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Advertising challenges for QSRs

By Mia Sisko

Marketing is a challenging element of managing a business.

In the quick-service restaurant (QSR) industry, competition is constantly on the rise. If a restaurant is slow to keep up with the evolving trends, it will be difficult to reach the right customers and bring sales to the business.
 
As business owners, it is important to adapt to the rapidly changing technologies in the industry. Marketers need to adjust their strategies and campaigns to constantly position their businesses ahead of the competition.
 
Businesses and brands are taking advantage of websites and social media to improve sales. They expect at least 40-50% of customer orders will be generated online. However, that is not easy to achieve.
 
Let's take a look at the challenges that QSR business owners face in advertising.
 
1. Customers are changing preferences
In this present multicultural world, more and more people are becoming health-conscious. The popularity of a healthy diet, vegan, and other health programs is causing fast-food chains to suffer. Fast food chains are losing sales to local restaurants which offer healthier options.

Since the majority of the population is now shifting to eating healthier foods, quick-service restaurants should also offer foods with higher nutritional value. It is vital to provide a balance of trends, taste, and nutrition on the menu. Serving burgers, pizzas, and fries will not work effectively all the time.
 
2. Driving Customer loyalty is Hard
With the power of the internet and social media, viewing restaurants and ordering meals is just a few clicks away. This means that customers expect to be able to place an order and receive their food within minutes.. If the ordering process is not simple, they will likely jump on another website if they cannot easily access the information they need - even if you are offering great food.

This means that you need to ensure you have a functional and efficient website. It should be mobile-friendly and easy to navigate. Highlight important details such as menus, pricing, and delivery time. Sharing customer reviews is also helpful as it provides credibility. Post the positive experiences of your customers, talk about the staff behaviour, and the best-selling food items.
 
3. Dealing with Wait Times
Speed and efficiency are two crucial factors that affect consumers' buying behaviour. Slow delivery times lead to frustration and bad feedback. Customers will not come back if they had a bad experience ordering food from your restaurant.

To meet customer satisfaction, minimise wait duration. With the right data and tools to track metrics such as the average number of orders, wait time, online reservations, and delivery times, restaurants can improve their operational processes. This will also help the staff and delivery riders do their jobs productively and efficiently. Too much wait time can affect the delivery cycle and food temperature; ruining the quality and customer expectations.
 
4. Poor Digital Marketing Strategy
It is not enough to do community and sponsorship events these days to receive the required brand exposure. Although this can attract local customers, fast food restaurants should also tap into the power of social media to reach a wider audience and to stay ahead of fierce digital marketing tactics of the competition.

Facebook and Instagram are the two biggest social media platforms that help improve business digital interaction for restaurants. By delegating the social media marketing task to a marketing professional, you are ensuring that the time and money spent will have a better ROI.

Running your own digital marketing and trying to figure it all out yourself can come at a cost. . 8 out of 10 customers check online reviews before dining or making an order. Utilise social media to create brand awareness. Create value by posting pictures of the dishes, menus, and happy customers.

Using paid promotions and search engine ads ensures your QSR appears in relevant search results. Location-specific advertising allows guests to find your location and business details, making it easier to book reservations or place an order.
 
Wrapping Up
We at Clover Marketing understand that when it comes to digital marketing, every business has their own needs and goals. For this reason we tailor our services specifically for QSR businesses so they can be successful in the long run while achieving optimum growth!

We create an actionable strategy based on your current digital performance as well as what you want out of future campaigns; all tailored off recent analytics data which ensures success today - not tomorrow or next year.

If you need digital marketing support to boost brand awareness and increase sales, Clover Marketing is here to help. We know how important it is to make sure your marketing strategy is on point. That's why we're here for you, ready and able with the skills necessary in order to help QSR businesses grow their customer base by implementing best practices online!

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Since you're here...

...there are many ways you can work with us to advertise your company and connect to your customers. Our team can help you dight and create an advertising campaign, in print and digital, on this website and in print magazine.

We can also organize a real life or digital event for you and find thought leader speakers as well as industry leaders, who could be your potential partners, to join the event. We also run some awards programmes which give you an opportunity to be recognized for your achievements during the year and you can join this as a participant or a sponsor.

Let us help you drive your business forward with a good partnership!