Even though the main way to promote your food truck is a good location, there’s plenty of other things you can do.
And because there’s no marketing like creative marketing, we’ll take a look at 8 creative marketing strategies for food trucks that will boost your revenue in no time.
Strategy 1: Work local, advertise global
No matter if you keep your food truck in one place or move it around, you’re not confined to the limits of local advertising.
In fact, if you want to market your food truck, you should work on brand awareness.
No two food trucks are the same, and if you’ve got great food (and a great smile), make sure the world knows it.
Social media is perfect for spreading the word, especially platforms like Instagram.
Instagram has geotargeting features that display your food truck to everyone in the vicinity. And if you post during the lunch hour, you can be sure that a lot of hungry Instagrammers will take notice.
Strategy 2: Guerrilla food, guerrilla marketing
There’s nothing like food trucks to bring out the creativity in guerrilla marketing.
Since most people don’t trust advertising, guerrilla marketing is perfect if you want to draw attention, and show that there’s more to your truck than money.
You don’t have to be as flashy as McDonald’s about it, but even just grime erased from the sidewalk that leads to your food truck can go a long way.
Strategy 3: Referrals, referrals, and referrals
People trust recommendations. 92% of consumers believe suggestions from friends and family more than advertising.
The trick is in motivating people to recommend your food truck. If you’ve got great food and great service, it’s not hard, but sometimes it takes a bit of a push.
Remind customers that they can refer their friends (and get a discount or a reward) — both at your food truck and on social media. You can use flyers with coupons your customers can give to their friends, offering a discount (or a free drink) from the get-go.
You can do the same on social media by rewarding reviewers, and including your customers in the conversation.
Strategy 4: Use a digital loyalty program
Loyalty programs are perfect for retaining customers (and recurring customers generate 40% of revenue) and attracting new ones.
It’s all about giving value to your customers and creating a connection between the two sides. People today like buying from brands they understand, and with whose values they can align.
For example, Loopy Loyalty helps you manage digital stamp cards through Apple Wallet and Google Pay. They’re easy for customers to use and are sure to improve customer retention much more than easy-to-lose and wasteful paper stamp cards.
Strategy 5: Host events
Any successful marketing campaign has an event it’s centered on.
You can host an event at your food truck for a holiday, or just a regular Saturday that you’re going to improve with awesome food.
To motivate people, you can consider promotions and discounts, and advertise the events at least 2 weeks earlier (locally and digitally).
Strategy 6: Take part in events
There are always some local events (festivals, concerts, fairs or block parties) that need good food.
Keep an eye out for those in your area, or (if your truck is mobile) consider traveling to a nearby place. People will go to great lengths for food and atmosphere they like.
Strategy 7: Don’t forget to advertise locally
72% of consumers who did a local search visited a store within five miles, according to Wordstream.
This is due to digital advertising services emphasizing the importance of local. Just like with social media, you can use that.
But while you’re using digital channels locally, don’t forget about flyers, banners, and other promotional materials people can see in real life.
For example, some food trucks have had great success with interesting takeaway boxes. It’s a subtle touch, but one that’s sure to make customers double-take and want to buy from you again.
A little creativity goes a long way, and nothing proves that more than our next point…
Strategy 8: Show your personality
There’s a lot of creativity in managing a food truck, and as the person (or the team) behind the scenes, you should make sure the customers know it.
Don’t be afraid to show how you come across your best ideas, and what your dish testing looks like. Show the funny bits, the hard bits, and the nice bits.
Just like with customer loyalty (which Loopy Loyalty can help with), people want to know the brands they buy from.
With enough interaction, they just might become friends with yours.
