ByDo you know there are more than 200,000 fast food restaurants in the US alone? The taste is not the only thing contributing to their success. What makes their food brands stay in the market? It’s the special loyalty plans that keep customer coming back to their brand.
In today’s blog, we’ll explore the top loyalty program ideas for small food businesses and cafes to help them differentiate themselves in the market. However, before that, let’s examine how marketing is transforming the food industry.
Impact of Marketing in the Food Industry
The largest market for QSRs (Quick Service Restaurants) is in the US, as Americans consume fast food daily. We have seen almost every big brand name all over the world, but of course, the most popular among any food chain is McDonald’s. They have more than 40,000 restaurants worldwide, with plans to grow to over 50,000 locations by 2027. But how do they become so popular? By using the right marketing strategies. They claimed to serve their burgers in 30 seconds, and they delivered on that promise, which initially earned them a word-of-mouth reputation, and people started recognizing them worldwide. With a market value of more than $ 219 billion, they are now the leading fast food giant in the food industry.
However, each brand is out there to differentiate itself from the others. This is why brands try to entice their customers with marketing techniques, such as customer loyalty programs, going digital over time, and introducing coupon codes, that keep customers coming back for more.
Top 5 Loyalty Programs For Small Businesses to Bring ROI
Now that you know how marketing impacts the fast food industry, let’s explore five loyalty program ideas for small businesses and cafes.
Here are the five loyalty program examples from which you can benefit your brand:
Subscription Rewards Program
Another great way to keep your customers coming back to your brand is by introducing a subscription reward program. For example, if your customer orders a meal for dine-in, you can serve it on paper food trays with your QR printed on them. If the customer scans that QR code through their phone and subscribes to your program, they will get a reward. A reward could be anything, from a t-shirt to any food item from your menu. This will leave a lasting impression on your customers and will help to keep them coming back for more.
Promotional Loyalty Program
Do you know that customers love it when your brand shows care for the festivals they celebrate? Yes, you heard that right. To increase your ROI, the most effective way is to introduce promotional loyalty programs. You can introduce promotional discounts and items in anticipation of the upcoming festive season. For example, Halloween and Christmas are festivals that get celebrated all over America and the UK. So if you’re target audience is located in those regions, start introducing promotional discounts like HLW30 (Halloween 30% discount) and Chris20 (Christmas 20% discount).
Item-Based Loyalty Program
An item-based loyalty program is also one of the most effective ways to attract customers to purchase your products. You can apply this loyalty program to any item you want to select from the menu, which can encourage customers to make a purchase. Take french fries, for example. You can select this item to offer a loyalty program based on items. You can add a coupon code to the french fries boxes that customer can use on their next purchase to get a discount on their order. This will help your customers be consistent with your brand and make them feel that you care about them as much as they care about your brand.
Bring Your Own Box
Another way to make customer care a priority is by offering something that benefits both your brand and the customer. One of the best ways to do this is by introducing a ‘bring your own box or cup’ policy and offering it for a minimal price range. One of the excellent examples of this loyalty program is Domino’s. Domino’s has recently launched a new loyalty program that lets customers bring their custom-sized pizza box to get a pizza that fits that product for $9.99.
Point-Based Rewards
One of the most well-known loyalty programs in the fast-food industry is the point-based loyalty rewards system. Customers can earn loyalty points with each dollar they spend at your restaurant. After a certain number of points, they redeem their points for one of your food items. For example, if the customer has 200 loyalty points, you can let them cash out for a 20$ item.
A great example of point-based rewards is the Chick-fil-A loyalty program. You can join their program by visiting their site and ordering online. With each purchase, you will receive loyalty points that can be used to redeem a free item from their menu.
How Does Loyalty Program Help To Increase Cafe Sales?
A loyalty program is a great tool that helps you grow your cafe business by retaining your customers. These loyalty programs help transform new customers into regular ones. Plus, when they get benefits from your loyalty programs, they refer cafes to their friend, which gives your brand great word-of-mouth marketing that attracts more customers.
Conclusion
Are you looking to attract new customers to your brand? These loyalty programs are the perfect way to do so. This program not only benefits your customers, but it also benefits your brand, as it can make you the talk of social media influencers, which gives you free marketing around the globe. If you want to increase your ROI in a short time, consider introducing the above five loyalty programs for your small business or cafe.
