How to Make Your Business Internet Famous in Hawaiʻi

Not a viral dance video your employees did. Internet Famous now means every AI mentions your business when people ask where to eat, shop, or book a tour.

The Route 2 bus sighs, beeps, and leans into a stop on King Street. It pins that one driver who was tailgating a few minutes longer than they wanted. No shaka for them. Tourists in matching ABC Store shirts tap their holo cards, eyes wide and a little nervous, hoping they are on the right bus and that Google Transit will tell them when to get off. Ordinary. Unremarkable. And it has everything to do with how people find your business now.

Maybe you sell the char siu manapua in McCully that locals swear by. Maybe you are running a surf school owned by a North Shore legend. You have a site. An Instagram. Maybe even a TikTok where you point at bubbles of text. But lately the feed feels still. Engagement slips. Bookings slow. The old foundations of discovery are being mediated by “smart” machines.

People do not just ask Google anymore. Especially tourists. They ask the machine. “Where can I get a bento box lunch near the harbor?” “Which bakery has the freshest pastries?” Siri. Gemini. ChatGPT. Perplexity. They answer with a confidence that feels like truth. People trust it because it sounds certain. And if your business is not part of that answer, you are not part of the choice. You do not show up. You do not get picked. The machine hasn’t heard of you.

So What Does “Internet Famous” Mean in 2025?
Being Internet Famous used to mean viral clips and a flood of likes. That version still pays dividends. But in 2025 there is a second meaning. To be Internet Famous now is also to be AI Famous.

It means when someone asks Gemini where to get manapua in McCully, or tells Siri they want a surf school near Haleʻiwa, your name comes up. Not just once. Over and over. The machine mentions you because it keeps finding mentions of you the same way people do. Reviews, articles, social posts, even stray blog entries. The more places your name shows up, the more certain the system becomes that you are worth repeating.

Internet Famous is no longer only about social media clout. It is about becoming part of the machine’s memory. And like people, machines tend to remember what feels special. Everyone can claim to make the best fried rice in town. Fewer can say it is made with fresh eggs from Wailua and vegetables from the Makaha Valley. It is no longer just about keywords. It is the story and how you tell it. Your distinct voice has to speak to the machine if you want to stand out.

The Uncle Who Knows Everything
Every family has that one uncle. The one holding court at the backyard party. Beer in hand. He always knows where to get the best saimin. Which beach will not be crowded. Who makes the French bread that ends up in half the bánh mì shops in town. He delivers it like gospel, whether he is right or not.

He is famous, in his own way. Not because he is always right. But because everyone has heard him.

That is AI now. A digital uncle with an answer for everything. It scrapes reviews, articles, blogs, and social scraps. Then delivers them back with the same backyard confidence. And if your business is not in that pile, the uncle never mentions you. To the people asking, you do not exist.

The trick is not to out-argue him. It is to make sure he knows your name.

What Gets Repeated
The uncle thrives on details. He is memorable because he can color his stories. The bakery that also does fresh pastries and sandwich rolls at dawn. The surf school owned by a North Shore legend. The café that uses Maui honey to sweeten its acai bowls.

AI works the same way. It does not need you to be the best. It needs you to be distinct.

If all you have is “great food,” “friendly service,” or Aloha vibes 🌈 in your bio, and your posts just say “bussin,” you are background noise.

Why People Believe Him
The uncle does not just talk at one party. He is everywhere. The same story Tuesday at the bar. Friday at a game. Sunday at the family BBQ. Everyone hears him, and the repetition cements his reputation.

AI looks for the same pattern. Not just your website. Yelp. TripAdvisor. Honolulu Magazine. Frolic. Maybe a stray Reddit thread. A booth at the Made in Hawaiʻi Festival that ends up in someone’s Instagram carousel. A quick quote in Civil Beat about small farms. Each repetition makes the system more confident you are real.

You do not need to chase backlinks like it is 2010, though they are still important. You need mentions. Mentions that are accurate. Mentions that carry your story and real facts about your business. You need to show up often enough, in enough places, that the machine starts repeating you the way the uncle repeats himself.

How He Stays Famous

Here is the thing. The uncle never stops. He keeps talking. He keeps refreshing his stories. That is why people remember him.

AI works the same way. It updates. It forgets. If you do not feed it new mentions, fresh reviews, another small piece of your story, you fade. Staying “AI famous” is not a one-time trick. It is the steady work of being visible. Week after week. Conversation after conversation.

It does not have to be grand. A guide to your block. A partnership with a nonprofit. Telling the backstory of your ingredients. Little threads that keep you woven into the fabric.

The Choice

That uncle manufactures his celebrity by never shutting up. AI does too. Only it borrows from whatever we put out into the world. That is what Internet Famous means now. Not just going viral. Not just stacking likes. But becoming AI Famous. If the machine does not repeat your name when asked, then you are not in the conversation.

Hawaiʻi gives you an edge. Every corner already has a story. If you lean into that. Make it legible. Repeat it often. You can be the one the uncle cannot stop mentioning.

Otherwise he will just send another busload of tourists to Cheesecake Factory. Not because it is the best. Because it is the loudest in the room.

Here’s Your Checklist

Think of this as the foundation. Each business segment or niche, whether it is food trucks, surf schools, or local retailers, will have its own specialized tasks. But if you are looking for where to start, these are the basics every Hawaiʻi business needs to cover.

• Say it plain. Spell out exactly what you do, who you serve, and why you matter.Example: “Char siu manapua shop in McCully. Fresh daily. Locals line up at lunch.”
• Be distinct. Lead with details that set you apart.Example: “Surf school owned by a North Shore legend.” “Guaranteed you stand up on your first lesson, with photo and video to prove it.” “Bakery that makes the French bread for half the bánh mì shops in town.”
• Show up everywhere. AI trusts repetition across platforms.Example: Yelp and Google Business updated. Mention in Honolulu Magazine. A Reddit thread debating best saimin with your name in it.
• Feed the machine regularly. Keep your story current.Example: A new batch of reviews each month. Instagram posts with real behind-the-scenes shots. A neighborhood guide blog post every quarter.
• Anchor in place. Tie your business to Hawaiʻi’s real context.Example: “Pastries out by dawn for workers in Kalihi.” “Quick lunches for downtown office crews.”

Skip the slogans. Generic lines fade into the background.Example: Drop “Aloha vibes 🌈.” Replace with “We bake the French bread that ends up in your bánh mì.”

The uncle keeps talking. The machine keeps talking. The rest of us decide if we want to be mentioned, or left out of the story. And this uncle is not here for gossip. He talks business.