How to Create Your Food Truck Marketing Plan

Your food truck's menu has been tested on various palettes, and the kitchen has had a trial run regarding space and efficiency. Friends and family love your food, and even the tricky business of licenses and permits has been handled; with a full tank of gas to top it off, you're ready to go!

Before you get carried away, you seem to be missing something–the customers.

Without a customer base, all of the hard work put into your food truck business is essentially wasted. With no one turning up to your truck to order delicious food or interact with your social media posts, you won't last long in the competitive food truck industry.

All food truck owners know that food is important. However, it's not common knowledge that food truck marketing and strategic partnerships with establishments that don't sell food are equally so.

Stay tuned to learn about what it takes to bring in repeat customers and make your mark on the food industry. We cover everything about what a food truck marketing plan is and how it has the power to take your struggling food business to new heights.

Key Takeaways

• Embrace Social Media: Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok keep followers updated on your location and menu items. It’s budget-friendly and extremely effective if you post consistently.  

• Form Partnerships: Collaborate with local businesses like bars and breweries to expand your reach and establish regular spots and repeat customers.

• Implement Apps and Email Marketing: Make it easy for customers to find your truck, order ahead, and keep up with your activities. 

• Keep Evolving: Keep an eye on the competition and continuously seek customer feedback via social media and review sites. Use a POS to refine your workflow and stay in the game. 

Take Your Business Online With Social Media Marketing

Because food trucks are mobile businesses, social media is a great tool for keeping customers informed about your location schedule, food festivals, and more.

A social media strategy creates buzz around your business by attracting customers within your target market. Tapping into the right crowd ensures that what you're offering is right up their street. This means they are likely to return time and time again and evolve into loyal customers. 

Create an intuitive website and social media profile on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook and establish a consistent posting schedule. Media like tantalizing food photography images and engaging videos are better than big blocks of text, so show, don't tell!

Remember, consistency is key to creating a solid online brand identity. With a growing reliance on social media platforms, other food trucks are also on the same platforms as you, competing for your audience. Therefore, keep on top of your food truck's website and social media to stay relevant.

Did you know that 86.9% of food truck businesses use Facebook to promote their business? If you're not among them, you're missing out; there are lots of other benefits social media marketing brings, including: 

• Saves Money: Social media gets the word out without needing paid print and online publications. 

• Encourages Collaboration: Join local businesses or influencers for shoutouts and collaborations to expand your reach and tap into a new market. 

• Sustains Conversation: Chat with your customers, answer their questions in real-time, and get their feedback straight away.

Support Local Entrepreneurs and Establishments Through Partnerships

Establishments such as bars and breweries that don't serve food often look to partner with a food truck that aligns with their brand identity. Many bars partner with multiple food trucks and rotate them throughout the week, giving you the ability to stay on the road.

Breweries are also good to join forces with as they are often located away from busy city centers, allowing for ample parking and outdoor sitting for paying customers. Before reaching out to these local businesses and establishments, ensure you have a strong business plan that shows you know what you're doing.

To help choose who to partner with, put yourself in the shoes of your target audience. What food truck stand would they like to see outside their favorite bar or brewery? A seafood lunch spot staple, soul food, or something entirely different? Getting this right will ensure you retain customers and put you on the radar of local booking agents.

Utilize Mobile Apps and Email Marketing

We've mentioned the importance of taking a food truck marketing strategy online, but apps and email marketing give you a different angle. A food truck app guarantees your customer base can access your menu with just a few taps and track your location.

Constantly being on the road is part of the business, so email marketing is a great way to stay in customers' minds and build loyalty. Successful food truck marketing is about striking at the right time because each moment needs to be seized for the sake of your food truck's longevity.

Along with apps, email marketing significantly improves marketing efforts as it ensures customers don't miss out when your truck is in the area or at one-off local events. Unlike hoping customers see your social media posts each time, email marketing involves sending them an email directly (after they sign up) with exclusive news and loyalty programs.

Staying Competitive in the Local Food Truck Scene

Okay, so you've got to grips with creating a food truck marketing plan, but the food truck sector is dynamic and ever-evolving. You'll need to keep up with the latest industry trends and customer expectations to stay competitive.

First, what are your customers thinking? Track your food truck's Yelp page and social media platforms for customer feedback. In addition to calculating revenue and food truck spending, it's also a good idea to track website visitors to gauge the success of your food truck marketing strategy, as this will give up-to-date engagement data.

Most food truck operators will keep an eye on what other food truck owners are doing. We advise you to do this, too, as it gives direct insight into what strategies are working and what aren't.

Finally, inject some personality into it! Potential customers love to see food truck operators decorate their stands with unique and eye-catching themes that reflect the brand and menu.

Reinforce Your Food Truck Marketing Plan With Toast

You've cracked the secrets of an effective food truck strategy; now it's time to live up to your promises. With all the customers you'll be serving soon, you'll need the best equipment in the food truck business.

Toast has a point-of-sale (POS) system for food trucks designed specifically for the high demands of life on the road without your own commercial kitchen operation or a large team. 

The device’s user-friendly interface allows for quick order processing and prompt payment processing, keeping the line moving no matter how busy it gets. Check out Toast's food truck POS demo today and see the difference for yourself.

The food truck target market is a tricky one to master, but once you do, thanks to a solid marketing strategy and software to back it up, you'll find the road to success is lined with satisfied customers and thrilling profits. Keep trucking!

FAQ

How to make a food truck stand out?

Embrace bold branding with a unique logo and vibrant colors that clarify what food and drink you serve. Offer a niche yet trendy menu that offers something different, as this will help set you apart from other food trucks. Don't forget to engage on social media and post consistently, as it builds a sense of familiarity, something that select competing trucks won't have.

What are the cons of owning a food truck?

It's great being out on the road, but it has its disadvantages. The main con of owning a food truck is the lack of space. There is limited storage for ingredients, equipment, and of course, staff. This means you have to be resourceful with your space and need to plan ahead to avoid running out of essentials.

Owning a food truck also means you have to comply with local zoning regulations, and your schedule can be turned upside down at any time if your truck needs repair.

What are the four Ps of marketing a food truck?

The four Ps of food truck marketing are:

• Product: The food you're selling, including the quality and variety and how it stands out from competitors.

• Price: Pricing goods at a competitive, affordable rate that appeals to your target audience.

• Place: The physical location in which you park your truck, as well as food festivals and other special events.

• Promotion: How you market your food truck to potential customers, i.e., social media marketing and customer engagement strategies.