Last updated on April 16, 2025
In the mid-late 2000s, a divine trinity of emergent foodie culture, the increased market penetration of internet-capable phones, and the rise of phone-friendly social media apps led to the food truck’s present-day ubiquity in metropolitan areas worldwide.
As of 2024, the U.S. food truck industry is valued at over $1.5 billion, with continued growth projected through 2025, according to IBISWorld. With lower startup costs and the rise of digital tools, food trucks are still a go-to for scrappy entrepreneurs and hungry urban crowds.
In addition to operating costs and the lack of a simple, quick way to advertise their routes and market their brands, a full-size food truck was an uncertain and often expensive proposition. Thanks to social media and smartphones, food truck entrees can now follow the market—and vice versa.
Now, food trucks seem everywhere, and not all are successful. While the market is still growing, it’s far more competitive than it was a decade ago. Tweeting your location isn’t enough anymore. Interestingly, social media innovation often lags behind the creative leaps seen in food trends. Nearly any somewhat densely populated area will have at least a few trucks fighting for digital attention.
And failing.
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Here are 5 things we guarantee ALL successful food trucks do on social media.
5 Deceptively Obvious Ways Successful Food Trucks Use Social Media
5.) Tell an Interesting Story
Interesting businesses will forever have a special place in the hearts and minds of the general public. It helps to tell a story about your company that could hold your customers’ attention. It doesn’t even have to be precisely accurate. No one cares about the absolute truth of who started your business. No one thought a Ronald McDonald clown just up and went making fries and burgers.
Hooking your customers and telling them something they haven’t read on other food truck social media pages is more important. Add some personality. Today, successful trucks use TikTok, Instagram Reels, or even YouTube Shorts to drop quick, funny, or heartwarming snippets that make people care about more than just the food.
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4.) CRM Forever
Social media isn’t just a way to give followers your daily routes. Social media platforms also function as a virtual contact center, helping your customers contact you – albeit very publicly. You will eventually get some complaints and bad reviews. A single one of these can totally derail your business if you let it.
Complaints are a way to build rapport and address customer concerns. A well-handled complaint may very well be the thing that earns you a loyal customer or even a brand evangelist.
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While this isn’t just about social media, it’s important to realize one major point that causes so many food trucks to fold. A CRM strategy also involves anticipating and gathering customer experiences—and fixing them, preferably before problems occur. Paying attention to how customers feel at every touchpoint, both online and in person, can make the difference between a one-time visitor and a loyal fan.
Slow service has no place in food trucks. People are probably on their feet, and many want to leave there soon. If you have process bottlenecks that slow down service – or, God forbid – rude service people – there’s very little social media, or any amount of spin can do for you.
3.) Engage!
Engagement on social media isn’t just about understanding what your customers want. It can also flesh out your branding and help you connect with customers.
While simply posting your scheduled routes and the day’s specials might be enough to get you all the customers you really need, a little effort can increase the multiplier effect social media platforms can have on your business. Even a simple question about what people are doing on a Saturday night can provide a way of helping your customers connect better with your brand.
Use polls, live Q&As, or short-form video challenges to give followers a reason to engage back. Algorithms reward interaction. And if you’re fun to follow, your reach grows.
2.) Not Rely On Crowdsourcing
Wait, didn’t we say you should engage your customers? We did, and you should. But don’t fall over yourself doing it. While your customers can provide you with plenty of valuable feedback, you are the only one who knows what your brand is about.
Customers will never get to see the big picture from your food truck’s perspective. This means you shouldn’t change your routes or menus only because you got a few tweets telling you they’d be appreciated. Trust your core vision, and use feedback to enhance it, not replace it.
MORE: A Person Is Smart; People Are Stupid – How the Crowd Can Mess With Your Ideas
1.) Not Spread Themselves Too Thin On Social Media
Chances are, you don’t need to be active on more than 3 social media sites. Sticking with what works and developing your brand there is usually better. Derelict social media sites with hardly any activity won’t speak very well of your brand when someone does find them.
Pick the platforms your audience already uses. For most food trucks, that’s Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. Post regularly, respond quickly, and track what content actually gets people to comment or share.
BONUS: Make Their Food AND Food Truck Logos Fun and Easy To Photograph!
How you serve and plate your offers is critical for when your customers inevitably take pictures to share on their social media networks. Food should not only be appetizing but also interesting to look at. You can’t really control how great the pictures turn out, but if there are distinctive elements to how you serve the food, it can add to your offer’s overall appeal.
Some of those elements (napkins, plates, placemats, etc.) are also places where you could stick a logo, further helping your brand’s reach. We’ve posted several articles underlining the importance of your logos to any business.
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A food truck, however, has to take this a step further, given the cultural shift in the past generation where taking photos of food and everything else barely interesting has become the norm.
You’ll want to consider reworking your logo if it isn’t recognizable on a low-resolution picture.
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What other productivity and social media ideas can you share? Comment below!
Photo credits: mista_carrot via photopin cc, RomanK Photography via photopin cc ,EJP Photo via photopin cc, Greg Lilly Photos via photopin cc,Scott Beale via photopin cc, Rut