How do you actually acquire your first customers online with almost zero marketing budget?
I run a small Ratlami namkeen manufacturing business in Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh. We manufacture products like Ratlami sev and other namkeen, and recently started our own outlet.
I can confidently say that our product quality is super good and we are in a decent location, but getting customer has been much harder than I expected.
I have to expand online sales for which I've tried Instagram/Reels and posting online, but I'm not getting meaningful reach or customers.
For those of you who have successfully grown a small food/business brand:
How did you get your first 50–100 customers online?
Which platform actually worked for you?
How did you find people who were genuinely interested in your product?
Did you approach customers directly, retailers, distributors, or businesses?
What would you do if you had almost no advertising budget?
I'm especially interested in practical methods that worked for small businesses, rather than generic advice like "post consistently" or "run ads."
I'd really appreciate hearing what actually worked for you.