How Are You
Promoting Your
Food Truck?
Marketing for the Food Truck Industry
and 5 Tips For Increasing Your Food Truck Revenue
You have invested heavily into creating your food truck business—from starting the business, to getting all the permits, acquiring the truck, perfecting your recipes, and finding the right locations.
The old adage of location, location, location being the most important thing in business rings true with food trucks.
But having tools in place to help people find you is just as important as selecting the right locations.
- Use SM to broadcast where you are for the day.
- Publish a calendar of where you’re going to be monthly
- Create a form on your website to garner additional special bookings
GET FOUND: Overcome the big disconnect-Being Found.
The online world is an important place. People use it to research you and your website is a 2nd point of entry for your brand. Your social media is a great way to be discovered and should drive interest to your website.
- Use social media as an outpost–it is great for of-the-moment info.
- Your website should be your hub. It is your digital home and should be more of a permanent collection of things like photos, your calendar, back story, and geographic territory.
- Provide ways for people to contact you. Bookings, events, Find me HERE are useful for audience building
- Host your menu online. This is typically the most in-demand thing for food-based businesses.
The honest truth is, once we help create the right frame work for our clients, on social media, being real about what you create is the best way to create success. Showcasing the people behind the brand, telling people where to find you, showing the amazing food you create, and giving the reader a sense of personality go a long way. Still sound daunting? We are here to help you.
FACT: A good website represents you like a 24/7/365 sales person. This is a second point of entry into your business and a research tool. It is also another way for people to have an experience with your brand.
BE MEMORABLE: Have a memorable brand & experience
A great logo, and cohesive brand feel will ensure you are remembered. It is how people will describe you to their friends. Be consistent, and don’t forget that part of what people are buying is the experience too. The food, the unique flare you bring to the whole process are part of this.
- An easy to read, memorable logo and name
- Brand all touchpoints including your truck graphics, menus, signs, and online platforms
- Consider how you can make the experience memorable. Maybe you are notably funny and entertain people with your banter, or you find a unique way to wrap/package your food. Perhaps everyone gets a sucker, sticker or bib with their meal.
FACT: Food trucks appeal to the modern on-demand consumers because of the unique offerings that also align with their desire to purchase on-the-go. “Food Trucks offer unique food near me, where I’m going to be” (vs. sit down restaurants).
FACT: Food trucks are a proven launch pad toward destination dining because of the Food Truck Industry’s discovery-oriented nature. Many food trucks grow to eventually become a brick-&-mortar restaurants.
HAVE A PLAN: Outreach with your business
Having a marketing plan is a big step to knowing how you plan to grow. You will find it far easier to do your marketing if you aren’t reacting but instead working on a plan proactively.
- Identify your budget each year
- Identify who you are trying to reach.
- Know where and how you want to focus efforts. esamples: On Facebook, Instagram, Farmers Market & Google Ads
- Focus on building loyalty. Growth isn’t just new customers—it is also keeping your loyal customers coming back more frequently and encouraging word-of-mouth.
- Monitor industry trends and be flexible with your plans as you adapt.
PURPOSE OF MARKETING:
- Grow your following
- Increase repeat sales
- Create more event bookings
- Showcase your offerings
Marketing is the planning and research for where your brand is going and the history for where it has been. It involves a targeted approach for how to appeal to people who are likely to want what you are offering, and combines easy-to-understand messaging, with things that will make you stand out.
The purpose of marketing, or promoting your business is to help tell your unique story to people who are likely to be interested your product/service–and are in the mindset to buy. A wide range of things can be part of your marketing plan or framework–here are a few we recommend for the FOOD TRUCK INDUSTRY:
We look at the unique needs of your restaurant through 4 distinct lenses
Strategy
Find Your Audience
Key Message
Create A Plan
Map Growth
Website
Photos
Menus
Locator
Book Us
Social Media
Locator
Inform
Advertise
Broaden Reach
Graphic Design
Logo/Pkg./Merch
Ads/Mailers
Menus/Signs
Truck Graphics
STRATEGY & PLANNING:
Custom Quoted Per Project
Grow your Following
Increase Repeat Sales
Create more Bookings
Showcase your Food
ASK FOR HELP–So you can run your business
Understand that you can’t do it all. In fact trying to DIY your marketing could take far more time than you can afford to spend on it.
- Find a partner you trust and can lean on as needed.
- Ask good questions to learn, but also be okay delegating to an expert for help, or simple for relief when busy.
- Build a toolbox than helps enhance your business. The work you or your team creates should expand your brand story.
All of these points are intended to help keep you where you are most needed… leading the business you’ve built.
What can we create for you?
Marketing is the planning and research for where your brand is going and the history for where it has been. It involves a targeted approach for how to appeal to people who are likely to want what you are offering, and combines easy-to-understand messaging, with things that will make you stand out.
Want to talk with us, or see some examples of our work?
We invite you to visit our website, or to send us a message. We love to meet business owners like yourself and to hear about what you have created. Let’s talk about how our two companies can work together.
>Closing Thoughts:
Operating a successful food truck business is hard work. Recall that roughly half of food truck operators fail in the first five years, in large part because of poor planning and failing to consider the importance of marketing and communicating directly with your target customers.
Don’t be hand-tied by the “big disconnect between both vendors and customers.” A strong online showing – a searchable presence, optimized website, and social media marketing – will give you the competitive edge you need to attract new customers, nurture existing customer relationships and build a profitable business.
Realize the full potential of your business and contact >Greater Thought today to help you access the customers you need to successfully grow your businesses.
Want to do something >greater?
While there are others out there who may specialize in your industry, we pride ourselves at approaching every project and client’s work with customized solutions. No cookie-cutter stuff here. It is important to us that you don’t see the same basic website, designs or content at another course.
Reach out to us for more information or to discuss your project.
Phone: (612)-454-7887
Email: eMail us