According to experts, Twitter offers the best exposure for a Food Truck, especially in modern America. Twitter is probably the most used social platform for food trucks because of how frequently and easily you can tweet updates without annoying your followers.
For instance, if you are at location A from noon to 3 PM and location B from 5 PM to 8 PM – the easiest and fastest way to spread this information would be through a tweet – where users can get a live feed of information.
Also, if you’re closed because of weather conditions or need to switch the usual location – Twitter is the platform to do this. Without a doubt, Social media has become the lifeblood of a food truck because the food truck is always moving (potentially) and you need to keep in constant contact with your customers.
You need to update them on location changes, schedule changes, new menu items, promotions, etc. Generally, the ideal and best way to keep in contact with your followers is through the social media platforms that they are using.
While your day may already be packed with operational time restrictions, new food truck owners should learn to use social media themselves.
According to reports, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is putting your social media efforts in the hands of interns or the youngest members of the staff.
They might know their way around multiple platforms, but it doesn’t mean they have the knowledge or judgment to deliver your food truck’s key messaging on those platforms.
The ideal candidate may not just know Twitter inside and out, but also knows your customers, your target audience, and your business goals. Unless you have hired an employee that meets these criteria, take the reins of your business social media tasks.
Take your time to understand which platforms work best for your efforts. There is a wide variety of social media platforms, and new ones are added to the list daily. However, some have been more successful than others.
Since most start up food trucks are small businesses, you should know that you won’t be able to compete effectively on every one of them.
Since money, time and human resources are limited, choose wisely. Here are a few things about the most popular social media platforms out there today:
6 Social Media Platforms That Offer the Best Exposure for Food Truck
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Twitter
Twitter is the platform that has helped the food truck industry grow as rapidly as it has. It allows you to post your upcoming locations and events.
Also, note that it puts a human face on your business. And it provides useful information to your target audience, and listening to your customers, and responding in real time. This is the platform that started it all with food trucks.
It has been a great platform for food trucks to send messages out as alerts to draw customers to your latest location in real-time. Twitter is great for bringing a non-visual voice to your food truck’s brand.
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Facebook
The audience is more diverse than you think. Over half of Facebook’s users are over 26 and the fastest growth is in the over 25 demographic. Facebook messenger is a wonderful way to connect with your customers. It would be ideal if you could always connect with them one on one – but that’s not really possible since you’re busy running a food truck business.
This is why it advisable you set up a Facebook chatbot to do the engagement for you. This can be done through programs like Manychat, Chatfuel, and MobileMonkey to engage with your followers on a more personal level.
Once your chatbot is set up – your customers are able to receive messages from you regarding location updates and promotions. Some advanced chatbots are even able to notify your Facebook followers when you are in the area – as to not bombard them with status updates (that’s what tweets are for).
You can also take it one step further; some of the most advanced chatbots out there integrate with your POS system to take orders directly from the chatbot. This allows people to just drop by and pick up the food after they have ordered – instead of waiting in that incredibly long line.
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Foursquare
This site is the premier location-based social media platform. It works well for truck owners looking to drive immediate traffic to their food truck service windows. Foursquare also tends to skew toward a younger demographic than the other platforms we mention.
Over 6 million Smartphone users are actively using Foursquare, a geolocation application that allows them to check in to businesses around the world, show their friends the places they are visiting, and leave feedback and tips.
Foursquare is a social media tool that, when used properly, can still help you grow your mobile business as well as your profits.
Listing your food truck business on Foursquare and using Foursquare successfully are easy processes. To get started on this task, head over to Foursquare. To create your account, you are given the option to sign up with your Facebook account or with an e-mail address.
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Pinterest
Pinterest is a photo-sharing service, is the new kid on the block, but it has developed a huge audience. With women representing over 80% of Pinterest users, it is a great venue for posting about your menu items.
There are over 150 million Pinterest users seeking information, advice, and inspiration on this social media network. This is a number that food truck vendors just can’t ignore. Take a quick look around Pinterest, and you’ll see that it is a visual platform.
Check out other food trucks and restaurants around the world and collect ideas. This will help vendors see what type of style works for others. Then you can show Pinterest users what they can expect from your food truck.
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YouTube
YouTube has become the No. 2 search engine, and if you can create informative, entertaining, and even humorous videos about your food truck and menu items, then you can use YouTube as a highly effective tool in attracting and retaining customers.
3.25 billion hours of videos are watched every single month on YouTube, and there are nearly 5,000,000,000 total YouTube views each day.
For food trucks interested in building their brand with video, YouTube is a must. YouTube is such a powerful marketing channel a YouTube video or ad you can potentially reach far more viewers than you would with a Super Bowl ad.
If you are only using YouTube as a place to watch funny cat videos or find the latest underground band, you’re missing out on its benefits as a powerful business tool to enhance your food truck brand and strengthen your social outreach.
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LinkedIn
This platform is great for business-to-business conversations, establishing and demonstrating expertise, hiring, and finding appropriate strategic partners and suppliers. It is the largest business networking site in the world and as soon as you begin investigating the site, you will notice a definite shift in its users. The mood changes and the messages are more professional.
Also, Conversations are geared toward partnerships and transactions, as opposed to your food truck’s current or future location. Everything is centered on advancing careers or building business networks. People are constantly searching for others on LinkedIn.
They are looking for caterers, employee candidates, and industry experts. Optimize your profile to help you be found and contacted by more people looking for what your specialty.