Today we’d like to introduce you to Karina Benninger.
Hi Karina, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Growing up, I had a lot of exposure to outdoor activities like hiking, camping, fishing and more, but I never realized the impact on me until I reached my 30s. I was always more interested in activities related to creating media like photography and videography. Looking back, I’m not surprised at all that I became so interested in hiking and exploring in the outdoors and how the intersection of that influence plus my interest in creative endeavors have turned into a social media and website presence dedicated to it.
It’s been a slow build up to get where I am today – in college I remember always taking little adventures with my best friend Andrea and it usually involved finding fun natural spaces, like waterfalls, rivers, animal tracks, etc. After we graduated, we continued finding ways to explore our respective new towns, visiting each other and finding new parks to hike and discover. Now that I’m in my 30s, my obsession with hiking has grown incredibly and I find immense pleasure in sharing my experiences with others through my Instagram account and through my website.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I honestly had never planned for any of this, it all kind of just came together on its own. My Instagram account originated as a way for me to keep track of my hikes, especially the ones I was hiking in order to become an Adirondack 46er. The more I posted, the more I came to the realization that there is a vast community of people interested in the same outdoor experiences I am and the account has just grown from there.
I have a separate career as a marketing professional in higher education so I was well equipped for the opportunity when it came to fruition. I have used some of my marketing knowledge to inform the content decisions that I have made on my Instagram account – understanding how people interact with and perceive content on the internet is an important aspect to ensuring your work gets seen. The other important aspect is a willingness to go with the flow. Instagram and other social media channels are constantly growing and changing, and in order to be successful, you need to be willing and able to adapt to the changes.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
KB Hikes is a digital personal brand where I share my love for hiking and the outdoors in the hopes of inspiring others to fall in love with nature and being outside. The outdoors has changed my life in so many important ways and I’ve become a happier and more fulfilled person because of it. I hope to share this information with others so that they, too, can have life-changing experiences in the outdoors. Not only do I feel that everyone would benefit from being outside more, but that if more people fall in love with the outdoors, there will be more people who will work hard to protect our natural spaces for years to come.
KB Hikes has a presence primarily on Instagram where I share my adventure stories, trail information, as well as reviews of gear and places to stay to help other people find ways to be outside. Instagram is where I post short form content that is educational, helpful, inspirational, entertaining, and relatable. I also have a website where I post longer form content such as trail reviews and gear reviews.
Contact Info:
- Website: kbhikes.com
- Instagram: @kb.hikes
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kb.hikes
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCTU3-ypQhOQZaJLStnSkWA
Image Credits
Karina Benninger
