The food truck industry is competitive and challenging to break into. You must have a solid business plan, a good brand identity, and proper advertising. You need to learn how you can stand out.

Keep reading for 5 cool and creative ideas for marketing a food truck. 

1. Launch a Social Media Campaign 

In our digital age, you really should have an online presence. However, simply having a Facebook page or posting a few photos to Instagram isn’t going to make your business boom. You need to have the right strategy and launch a social media campaign.

Look into what your competitor’s social media sites are like to gather marketing ideas. What is their brand style? Do they actively engage with their customers often?

From here, you can build your own strategy and think about the content you want to produce. Make sure it is unique and engaging. Monitor your posts and see what works and what doesn’t. 

2. Establish Your Brand Identity 

No matter how good your food is or how well you treat your customers, you’ll just blend into the background if you don’t have a good and memorable brand identity. Use vibrant colors that will help you stand out and get a simple yet unique logo designed. Be careful you don’t go too over to the top and make your menu or advertisements unreadable or unclear.

Once you have your brand established, you can sell or give away promotional items like t-shirts, cups, metal straws, bottle openers, etc. 

3. Hand Out Loyalty Cards and Win Return Customers 

How can you make sure your customers will come back? Hand out loyalty cards. Loyalty cards, such as a “Buy 5, Get 1 Free” promotion, will encourage folks to buy more and to return to your food truck until they complete their card.

You can even use a digital loyalty reward system if you don’t want to hand out physical cards. It’s highly customizable, so you can change your strategy often. It won’t affect your bottom-line. In fact, it will increase your sales and profits. 

4. Get In Ahead of Popular Food Trends 

The video-sharing app TikTok has popularized certain food trends like dalgona coffee, White Claw slushies, and strawberry milk. There’s no shortage of new fads on the rise. While you may not want to base your whole food truck business around one of these, it can certainly be a part of your menu.

There are always new innovations in coffee. This high-in-demand beverage is a good addition. 

5.  Follow National Food Holidays

No, we don’t mean Thanksgiving. There’s a lot of fun food holidays you can celebrate to promote your business and draw in new customers. February 9th is National Pizza Day, and November 1st is World Vegan Day.

You can advertise on social media about these holidays and celebrate with your customers with a fun menu change. 

Marketing a Food Truck Made Easy 

When operating and marketing a food truck, you need to know how to stand out. Launching a social media campaign will help you get the word out about your business. Look at your competitors for inspiration. Learn about what’s popular and follow the trends—and possibly even make your own.

Want more food truck advice? Check out more blog posts here!

Thinking about starting a food truck? Request a free custom quote and one of our food truck specialists will help you design the truck of your dreams.

Stay up to date on everything Custom Concessions has to offer! Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

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Thousands of people get lost in the infinite Instagram scroll.

We follow friends, family members, and influencers we like on daily basis through the power of social media. It seems like Instagram has taken over the social media world, and it’s become of the most popular apps for our phones.

Because of its popularity, Instagram can be a powerful tool for marketing your food truck. Seeing photos of your delicious dishes and fire graphics wrap is sure to tempt potential customers.

Below is a quick guide for food truck owners on how to use Instagram as a marketing tool. Keep reading, and get ready for a business boost.

Know the Features

Before getting into the details, it’s important to know how to use Instagram. 

Most importantly, know how to use the posting feature. Regularly create posts with witty captions and strategic hashtags. 

Next, make sure you follow other accounts. Follow other food trucks you like, local businesses, and some of your favorite customers.

You’ll also want to explore the Instagram stories feature. Instagram stories are up for 24 hours at a time. You can create boomerangs, make polls, share music, tag other people, and post pictures. For food truck operators, the story feature can be where you share your current location so customers will know where to find you.

Build Engagement

People love a responsive, engaged business. You’ll be able to connect with locals through the magic of social media. (Tip: Use social media to connect people with your mobile business app.)

Make sure to always tag your location so people can easily find your truck. You can even put your location in your bio section on your profile. Use the story option to update people daily on your location and hours if it changes. 

It’s important to either check your account regularly or turn on your notifications, so you’ll know if a customer tags you in a post. You can share these, if they’re positive, to showcase your customer satisfaction. If a customer posts something negative, it gives you a chance to respond, rectify the situation and possibly gain a loyal patron. 

A great way to engage customers is by creating polls in your stories. Ask people whether they prefer deep dish or thin crust pizza, curly or waffle fries, or sweet tea or lemonade. Polls are a great way to get feedback about your menu or decide on weekly specials.

Create Incentives

Create small incentives like giveaways and rewards for tagging your business. For example, if someone posts a picture of your food truck on Instagram and tags you, give them a coupon or a free food item.

You can also ask followers to share your posts. Make it a contest and randomly draw a lucky winner to receive free meal. Some food trucks have even been creating virtual scavenger hunts by hiding small free meal tickets in their area. They give clues on social media to get people to try and find them.

By creating fun opportunities, you’ll bring in new customers and cement your popularity with loyal diners.

Successful Food Truck Owners Use the Power of Instagram

All food truck owners should be using Instagram to attract customers. It’s simple and effective.

Make sure you know all the features of Instagram and take time to explore them. Build engagement on your profile, and take the time to answer questions and comments. 

Ready to start your first food truck? Check out some of our recent projects to get some ideas. And when you’re ready, request a quote for your custom truck!

Want more food truck advice? Check out more blog posts here!

Thinking about starting a food truck? Request a free custom quote and one of our food truck specialists will help you design the truck of your dreams.

Stay up to date on everything Custom Concessions has to offer! Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

The post How to Use Instagram As a Marketing Tool: A Guide for Food Truck Owners appeared first on Custom Concessions.

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Food truck businesses are still going strong even in the wake of COVID-19. However, that doesn’t mean mobile businesses are easy to run. To be successful, you need to be prepared.

Keep reading to learn about the top 6 reasons food trucks fail and how to avoid them. 

1. You Lack a Brand Identity

Major companies can be identified by a single logo or a three-word tagline. How? They built their brand identity from the beginning and stuck to it.

If you don’t have a solid idea of your brand identity, neither will your customers. It will be difficult for them to talk or post about you (word of mouth is the best form of advertising), and you won’t stand out against your competition. When planning your food truck business strategy, make sure you have a clear idea of your concept, style, and what you have to offer.

2. You Don’t Have a Business Plan 

We’ve all heard the statistics of how often small businesses fail. One reason why is having lack of direction and a good business plan. A business plan maps out the future of your investment and takes unexpected events into account.

You should draft a business plan with a professional and determine your goals. This will keep you focused and help you succeed.

3. You’re In Over Your Head 

You’ve decided to get into the food truck business because you’ve heard it’s a pretty profitable endeavor, and hey, who doesn’t like food? You did your research, have your grand opening, but you’re not seeing a profit. You could be in over your head. 

It’s easy to skip over crucial steps when planning to open a mobile business. If you went ahead with your idea without a business plan, understanding the demographics of your area, or preparing for inconvenient expenses, you’re setting yourself up for failure. 

4. You Don’t Know the Market

If you’re looking to break into the street food business, you need to know your market. Market trends fluctuate over time; people’s interests in food trends can change nearly overnight. You need to know what the demand is like in your area, as well as the market in general. 

Plant-based food surged in popularity in 2019, and CBD-infused food and drink dominated 2020. You’ll need to be aware of these trends, regardless of whether you chose to jump on the bandwagon or not. 

5. You Don’t Have the Right Employees

Your employees need to have the skills to work on your food truck, but they also need good customer service skills. Just like restaurants or stores, food trucks also have loyal customers. Hire friendly, well-trained people to represent your business. 

6. You Aren’t Consistent

Customers expect consistency in service as well as the quality of food. Even if your food truck has a basic menu, all cooks should know how to cook it the same way. One poor experience could turn away a loyal customer for good.

Avoid These Reasons Food Trucks Fail

If your dream is to open a mobile food truck business, you have a lot of planning to do. You need to make sure you have a solid brand identity, a business plan, and the right people working with you. Avoid these 6 mistakes and you will be on your way to success. 

Want more food truck advice? Check out more blog posts here!

Thinking about starting a food truck? Request a free custom quote and one of our food truck specialists will help you design the truck of your dreams.

Stay up to date on everything Custom Concessions has to offer! Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

The post Top 6 Reasons Food Trucks Fail appeared first on Custom Concessions.

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Food trucks are more than a trend—they’re a mobile food movement. There’s a place for mobile kitchens and brick and mortar restaurants, but food trucks are gaining momentum.

Though thousands of food trucks exist today, they’re not without obstacles. Operators must stay on their toes to keep food truck sales up during the holidays.

There are only 10 federal holidays a year, but every day’s a holiday to someone. Where there are holidays, there’s a food truck opportunity.

If you’re looking to rev up your food truck sales during the holidays, here’s what you need to know.

Food Truck Sales During Holidays

If you own a food truck, holidays can mean one of two things for you. For some, you’ll see an opportunity to sport your food truck around town. For others, you might fear less traffic and that your food truck sales will suffer.

There are two approaches you can take to make sure you stay successful. 

1. Food Truck Festivals

What better time to market yourself than the holidays? Pairing up with other local food trucks is a smart strategy. Depending on the holiday, bother winter and summertime can be hubs for food truck fiestas!

Food truck marketing tip number one: success doesn’t come from being the only food truck in town. Encouraging potential customers to support the food truck community and visit different food trucks nearby boosts traffic and your exposure.

2. Cater Events

If you can’t find a way to lean into the holiday happenings, consider catering specific events. While you may not serve the masses, you’ll make relationships and have high-volume orders to steady your sales.

You can choose to expand your horizons or hone in on niche markets. Before you choose, consider the following strategies.

Holiday Food Truck Strategies

Before you can take on the holidays, you’ll have to know the type of holiday. There are three: federal holidays, societal holidays, and self-made “holidays.”

How you approach Memorial Day—a federal, known, popular outdoor holiday—will vary from a self-declared holiday like Food Truck Friday. Something like Valentine’s Day is a societal holiday—well known, but not official.

Federal holidays need less food truck marketing than self-declared holidays. Food Truck Friday celebrationsare like self-crafted campaigns. You’re in charge of spreading the word from start to finish.

Food truck folk are no strangers to social media, so holiday marketing can be a breeze. Consider how you might up your social media game for these occasions.

Will you make a mobile app? Pass out coupons and flyers? You might even make a food truck finder game on social media to incentivize folks to locate you.

Holidays have playful energy. Make fun out of your food truck strategy!

Every Day is a Holiday With Food Trucks

You’re in full control of your food truck sales. It’s not the holiday that determines your success, but how you relate to it.

Sprinkle in a few self-proclaimed holidays with national ones. Be sure to space things out enough to communicate with your following and build momentum!

So long as you’re forward-thinking, you’ll have no problem tackling holidays the food truck way.

Want more food truck advice? Check out more blog posts here!

Thinking about starting a food truck? Request a free custom quote and one of our food truck specialists will help you design the truck of your dreams.

Stay up to date on everything Custom Concessions has to offer! Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

The post How to Maximize Holiday Food Truck Sales appeared first on Custom Concessions.

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In the summer when the weather is hot, so are your food truck sales! Everyone knows that food truck sales are at their highest when folks are outside enjoying those beautiful sunny days.

That being said, all good things do come to an end. As summer closes, the days will become shorter and cooler, and before you know it, fall will arrive. Cooler periods normally mean a dip in customers, and that’s something many food trucks simply can’t afford to have.

The good thing is that there are things you can do to combat that inevitable sales shortfall. What you need are some solid food truck tips and a bit of ingenuity to sell just as many items—or even more—during the cooler times as you did during the warmer seasons. This article goes into detail with what you need to know about navigating fall food truck madness. Read on to learn more!

1. Enter a Contest

A food contest may not sound like something you had in mind, but this is a great way to get your company name out there and make some impressive sales. Most food contests have an entry fee. However, chances are you’ll easily be able to make a return on the investment when you sell your goods at the event. Does your city or county have a chili cook-off? Or a pizza making extravaganza? Signing up to show off your skills will get your name out there, and it’s an even bigger bonus if you win! Consider making sample-sized items of a few of your menu favorites. That way contest-goers can purchase a variety of things to try from your truck. 

2. Take on Catering Gigs

Instead of waiting for the customers to come to you, why don’t you go to them? Catering gigs are becoming a very popular way for food vendors to distribute their goods. Often, food trucks charge a flat rate up front for an appearance at a private event, plus making money on whatever sales go above and beyond that. If you can get in on that big Halloween party in town, the sky is the limit!

3. Find Fall Festivals & Activities

Working a festival can be a great way for your truck to earn some extra income in the fall. You may need to branch out a bit from whatever town you are based in to find places nearby hosting fall events. Once you have secured your spot, think about tailoring your menu a bit to highlight whatever fall food is being celebrated. Working a maple syrup festival? Add a maple bacon burger or maple glazed donuts. 

You could also offer to set up at pop-up fall activities that only last for a limited time, such as your local farm’s corn maze or haunted forest. Nothing makes people hungry like being active out in the cold. Strike up a partnership with the hosts and offer them a percentage of the profits in exchange for the right to sell on their property. Be sure to have a variety of things to choose from, including meal items like soups or hot sandwiches, snacky foods such as popcorn and caramel apples, and hot drinks like apple cider, hot chocolate, or spiced lattes.

4. Add a Delivery Service

Food delivery has become increasingly popular in the last few years, so much so that there is an entire industry dedicated to delivering food to people. By delivering food to your customers, you make cash while also opening up another avenue for service. 

Fall Food Truck Tips

Now that you’ve got a few ideas to help you in the fall, you may have some other questions about the food truck industry! Check out our blog for even more food truck tips.

Want more food truck advice? Check out more blog posts here!

Thinking about starting a food truck? Request a free custom quote and one of our food truck specialists will help you design the truck of your dreams.

Stay up to date on everything Custom Concessions has to offer! Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

The post 4 Fall Food Truck Tips To Help You Sell More appeared first on Custom Concessions.

Now that your food truck is ready to roll, you are wondering how to bring in those customers. In the age of technology, almost everyone has access to a smartphone. And smartphones have a knack for installing mobile apps.

How does this help today’s food truck owner? Mobile business apps help to keep current customers up-to-date on your whereabouts. They help potential customers get a feel for what to expect when they visit your food truck business. And you can even have the option for customer to order online through your app.

Continue reading to learn more about apps for food trucks and why you need one.

Show Off Your Brand

Being one of the 23,873 active food truck businesses in the U.S. isn’t going to be easy, so you will have to do everything that you can to stick out from the rest. An app will allow you to promote your brand and draw in more customers.

Once you have your mobile kitchen up and running, an app for your food truck is a great way to promote your brand. Apps are customizable to your business colors/logo to catch your customer’s eye.

An app is a perfect opportunity for you to try out new things and advertise daily lunch specials. 

You can tell your story on the app as a way to connect with your customers on a personal level. You sell amazing food creations every day, but what do you do when you aren’t catering to the public? Where do you get inspiration for your specials? Your customers want to know more about the person running the food truck.

This becomes your brand. 

Location

Mobile businesses are well-known for moving from one location to another. A food truck is not always going to be in a singular place. Depending on the time of day or day of the week, you may be in a different location in an attempt to bring in more customers.

It might be ideal for you to be in the business district during lunchtime on a Tuesday. While it would make more sense for you to be near the park entrance on a Saturday afternoon. Location is all about where the money is.

If you are going to be moving around your city to different places, your app is a place where people can stay up to date on where you will be on which days.

Coupons, Freebies & More

An app is a great place for you to advertise coupons or freebies for your customers. If your customers want to sign up for a loyalty program, this is where they could do so.

Other Alternatives

If creating an app for your food truck business isn’t something that you can do right now, you have other options. There are apps already out there that allow you to advertise your business on them, but that may entail paying a membership fee or advertising costs.

There are different apps available depending on where you’re located. Apps like, Roaming Hunger or Street Food Finder can get your mobile business off the ground.

Once your food truck has a decent following, you will be in a better position to create your food truck’s app. This will help you reach that next level.

Mobile Business Apps: The Next Step

Now that you are thinking about mobile business apps, you are ready to take that next step.

Create the app for your food truck and you will be ready to take on the world. Or at least you’ll be ready to take on the streets of your city.

Want more food truck advice? Check out more blog posts here!

Thinking about starting a food truck? Request a free custom quote and one of our food truck specialists will help you design the truck of your dreams.

Stay up to date on everything Custom Concessions has to offer! Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

The post Mobile Business Apps: Why You Need a Mobile App for Your Food Truck appeared first on Custom Concessions.

The food truck industry is ready to take flight. Currently, the industry is valued at over $1 billion.

However, food trucks hold a distinct advantage in the new normal created by the coronavirus pandemic. Food trucks do not rely on indoor dining to turn a profit.

Instead, they can continue to operate without significant restriction. In addition, they park outdoors which is a safer environment for their customers.

These factors bode well for the continued growth of the food truck industry. With an appealing menu, your food truck business can seize the advantages of these circumstances.

Read on to learn 5 pro tips for developing a stellar menu that draws a crowd.

1. Find a Niche

There is a lot of competition in the food industry. This makes it difficult to break in when many of the most popular foods are covered. You can find good Italian or Chinese food nearly anywhere.

The most successful food trucks find a niche. This niche is a type of food that is not easily available in the local vicinity. For example, you may decide to feature Cuban foods on your food truck if the closest Cuban restaurant to your area is far away.

2. Put Your Own Twist on It

Now that you have a niche, you can build a menu around unique foods in that cuisine, like Cuban sandwiches and empanadas. Offering popular items, however, does not separate you from the pack.

If you want to generate buzz in the local community, try putting your own twist on it. Take a popular item and add a signature flavor or combine two popular items to create a unique mash-up.

3. Offer Homemade Condiments

One way in which you can stand out is by offering unique condiments. The average food truck is going to have the standard condiments like ketchup, mustard, and mayo.

However, there is much to learn from successful institutions like Guy Fieri’s Chicken Guy in Orlando. The Boss of Sauce offers over 20 different dips for their chicken.

This variety is driving popularity and interest in the restaurant. People want to come back and try each different sauce.

4. Viral Menu Items

The dream is to create menu items that will go viral on social media. Then the internet will spread the word about your food truck for you.

For social media interest, usually bigger is better. A burger food truck may stack a multi-patty burger doused in cheese and other delicious toppings.

5. Menu Variety

You can build a unique menu by offering variety as well. This does not mean that you offer food items outside your niche.

Instead, start from the bottom up on a three-course meal. Variety means having both appetizers and entrees. If consumers want to try something, they can order something small and inexpensive, but if they want to have a whole meal, there’s the option for that, too.

How to Build a Unique Food Truck Menu

Food trucks are all the rage and only growing in popularity. By offering homemade condiments and Instagram-worthy food items, your food truck will be the talk of the town.

Want more food truck advice? Check out more blog posts here!

Thinking about starting a food truck? Request a free custom quote and one of our food truck specialists will help you design the truck of your dreams.

Stay up to date on everything Custom Concessions has to offer! Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

The post 5 Pro Tips for Creating a Unique Food Truck Menu appeared first on Custom Concessions.

If you’ve got baking skills, you shouldn’t keep them to yourself. Instead, you should consider making a living by sharing your baked goods with the community. 

However, starting a small business is far from easy and the start-up costs for setting up a brick and mortar bakery can be enormous. What if there was a way around it? What if you could learn how to start a bakery and avoid massive overhead costs?

Have you ever thought about running a mobile bakery? A mobile bakery could be the answer you’re looking for. Keep reading for a quick guide on how to get started.

1. Do Your Market Research

First, know what you’re getting into. Conduct market research to find out more about the baking industry. Learn about:

• Costs (day to day and start-up)
• Revenue forecasts
• Logistics of running a mobile bakery (license, insurance, certifications, etc.)
• Competitors
• Growth potential
• Demand

These are important factors to consider for any business. 

2. Create a Business Plan

Next, create a business plan. You’ll need it if you want to get financed through a bank or investors. However, a business plan is equally important for you, the business owner to detail your path to success.

Your business plan should include:

• Executive summary
• Description of the company
• Products/services
• Market research analysis
• Business strategy
• Business structure (team and organization)
• Financial projections

Lenders will need to see this to determine if they want to invest in your business. 

3. Get Financed

Depending on your financial situation, you may need to borrow some money to get started. There are several options for you here.

You can get a small business loan from a bank or other lender. You can borrow money from friends and/or family. Or, you can find third-party investors.

4. Find the Right Vehicle

Once you get financed, you can find the right vehicle for your mobile bakery. To make the right choice, you need to determine if you actually want to bake in the vehicle or just use the vehicle for transportation and delivery. 

It may be wise to invest in a refrigerated truck or insert if you want to just do delivery, but if you plan to bake inside the truck, you’ll need a mobile kitchen. Ultimately, it depends on your products and how you plan to operate.

If you decide to bake onboard, you’ll need to think about the equipment in your bakery food truck. You’ll need racks, insulated coolers or refrigerators, ovens, and more. Make sure you account for these in your startup costs.

5. Determine Your Target Audience

One of the most important steps in business is determining your target audience. What type of people will your bakery on wheels most likely appeal to? When will be the best time to market to them?

For example, you may want to set up shop in front of office buildings early in the morning so employees can grab breakfast on their way into work. In this scenario, it would be a nice touch and boost your profits to offer coffee, as well.

6. Start Marketing

There are several ways to get your brand out there in the community. One of the best things you can do is use social media to advertise your mobile bakery. You can keep followers and businesses posted on where you’ll be located and when.

However, you might also want a website where people can find out more about your business. 

Looking to Start a Mobile Bakery?

If you’re looking to start a bakery on wheels, make sure you do your research to find out everything you can about the industry. This includes the baking industry and the food truck industry.

Want more food truck advice? Check out more blog posts here!

Thinking about starting a food truck? Request a free custom quote and one of our food truck specialists will help you design the truck of your dreams.

Stay up to date on everything Custom Concessions has to offer! Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

The post 6 Key Steps for Starting a Mobile Bakery appeared first on Custom Concessions.

Photo: Rawpixel

Facebook can be a critical free marketing tool for your food truck. If you don’t have the time or money to invest in creating a website for your food truck business, having a Facebook business page is probably your next best bet. 

Not sure what to post or how to get started? Let’s explore some of the ways you can keep customers engaged, and possibly attract future regulars to your truck!

Food Truck Facebook Tips

1. Share Your Location & Schedule

Share your daily location and any changes in your regular schedule. This is especially important if you don’t set up shop in the same place regularly. How can customers buy food at your truck if they can’t find it easily? If you are set up in front or in the parking lot of a business, consider tagging them in your post so potential customers can find you easily.

2. Post Food Specials

If you have a rotating menu, post your daily or weekly specials. Have a different special every day? You might want to share a brief menu for the week on Sunday or Monday so customers can plan ahead to eat at your truck on days their favorite food is being served. Follow that up with individual posts throughout the week of what the special is for each particular day.

Sharing these types of posts works especially well when you have an enticing food photo to whet your followers’ appetites.

3. Personal Updates

Post occasional personal updates about yourself or your employees, or just life around the food truck. This could include sharing big life events, new hire announcements, or photos of employees doing daily tasks with a smile. Something short and sweet will be easy to put together and showcase a personal touch.

For example, you could share a photo of a new team member and say something like, “This is Julia, the newest member of our food truck family. Her favorite food on the menu is … Welcome to the team, Julia!” Followers will enjoy getting to feel like they have an insight into operations on your food truck.

4. Food Truck Humor

Post memes or gifs that you find funny and relatable to your food. Customers will love seeing your humorous side.

5. Advertise Event Participation

Invite your followers to community events that your food truck will be participating in. Fairs, festivals, block parties, and holiday celebrations are all fair game. Posting a few times in the month leading up to the event is a great way to build anticipation and maximize your reach. In these posts, be sure and tag the organization putting on the event to get even more eyes on your content.

6. Get Customer Feedback

Post surveys for customer feedback: voting on upcoming menu specials, giving feedback about their customer experience at your truck, getting suggestions for people with dietary restrictions or kids, etc. The most engagement on posts occurs when you give the customer a question to answer that is relevant to them in some way.

This kills two birds with one stone: it gets your customers thinking about your truck and your food, and it also gives you helpful information that you can use to better tailor your food truck operations. Getting customer feedback will help you provide the best possible customer experience, which will in turn get you more business in the long run.

7. Use Hashtags to Expand Your Reach

Use relevant hashtags to make your content more easily searchable on Facebook and other social platforms you might use. This will boost the number of people who could potentially see your content. Just be careful not to overuse hashtags. A couple of concise and pertinent tags will do the trick.

8. Engage with Comments

Be sure to regularly check and moderate your comments! This is especially important if someone has a complaint that they decide to share on social media. By ignoring negative comments, you could signal to potential customers that you don’t care about their customer experience.

Be calm and professional when responding to negative feedback, but equally, thank people for taking the time to write something positive about your truck as well. This can be a good opportunity to invite them to come back in the future.

9. Use Facebook Ads

As a food truck owner, you might not have much of an advertising budget built into your business plan. This is where Facebook can really make it easy for small businesses to promote themselves. You can spend as much or as little as you would like on ads for your truck, and make sure it is only reaching relevant audiences, like people in your surrounding area.

Even if you can’t advertise on a regular basis, you might want to consider paying for a short run of targeted ads if you have a big event coming up, like a festival or fair in your area.

Facebook as A Food Truck Marketing Tool

We hope these tips have been helpful in getting your Facebook game on point. Social media is a powerful tool for sharing information and connecting with your customers, so don’t miss those opportunities. Now that you have some direction, get out there and start posting!

Don’t have your dream truck yet, or want to upgrade? Contact us for a free quote.

Want more food truck advice? Check out more blog posts here!

Thinking about starting a food truck? Request a free custom quote and one of our food truck specialists will help you design the truck of your dreams.

Stay up to date on everything Custom Concessions has to offer! Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

The post Social Media Marketing: How to Engage Your Food Truck Customers on Facebook appeared first on Custom Concessions.

It’s been a tough winter and spring, but summer is here and people are hungrier than ever for food truck treats. But is your truck ready to handle the summer rush?  

We have got the food truck 101 on how to get your food truck ready to handle this summer season. 

Let’s take a look at what you need to ready your rig in no time! 

Make Your Food Truck Shine Like New

Many food truckers are seasonal. Things like weather and other normal wear and tear during the offseason can really bring the look of your food truck down. 

The fact is, you have roughly seven seconds to make an impression on a customer and if they have the choice between a sparkling clean and shined up food truck or a dingy rundown rig they are probably choosing the former.

Make sure your food truck looks sparkling clean and you’ll be sure to attract more customers.

Get the Maintenance Out of the Way

Procrastination is not your friend. Do not wait until you are in the thick of the food truck season to fix the leak in the radiator or upgrade your tires.

The following is a maintenance checklist for your food truck:

• Oil change
• Check tires
• Inspect ventilation and exhaust fans 
• Fill up all fluids 
• Flush holding tanks

Getting these routine maintenances checked off early in the season will give you more time to focus on promoting the business and creating delicious food. 

Keep It Cool

Be sure your a/c system is running at top notch. You don’t want it blinking out on you during some of the hottest and busiest days of the year. Keeping your employees in a comfortable work environment will improve efficiency and morale. 

Make sure you also have chilled options on your food truck menu for customers looking to cool off. You might have iced drinks, or frozen desserts on offer.  

Amp Up Your Social Media Presence 

There are over two billion monthly users on the Facebook platform alone. Factoring in other social media sites like Instagram and Snapchat, you can reach more customers in multiple ways. 

Get a jump start on a social media campaign this summer to draw new customers in and keep existing customers intrigued and hungry for more. 

Consider posting things like the following:

• Promotion swag 
• The location you will be posted and what time
• Daily or weekly specials
• Special events that you will be apart of like food truck festivals
• New menu items or menu changes

Make sure to take pictures of your food and post them as well! Feedback from your followers will help you promote your food truck and get a feel for what is popular.

Encourage your guests to take photos as well. Consider offering a small discount or reward system for guests who tag your food truck or post photos of their meals. 

The Skinny on Food Truck Summer

Keep cool this summer with these tips on how to keep your truck rolling and the customers coming!

Don’t get bogged down in the stress of preparation; instead, get the hard stuff out of the way early so you can be creative and hustle this summer.

Looking to upgrade your truck? Contact us for a free quote.

Want more food truck advice? Check out more blog posts here!

Thinking about starting a food truck? Request a free custom quote and one of our food truck specialists will help you design the truck of your dreams.

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The post Food Truck 101: How to Get Your Food Truck Ready for Summer appeared first on Custom Concessions.