, beyond just marketing ideas (which this episode is definitely going to touch on!).If you've been looking for UNIQUE ways to think about marketing your business, this episode is for you! 🎙️ In This Episode:What too many people don't consider when creating their marketing planCoffee marketing ideas for tiny offers Matcha marketing ideas for offers where you want your customers to be invested Deciding how much energy you are giving to your audience (AFTER you've "sold them")Making your marketing reflect your customer journey (to make it more effective!)Links Mentioned: Read the full shownotes: https://thekarareport.com/6Learn more about working with our marketing agency here: https://thekarareport.com/services Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/thekarareport 

If you've been looking to grow a strong personal brand as a service based business (or a multi-passionate entrepreneur), this interview is for YOU. Sarah Beau is a branding photographer based in Calgary in Canada. She's fabulous. She did my own branding photography a few years ago and over the past few years, I have become a loyal member of her "cult following" on Instagram. She has such an engaged community of the best people, and I've really been able to see not only how she's grown her personal brand, but also how she's been able to use that personal brand to leverage new opportunities and embrace the multi-passionate entrepreneur that she is. Make sure you listen to this interview all the way through because what she's doing now is really, really cool and I can't wait to bring all of her expertise to you today! 🎙️ In This Episode:Where to start when it comes to creating a personal brand (it's not just "choosing content buckets")How to include personal brand elements in your new branding photoshoot The biggest mistake people make when they hire a branding photographerHer take on the super editorial/edgy branding trend in the online space (I personally wanted to know!)How she's using Instagram for her business (it's not to grow!)How she leveraged her personal brand to start a new venture as a multi-passionate entrepreneurLinks Mentioned: Read the full shownotes: https://thekarareport.com/5Learn more about blogging for SEO here: https://thekarareport.com/bbb (use code PODCAST20 for 20% off)Follow Sarah on Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahbeaucreative Follow Derp Dog Studios on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/derpdogstudios Hire Sarah for Calgary Brand Photos: https://sarahbeaucreative.com Learn more about working with our marketing agency here: https://thekarareport.com/services Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/thekarareport