31 \\ 5 Business Automation Strategies That’ll Change the Way You Run Your Creative Services

People want you to show up like a human, not like a billboard, because when you show up like a human, that's where connection lives, and connection is the new conversion. Tired of showing up online, posting your heart out, and still hearing crickets? Are you doing all the right things, but wondering why your content isn't converting? Your DMs are dry, and your audience isn't buying. You're not alone, and this podcast is exactly for you.
Welcome to Social Media Marketing for Small Businesses, where strategy meets soul and connection. Well, that's the secret sauce. Hi, I'm Cheyanne Cleyman, a wife, proud mama of three, former actress and fitness trainer turned serial entrepreneur, and online relationship expert. Over the last decade, I've built my own brands, helped dozens of others grow theirs, and discovered one powerful truth: connection is the real currency. If you're a service-based business or high-ticket brand that wants more leads, trust, and sales from social media without the burnout or fake hype, you're in the right place.
Each week, I'm bringing you short, powerful, and packed episodes that feel like a coffee date with a best friend and biz coach all in one. Let's turn your followers into clients and content into connection. This is Social Media Marketing for Small Businesses, and it's about to change how you show up online. Let's dive in, boss!

Hey, hey, hey! Welcome back to Social Media Marketing for Small Businesses, the podcast that helps you connect like a human and grow like a successful brand. I'm Cheyanne, and at Kuleana Connect, we help small businesses like yours actually enjoy being online again. We do it through meaningful engagement, real lead generation and nurturing, and simple-to-follow training that gives you back your time without losing the connection. Today's episode happens to be one of my favorites, because we're talking about stories. Not fairy tales or sob stories, but the kind of stories you tell on social that actually make people lean in, feel something, and want to reply. The kind of stories that don't feel salesy, that don't feel forced, and definitely don't feel like you're trying too hard.
And friend, most people are getting this part wrong, but that all ends today. Go ahead, if you're a note-taker, bust open that notes app, or if you're old school like me, get out your pen and paper because I'm about to drop some truth bombs and hacks that are going to change the way that you show up and share online. Let's get going.
So before we dive in, I think we need to talk about the elephant in the room, which is the problem. Maybe the problem you're experiencing is that you are showing up online, you are posting stories, but no one is actually engaging with that. So let's be real for a moment together. Let me ask you this: have you ever posted a story? Maybe it's a photo of your product or your offer, a quick behind-the-scenes, or even one of those quote "this or that" polls, and it just ends up like crickets? Yeah? I mean, probably all of us are shaking our heads right there, because I had been getting that on a daily basis months ago.
And I do want to make sure and encourage you guys, it's not that people don't care. It's because we have forgotten how to invite people in, and chances are we are overthinking the wrong part. Here's the truth: you don't need more content. I don't care what guru out there is telling you to push more stuff out there. It's more important to focus on what you're putting out there. You don't need more content. You need more conversation starters.
So today, I'm going to give you a few what I like to call story hacks that spark actual replies, not just views, without feeling pushy, cheesy, or desperate. You may even get a little bit of a feeling of dating advice today, because this is just good old human advice that we often forget to translate to online, especially when it's about our business. So let's dive in.
I'm going to go ahead right away and talk to you about Hack number one: Show, don't tell, and then ask. So many people forget that last part. We may remember the "show, don't tell," but you've got to create that conversation. You've got to give people a reason to respond. So instead of telling your audience something like, "Oh, I had a crazy day," show them. Show them what makes your day crazy. Show them a snapshot of the chaos, the spilled coffee, the toddler in the meeting, the open laptop on the kitchen counter. I feel like I just described my last hour.
And then once you show that, ask them a simple question: "Can you relate?" "Anyone else feel like today's been like seven Mondays all in a row?" Or, even better, create a question that's not just a yes or no, that really requires an engagement, a response, something like, "Hey, what's something random that threw you off today?" This feels more personal, human, and just casual. It's almost like a friend venting on FaceTime. And I tell you, that is what the expectation is from businesses nowadays. People want you to show up like a human, not like a billboard, because when you show up like a human, that's where connection lives, and connection is the new conversion.
Let's dive into Hack number two: let your audience fill in the blank. One of the most underrated tricks out there is giving your audience something to finish, helping them participate in the story that you are telling online. For example, "The first thing I do when I wake up is blank." "The one thing I wish more people knew about my business is blank." "I'm a mom, but I'm also blank." When I said those blanks, did you automatically start to fill it in with your own story, with your own situation? Yeah, of course, you did. We all did. Even myself, I started to think about, "Well, how would I, off the cuff, just fill this in?" And that's exactly what your audience feels too when they come across your content online.
This works because it taps into your audience's own identity, and when someone does reply to this, even if it's just a word or two, or even, to be totally honest, just an emoji, you've now officially gotten what is so coveted online: you've started a relationship. And that is gold, that is the money right there. You are what we call in the Kuleana Connect entire connection framework, you are starting the conversation. The door is open, and that is a lot harder to get than most people realize. But it really can also, at the same time, be much simpler than we make it. We're already through to hack three. If you start applying just the first two, you're going to see a lot more connection and conversions in your content and how you show up online. But let's keep going, because I've got three more hacks for you.
Hack number three is using a strong visual and unexpected confession. What do I mean? Picture this: you're holding your best-selling product, or talking about your best-selling offer in one hand, and in the caption, you write, "This is the thing that saved me, but also almost made me quit." Do you want to know more? Well, that's again, that's how your audience feels immediately. People want the story. It's not polished, it's not performative, meaning you're not putting out a performance. It's honest, and it builds curiosity. People love when they see someone get vulnerable. It really is the key to transformation. Vulnerability, especially if you work in an industry that sells high-ticket transformations, this is going to be even more important in your industry. People want to know, "Where did you come from? How did you get where you are? Is it possible for me? Do I see myself in your story?" A good old honest confession really beats perfect presentation every single time.
Hack number four: let them teach you. This one may sound a little counterintuitive. What do I mean? So, Cheyanne, you're telling me you want the people that I'm trying to teach, that I'm trying to help, to teach me? Well, this one's just really great when you're stuck or you don't know what to post, or perhaps your last few posts have been a dud. Instead of trying to show how much you know, flip it. For some reason, people are watching you. You do have an audience, even if you have an audience of one, if you have one follower, someone decided, "I am going to participate with you." So a good way to create that conversation and to keep it going is to invite them in.
You could ask them something like, "I'm reworking our homepage. What's one thing that made you trust a website instantly?" That may give you some really good gold there that you could then apply to your website or your business. Or you can say, "If you've ever hired a [insert your profession here]. For me, I'll say a social media marketing professional, what made you say yes?" That is really going to give you a glimpse into your ideal client and your audience, and the way that they think and the way that they make buying decisions. You're now letting your audience feel a part of what you're doing too. You're allowing them to speak into your process, and that really builds ownership and trust.
All right, y'all, we made it to the last and final hack that I've got for you today. Hack number five: the real-life screenshot. So let's say someone DMs you a thank you, or a client sends you a testimonial in a voice message or memo, or say your product ends up getting tagged in a customer's story. Grab that screenshot, baby, with permission, of course, and post it. Reshare it, say something like, "This is why we do what we do. Grateful doesn't even begin to cover it." But then make sure you follow it up with a question like, "What's your favorite way to support a small business?" or "Ever had a moment that made all the hard work worth it?"
Now you're connecting on a deeper emotional level with your audience, and then they can see that to you, it's not just about selling, it's about sharing. And you want to make sure that you do that, especially currently, as I'm recording this episode, in summer 2025. We have such a trust recession going on in our country and across the world that people are not quickly buying and trusting people or entrusting businesses as much as they did before. So this is even more important to connect with your audience on a deeper level, so that they can trust you.
Please do remember that stories actually aren't about you, they're about us. So it's not that it's entirely not about you, but it's also not entirely about your audience. It's somewhere in the middle. If you remember one thing from this episode, let it be this: your audience doesn't just want to be inspired. They want to feel seen, and your stories are the open door to that. So whether it's literally in something like your Facebook or Instagram stories, or it's just the content that you're putting out there, when you make it less about looking impressive and more about being in a relationship, replies go up.
Isn't that the same thing when it comes to a dating relationship? When you stop worrying about, "Am I wearing the right outfit to get his attention? Do I drive a nice enough car for her to notice me?" When you actually just care about, "How can I connect with this other person?" Engagement grows. You know, engagement with that person, meaning connection, grows. And eventually, as in dating relationships, as with social and business, those replies will turn into real warm leads.
So if this hit home with you, and you're ready to either hand off your engagement and lead generation to someone who gets it, learn how to do it yourself in a way that doesn't burn you out, or just get hot leads showing up in your DMs without like gross bro tactics, well, we'd love to help. My team and I would love to dive in with you. Here's how: you can go ahead to the show notes right below, and first book a free connection call with us, and we'll help you get clear on what's keeping you stuck and map out your next steps, totally free of charge. Or you can jump right in right away and download our free guide. It's called "Five Quiet Reasons Your Content Isn't Converting and What to Do Next." It'll help you see exactly what's missing in your strategy and how to fix it fast. Either way, we're here, I'm here, and we believe in this kind of marketing that actually feels good.
Until next time, everyone, be sure to share this episode with someone that you know that it will impact, that needs to hear this, that needs to know how they can better show up online. And if you have a quick moment, please go ahead and write me a review. I would love to hear what's resonating with you in each episode and what's hitting you the most. And I've got something free for those of you that write me a review and screenshot it and send it to me. So please do. You can find my Instagram and our social online, and I would love to see you show up in the DMs and give you something that's going to help you continually grow your social. So keep showing up with heart. You never know who's going to wait for your next story. Thanks for being here, and I'll catch you in the next episode of Social Media Marketing for Small Businesses.
All right, my friend, that's it for today. But let me leave you with this: if your content is not converting, it's not your fault. Chances are you've been taught to prioritize the algorithm instead of the actual humans reading your words. And that ends right here. Go ahead and grab my free guide, "Five Quiet Reasons Your Content Isn't Converting and What to Do Instead." It's packed with real talk, practical shifts, and quick, immediate wins. The link is in the show notes below.
And if you're ready to stop guessing and start connecting with ideal clients who actually buy from you, book a free connection call with our team at Kuleana Connect. We don't do content. We do connection that converts. Because at the end of the day, it's not about going viral, it's about being valuable. Thanks for hanging out with me again. I'm Cheyanne Cleyman, and I'll see you on next week's episode. See you later, boss!