Establish a clear brand
When you are a small business it is important that you establish a clear brand to help you stand out from the competition. Consider a distinctive logo and try remain consistent to your brand. When you think of the biggest companies in the world you think of their logo, consider Starbucks or McDonalds their branding is almost more iconic than their produce. If you have a clear streamlined brand, you will standout from your competitors and remain a present in the consumers mind.
Use online advertising
The world is online which gives you the ability to advertise to a countless number of consumers, advertising on Facebook allows you to show your brand to any specific group that will match your consumer profile. Online advertising is relatively cheap and simple to use; and follows into my next point quite well of creating a strong social media following.
Create a Strong Social Media Following
In the modern age having a strong social media following is essential, in this situation I would consider hiring a dedicated social media manager. This will allow you to promote your brand without seeming too intrusive, interacting with consumers and casual promotion of your brand will allow your business to come across as modern and trendy. A good social media presence is needed, remember not all your posts have to be about your brand, but simply posting about current events will bring traffic towards your business.
Consider SEO
The majority of businesses are found through search engines, and it is a fact that if your business is on the first page of Google you are a lot more likely to receive a lot more traffic to your site. Through the use of Search Engine Optimisation their use of keywords will place your business higher up the search results bringing more and more consumers to your site. A bonus idea would be to make sure your website looks professional and is easy to use, if your website is not user friendly then the consumer is likely to click off just as quick as they clicked on, and all your work in getting this click will have been in vain.
Free Samples or Trials
The use of free samples or free trials will allow your business to cultivate a loyal following of consumers. It is highly likely that these free trials or samples will bring great returns as not only is it good PR, but it allows your business to meet a whole new customer base as who is going to say no to a freebie? It is also quite common that consumers who sign up for a free trial may forgot to cancel said trial giving you a new source of income.
Local Advertising
Local advertising will give your business a sense of localness and make your business come across as extremely humble. This advertising will allow the local community to rally round around your business as most people want to see a local business succeed. It would be a good idea to perhaps sponsor a local sports team, again giving your business a sense of localness and allows you to support the community while still advertising.
Merchandising
Producing merchandise for your business will not only give a new source of income but produce a line of walking billboards. If people wear your brand with pride and it is considered stylish, then people will see and begin to recognise your brand.