Food trucks are the new rage, with pop-ups and festivals showing up all over the place. If you want your food truck to get noticed, however, you’ll need food truck advertising. This can be a huge help when it comes to improving your sales. There’s always a method to get your name out there to clients, whether you’re in a large metropolis or confined to a remote area.
Let’s examine 5 easy methods you can use right away.
1. Research Your Demographics
When it comes to food truck advertising, it’s imperative to look at the customer demographics for any food you’re selling. Research suggests that 43.4 percent of food truck customers range from age 25 to 44. Only 19.7% are under the age of 25.
Of course, these statistics are very general. The customer base will depend wildly on the type of food you’re selling. If you’re selling ice cream, water ice, or funnel cake, then your truck is likely to attract children. Hot dogs, on the other hand, pretty much reach all demographics. They’re loved by both kids and adults. Likewise, smoothies are made to attract health-conscious folks, while burgers are more for your average Joe.
Demographics can also be determined by your business setup. A middle-aged adult is probably goanna need you to hurry up with their order. This is because they often need to get to work and they have lots of responsibilities. A younger person or retired elder is more likely to wait and watch you prepare the food. Tiny things like this can make a surprising impact on who you will attract, and to who you should advertise.
This is why I always say that location is everything in outdoor advertising. Location determines demographic reach and the core people that you’ll be serving. It may take some trial and error to find a potential audience and determine what they’d like to see.
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2. Unique Branding is a Must
Now that you’ve got your target in mind, the next step is branding. Use the age, gender, and lifestyle of your target audience to tailor your branding toward them. For example, if you’re marketing to children, try using very bright colors with drawings, mascots, and maybe even music. Let the people know that your food truck is going to provide a party.
On the other hand, if you’re catering to adults, then maybe show pictures of the tasty food, while still having complementing colors.
When it comes to food truck advertising, branding usually stems from the outside of the vehicle. Having a sign plastered onto your truck is a must. It’s best to use bold colors and fonts regardless of who you’re marketing to. If you can, hire a professional designer to create a sign for your truck.
Having a nice, creative, and professional-looking font for the name of your brand is super helpful. Including pictures of the food items is also a big help. There are many ways to take pictures of your dishes to make them appear appetizing.
Lastly, make sure to regularly clean your truck so that it looks tidy. Otherwise, people will wonder how sanitary your food is.
3. Get Involved With Festivals And Events
Out-of-home events are a great space to increase exposure. If a space is open to you and your business, be sure to join it. Say, for example, there is a food festival in your area. Many people are eager to try out new things. Placing your truck there opens the door to many new customers.
If the festival or event is far from your usual location, make sure to inform them of where they can find you. I do suggest that you keep your appearances at events on the local side of things. After all, if the festival in question is 10 miles away from your actual location, none of the people you meet will become regular customers. This is your ultimate goal; to get eager people to try your refreshments, then fall in love.
Look for opportunities to cater, sponsor, or enter contests. Do this as often as possible while making a name for yourself.
4. Use Scent to Your Advantage
The visual cues and food pictures aren’t the only things that get our mouths watering. Remember; there are five senses, and smell is one of them. Smells go a long way in attracting or detracting human engagement. We all know that feeling; when we walk past a kitchen or a coffee stand, and we smell the fresh scent of baked or cooked goods. I’m convinced that nothing is more appetizing.
So in the case of food truck advertising, use the age-old tactic of your average bakery. Go to your desired location before officially opening. Start cooking or baking your delicious food; they don’t even have to be for anybody. Open the windows so that the scent hand Winger outdoors. Every time someone walks by, they’ll be five times more likely to check out your stand.
5. Get Involved With The Community
Finally, you want to get involved with your surrounding community. As I’ve stated in an article on outdoor retail, customer service is a beneficial marketing tactic. On top of that, it’s a seriously simple task. Talk to each of your customers if they look like they have the time. You can simply talk while preparing their food, or casually compliment their appearance as you’re handing them refreshments.
It’s also a good idea to take note of regular customers that come to your food truck. A regular customer will be surprised and feel special when you recognize who they are. Bonus points if they get a regular meal and you already prepare it as soon as you see them. This will earn you a lot of customer loyalty, and even cause them to recommend your truck to their friends.
Giving back to the community also helps. For example, if you see a homeless person on the street who looks like they could use some food, don’t be afraid to give away leftover meals. This will increase your good reputation by word of mouth. And honestly, it’s just a good thing to give back when you can.
