This has worked personally for me in my business, because I get a lot of new customers who go to the length of making me know that it was customer a or b that directed them to my shop. This delightful services to customers includes the way I treat them like royalties, with utmost respect, when they step into my shop, it doesn't matter if the customer is buying the least item. Secondly is that I build trust by telling customers the truth about the quality of the product that they want to buy. So let their capital determine the quality that they eventually buy, among different brands of a type of goods.
If you are still relatively new to the business world or don't have a lot of capital in it, the ability to compete with other stores will be much more difficult because they can provide big discounts and hire influencer services to increase promotions. The strategy you use in running a business is very good and I believe it takes consistency to remain patient in dealing with the process and if you are able to pass it, it will end in victory as you feel now. Business people must also be observant in seeing opportunities, providing good service and ensuring the quality of the products we sell is also a strategy to entice buyers to continue visiting our store.
Not all influencers have expensive fees to work with because you can look for influencers who are paid for endos which are much cheaper, even though their followers are not as many as other influencers who are so established. But at least for the initial step of promotion using social media they are enough as a basic introduction to your small business and can gradually be increased again in accordance with the evaluation of the extent to which the business development is being carried out..