Mid-week is also quiet, so it’s especially important to find ways to combat this trend and keep those sales growing! Limited time offers (LTOs) are a powerful strategy to attract more customers, create excitement, and increase your sales.
Read on to learn our top 6 ways LTOs can help drive footfall in your business.
1. Create a Sense of Urgency
When customers know a particular item or offer is only available for a short period, it generates a sense of urgency. The fear of missing out (FOMO) drives many people to visit your restaurant just to try that special product before it disappears!
Try new flavours, seasonal sides, or special combo meals which are only available mid-week or in quiet hours to encourage more customers to shop in these times.
2. Test New Menu Ideas
It’s always risky experimenting with new recipes and menu items, however, limited time offers allow you to try new menus without the risk of a permanent inclusion!
This is double the benefit, not only do you encourage more people into your store with exciting new products they can’t wait to try, but you also get valuable insights into what resonates with your customer base.
3. Increase Brand Loyalty
When customers enjoy a limited time offer, they often become more loyal to your brand. Many fast-food chains have recurring seasonal offers, such as McDonald's famous McRib or Starbucks' pumpkin spice latte, both of which have dedicated fan bases.
By establishing a successful LTO, you can create a repeat cycle of excitement and anticipation among your customers, prompting them to return regularly to see what's new, increasing your footfall over time.
4. Stand Out from Competitors
Being a quick service restaurant means you have a lot of competition, standing out can be challenging! Limited time offers provide a unique opportunity stand out and offer something totally different from the usual.
With just a little development to create new menu items tied to the season, to a local delicacy or any theme you find interesting, you immediately put your restaurant ahead of others and customers will choose you first simply because you keep things interesting.
5. Leverage Holidays and Special Events
LTOs often work best when tied to holidays or special events, as your customers are already in an indulgence mindset and are looking for ways to celebrate the occasion, potentially splashing out more than they would have otherwise.
Don’t lose these customers and look for ways to celebrate the season. Simple changes like adding a cranberry mayo dip or using stuffing in your burgers can immediately reinvent recipes your staff are already used to using.
6. Drive Social Media Engagement
Perfect for social media, not only do LTOs populate your social media feed with exciting and fresh content, but they can be real powerful to encourage user-generated content, such as photos and reviews, to directly engage with customers.
These kind of personal relationships with brands make your customers more likely to return and increase the footfall in your business more so than if you didn’t use them!
Mix up your menu with Mayo Mixology
Want an easy way to shake up your menu for your next limited time offers? The Mayo Mixology brochure from Hellmann’s contains a range of delicious, easy to create mayo dips which are designed specifically for fast food restaurants!
CLICK HERE to get the recipes and shake up your menu today.
