Take Your Food Truck’s Route Inbound in 5 Steps

With the recent and dramatic increase in the number of food trucks rolling around our cities, it’s more crucial than ever to make your content stand out from the competition. But, conventional marketing methods for traditional restaurants don’t always apply to the food truck industry, so it can be difficult to determine how exactly to attract new customers. If you could use some help marketing your food truck business, inbound marketing is the perfect solution, and it’s easy! Check out these promotional tactics that will turn your marketing strategy inbound in 5 steps: 

1. Develop Your Brand Identity
Before you start anything else, you have to establish your brand identity – and that’s not just the food you’re going to serve. No matter what you think up, you’re probably not the first to think of it. Planning on being the only truck serving Mexican-Asian fusion barbecue? You’re out of luck, because that’s already been done. Your brand identity is what will really make your brand stand out. Ask yourself: Why am I doing this? What’s my mission? What can I offer my customers that other food trucks can’t? These questions can help you find your true brand identity. 

2. Build a Website
A lot of food trucks don’t have websites; however, a lot do, and you don’t want to be at a disadvantage. Some food trucks rely on their social media accounts as their only online presence, but having a website can be an essential investment. If you don’t have one, you won’t seem as legitimate to potential customers – and legitimacy is a big deal when buying food from a truck. A professional website is crucial for reassuring customers, since you don’t want apprehension to cost you their business. 

3. Know Your Social Media
The importance of social media goes without saying. But, do you know how to use each platform for its intended purpose? There are proven methods to impress customers on Facebook, but Facebook isn’t the right place for every type of post. It’s great for getting information to your customers, but not for a deluge of photos without any other content. Instagram’s platform, on the other hand, is designed for exactly that. It allows you to display images of your mouthwatering food to show your customers what they’re craving without the need for detailed captions. Twitter has its own uses – it’s perfect for live updates on where you are and where you’re headed next. Plus, you can connect your social media accounts to Foursquare, an app that gives users suggestions for dining locations based on proximity and their preferences. Understanding the strengths of each platform helps you use them effectively and intelligently. 

4. Engage Your Customers
Social media is about interaction, too, and an important part of interaction is allowing customer participation. People love to share ideas and opinions, so running polls or contests gets them involved and invested. You can ask for input on a new menu item or invite suggestions for a crazy flavor – maybe even name the new flavor after the winner! But, engaging the customer doesn’t always start with you. Make sure that you take customer service seriously and respond to problems that your customers have. If nobody likes your service, nobody will want to participate in your polls. 

5. Have Fun
Although this advice may seem a bit cheesy, it works! Customers don’t see food trucks as big, serious companies, and that’s part of their charm. Use the friendly feel of your brand to appeal to customers. Chat with your followers about the latest local news story or the home team’s triumph last night. Showing some of the personality behind the company can make your brand stand out in ways that no traditional advertising ever could. 

Using these inbound marketing ideas will make your food truck the crème de la crème. Now you’re ready to hit the streets!

If you want to learn more about inbound marketing and how it can help you, download this free white paper for a closer look at inbound methodology!