Boost Sales and Attract Customers with Limited-Time Offers

Helpful tips for planning and promoting your next limited-time offer.

OVERVIEW

Boost Sales and Attract Customers with Limited-Time Offers

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Trend 1: Setting a Goal for Your LTO
Trend 2: Planning Your LTO
Trend 3: Promoting Your LTO

HELPFUL TIPS FOR PLANNING AND PROMOTING YOUR NEXT LIMITED-TIME OFFER

Limited-time offers, or LTOs, have become a popular marketing tool in the restaurant industry. They’re used to promote deals, new or seasonal menu items, attract customers, and drive sales during otherwise slow periods. Most operators agree that limited-time offers are added to the menu because they help boost profits and customers have grown to expect them.

Offered for a limited time, ranging from a few days to a few months, LTOs are designed to create a sense of urgency around making a purchase. Successful LTOs instill a feeling of FOMO, or fear of missing out. Popular LTOs you may be familiar with include the McRib sandwich at McDonald’s, Never Ending Pasta at Olive Garden, and Nacho Fries at Taco Bell.

33% of consumers said they’ve gone to a QSR they’ve never tried before specifically to try an LTO

Offers can vary by type and goal, featuring new or returning menu items, pricing promotions, or seasonal specials. Whatever the goal, LTOs grab attention first and foremost. Whether it’s with mouthwatering imagery, an unbeatable bundle deal, or a ticking clock that makes consumers feel a sense of urgency.

Because running an LTO also involves increased costs stemming from menu development and marketing, proper planning and execution of an LTO is essential to creating a positive customer experience and minimal risk to your business. Before starting any marketing strategy, consider your overall brand, resources at your disposal, profit potential, and customer preferences. This report will explain how to properly set goals, plan, and promote an upcoming limited-time offer.

63% of consumers’ last LTO was an impulse purchase.

Read on for more operational inspiration.

_{^{Sources: Datassential: Limited Time Offers (June 2022); Mattson QSR Behaviors & LTO Study (Sept. 2021).}}