Food truck season is in full swing. With the beginning of the outdoor concert and festival season, here are some marketing tips to drive business on the road:
1. Tell customers where your food truck will be next.
Your food truck is constantly moving, so keep fans informed of where you will be next. “Check-in” on social media wherever you park so your customers can find you right on the map! In turn, encourage your customers to check in on Facebook when they visit your truck. Did you know that Facebook sends a reminder to review your business to anyone who checks in there?
2. Use social media hashtags and tag events.
Make sure you tag events or use relevant social hashtags for your upcoming locations.
Are you working an upcoming concert? Tag the organizers in posts, and use the official show hashtags. Excited concert-goers will see your posts, and know to look for you at the show.
Local markets often send out their vendor list on social media in advance. Make sure you get tagged, so that market customers can preview your menu before they enter the market.
3. Work with other local businesses.
Build relationships with other local businesses. Get to know the people at local offices by handing out menus and offering lunch specials.
Often brewery and distillery tasting rooms don't have their own food-service license, so they will partner with local food trucks to park in their parking lots and nearby. Contact local breweries, vineyards, and distilleries to see if they are willing to add your food truck to their schedule.
4. Get on Instagram.
Instagram has proven that people love looking at pictures of puppies and food. Take time to get some quality photographs of your food and make an effort on the platform. And as with other social channels, get involved on Instagram with events and businesses using hashtags, check-ins, and tags. We detailed some tips for using Instagram for restaurants in the post Insta-Love Worthy Instagram Tips for Restaurants.
5. Keep the line moving.
Hungry people aren’t known for their patience. While having a line may mean your truck is popular, one that’s not moving will scare customers away. Investing in a POS to get orders out quicker will keep your customers happy.
6. Promote at your restaurant.
Do you have a store location in addition to your food truck? Use your food truck to promote your restaurant, and your restaurant to promote your food truck. A few years ago, I tried out a food truck with the most delicious West Indian food. I made sure to know whenever they were in my area for the rest of the summer—but I didn’t find out they had a brick-and-mortar location until a year later when I stumbled upon it. By not advertising their restaurant on their food truck’s social media pages or at their truck, they missed out on a year’s worth of my business.
Posted on Thu, Jul 05, 2018 @ 08:07 AM.
Updated on April 29, 2021 @ 9:07 PM PST.
