Loyalty Marketing for Restaurants

I'm a big fan of loyalty marketing, in theory. I get a variety of coupons in the mail and in my email for percentages off purchases, free birthday dinners, and more. But for the many offers I get, I only take advantage of a small number of what is sent to me. For one, I am lazy and going out to a store maybe be beyond me. Second, I also am cheap, so the offer must be attractive enough to offset my cheapness.

If you follow my Twitter feed, it's obvious that I am obsessed with Chicago-style hot dogs, despite the fact that I don't eat meat. So I was a big fan of the D's Six Pax & Dogz -- Buy 10 Hot Dogz and Get One for Free card. This loyalty marketing program worked, mainly because D's was an after-work hangout for my group of friends. Good beer, large variety of fried things to choose from, and of course, veggie Chicago dogs. So what's my point? Cater your loyalty program towards your most loyal customers! For the most part, we would have chosen D's anyway, but a few times I know we went to get an extra punch on our hot dog card, or to get our free hot dog. And of course, along with that free hot dog we would order many pints of non-free beer and other food.

Don't try and market your loyalty program to your occasional customers—focus on your regulars. Reward them, and they'll be more likely to reward you with their presence.

PS-- It must be noted that I am way too unorganized to deal with a loyalty card. Much props goes to my friend E for dealing with the card and making sure we always got our punches!