32 \\ The Ultimate 5-Step Guide to Relationship Marketing and Organic Marketing for Small Business Owners

You 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.
Welcome back to Social Media Marketing for Small Businesses, where we believe marketing should feel more like a conversation and less like a cold pitch. I'm Cheyanne, co-founder of Kuleana Connect, and I'm so glad you're here. If you're new, welcome. Here's a big virtual hug. And if you've been listening for a while, thank you truly. Thank you for continuing to show up, for not just me, but for your business.
And speaking of gratitude, I have to kick off today's episode by reading a beautiful review that came in from Anna Brittinger. She wrote: "Highly recommend! The Social Media Marketing for Small Businesses podcast is a must-listen for anyone looking to improve their social media presence and truly engage their audience. Each episode is packed with practical, actionable tips that are easy to implement yet incredibly effective. What sets this podcast apart is its focus on value. Every episode feels like a mini-masterclass. The insights shared are not just about getting likes or followers, but about building meaningful connections with your audience. This podcast is an invaluable resource for anyone serious about leveraging social media to its fullest potential."
Anna, if you're listening, thank you so much. What a beautiful review. It really means the world to know that these episodes are landing the way that we hope they do. And if this podcast has helped you, would you do me a favor and leave a review too? It helps this podcast reach more small business owners who want to do their social media differently, with more purpose, more presence, and more connection. As a small token of my gratitude, if you leave a review and screenshot it and send it to me, to my links in the notes below, I'll happily send you a free gift from us.
So without further ado, let's dive into today's episode. Today, we're talking about why your comments might not be creating connection. You're showing up, you're producing content, you're posting, you're engaging—or at least maybe you think you are—but the conversations just aren't coming. The leads are not converting, and the DM inbox, well, you're hearing crickets.
The truth is, most people comment like robots. Oh, I hope I'm not stepping on too many toes, or actually, maybe I hope I am, because that's the only way we grow, right? Iron sharpening iron. So maybe you also are guilty of hitting that like button or just typing like three fire emojis and expecting magic. But real engagement isn't about reacting, it's about relating. You have to think about social media like a relationship. It's the same thing when you're having a conversation with someone: is it better to react or to respond? When are you going to get a better response from someone? It's going to be when you engage and really respond to them.
Connection is truly built in the comments section on social media, but it's only if your comments are actually building bridges. If you're concerned yours are not perfect, it's a great reason why you clicked on this episode today, because I'm going to walk you through five types of comments that do exactly that. So if you're a note-taker like myself, go ahead, bust open that note section on your phone. Or if you're old school, grab that notebook and that pen and get ready to take notes, because we're gonna dive right in.
So I share with you, we're doing five types of comments, right? Let's dive right in. I'm going to give you an example and a little explanation of each comment so you can see how you can apply this directly to your business and to your niche, so it speaks directly to your ideal client.
First and foremost, we have the Mirror comment, right? So this is where you reflect back what the other person said and add depth. I want to emphasize that part, so it is like a little bit of a one-two, a one plus one equals two. It equals double the impact, right? So it's great to start with reflecting what the person said. Let me give you an example. You can say something like, "Wow, I love how you framed this, especially the part about burnout being a sign, not a failure." But then the depth is you can add another sentence that says something like, "That really resonated with where I am right now." This tells the creator of that post or of that comment that you're writing to, "I heard you, I see you," and that's way more powerful than just a thumbs-up on that comment.
Number two is the Me Too comment. It's simple, it's honest, and it's a shared experience. It's not in a "make it about me" way, but in a relatable way. For an example, you could say something like, "Same here. I used to dread showing up on my stories until I realized I didn't need to be polished to be powerful," right? These comments are all about creating that connection and creating that common ground to build something upon. That's the beauty about comments: is that they are public. So not only are the people you're commenting on seeing this, but everybody in their realm of influence. So never underestimate how powerful they actually are.
Number three, the Curiosity comment. I like to say this is gold, because this is the key to more connection, to creating more engagement, which, by the way, all the algorithms on every social platform love because it brings more people to their platform. Thus, they're going to reward you by bringing more people to your page. What it means is asking a thoughtful question that invites conversation. For example, "I love this take on boundaries. I'm curious, how do you decide what to share in real time versus what to hold for later reflection?" See how that opens the door to a deeper exchange rather than just saying, "I love your take on boundaries," which is great. It's also basically almost like the mirror comment above. But this takes it to the next level, especially if you've done your research on this person and you've checked out their social media. And this is an ideal person that you would say you want to work with. These are the people that you want to go deeper with and open up that conversation.
Now, number four, this is the Uplift comment. So sometimes it's just really about encouragement, but that doesn't feel generic. Instead of saying something like, "Great post," or, "Good job," go a little deeper. Try something like, "The way you consistently show up with clarity and heart is inspiring. You've got such a gift for storytelling." That's a comment that, especially as a woman, she's going to go home and read to her husband that night, or she's going to remember you. She's going to look at that person that wrote that comment and go on your page and start to look at your content.
So the more personal the praise, the more powerful the connection. I'm going to say that one again: the more personal the praise, the more powerful the connection. And we do this in real life, right? When we genuinely are speaking with someone, and something they say moves us, we tell them, at least in American culture. If you've been listening to this podcast for some time, you'll know that I spent about five years in my husband's home country in Belgium, and they communicate and open up a little bit differently there. But I promise you, if you give someone personal praise, they're going to open up, even if it's not right away. What you say to them is going to make a more lasting impression than something generic, or for me, the god-awful just emojis.
Again, if you keep listening to this podcast, you're going to realize that I have a love-hate relationship with emojis. I love using them in my content to express that emotion. I also love breaking up boring text with some color, but using it for communication is just a no-go, especially when you want to convert trust in someone. You gotta put some words together there.
So this is the perfect time, perfect segue to give you the last comment, the Add-On comment. Contribute something to the conversation. A lot of comments on either your posts or other people's or even your ideal client's content, they are wanting to add something. They're putting and sharing this information for a reason, right? So now is the time to do a little bit of like a tennis match. They've hit the ball to you. Now it's time to hit something back, to add something. For example, you can say something like, "This is so true. I've found that using voice notes in DMs has made a huge difference in how warm those connections feel."
So do you see what you're saying? You're saying like, "I see your idea, and here's how it played out for me too." You're also adding clout, a little bit like value, saying, "Yes, I've done the same thing, and I can see how you use it, and I'd like to use it that way too, and I've used it, maybe even in a different way you haven't thought of yet."
You've stuck around with me now for about 10 minutes, but maybe you're still kind of wondering, why does this matter? Because social media is not just a content game, it's a relationship game. And chances are, if you're in business, you've realized that social media is not just something nice to have. It's necessary in today's age, in 2025, of owning a business. But it's not just about showing up with content; that also is old news.
Now you don't need a million followers to build a loyal client base. You need real connections with real people, and comments, when done well, are the fastest way to build that bridge. Now maybe you're listening to this episode and you're like, "Gosh, I love this. Do you want to go deeper?" If this episode is sparking ideas and you're wondering, how could I actually use this in practicality to get more clients like ASAP? Well, that's exactly what we help with at Kuleana Connect, my and my husband's company.
If you want us to engage and nurture for you, or if you'd rather learn how to do it yourself, or if you're just curious how relationship-based lead generation could look in your own business, I'd encourage you to go to the show notes below and download our free PDF, "Five Quiet Reasons Your Content Is Not Converting and What to Do Instead." Or if you want a more personal, high-touch, get into our comments, aka, get into our inbox and hop on a 30-minute connection call with us. There's no pitch. It's just about presence and really seeing how can we help you move the needle forward in your business strategy online. You'll walk away with clarity and probably a few lightbulb moments too. Both links are in the show notes below.
Well, everyone, that's it for this week. Go out there, leave better comments, and start conversations that matter. When you have a win, I would love to see it. Go ahead and DM it to me, and I'd love to share your success story. Just remember that connection doesn't have to be complicated. It just takes intention. And you've got this. All right, bosses, I'll see you on 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, 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. 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.