This past week The Daily Meal announced their picks for this year’s 101 Best Food Trucks in America. Personally, I’ve been a bit bias on a few industries that are still not always up to speed on the whole social media and technology thing, (Healthcare/Fitness, TV/Film, Hospitality and Travel, and Food/Restaurants industries.) So I thought it would be fun to check out a few of these food truck’s Twitter personalities.
Let’s take a look at 5 food truck’s from NYC that made the list and how they’re using Twitter.
1.) Big Gay Ice Cream Truck
They’re simply just amazing at social. They have the most followers on my small list of 5, and here’s why…
They have great Twitter conversations and responses:
They just do want they want and help out friends:
No social media rules. They speak their minds, with whatever comes to mind… It makes it personal, not just a brand:
Recently, I went to the East Village store a few weeks ago since they sadly don’t have the truck in NY anymore. Which isn’t really a terrible loss the tourist still rack up the line whether it was for a truck or shop. Point being is they now have drag queens that help make this terrible waiting thing both bearable and entertaining. They also do a fantastic job Tweeting about this experience while still making it relevant to what’s going on in the world. For example, this Tweet the day of the Tony Awards:
2. The Cinnamon Snail
Who doesn’t love to be updated on truck locations. They just seem to be a couple of streets off every day. That’s NY parking for you.
I don’t know who does their photography but it’s gorgeous. And yes, they also have a beautiful Instagram account.
Like: How they post weekly specials. Dislike: The mass social channel promotion. I don’t like to double-click.
3. Wafels & Dinges
They win just for coming out to Queens on weekends. Although I’m having a love/hate relationship right now with this question promotion (below). I get it. Engage with fans and offer freebies, I guess I’m just not loving the questions. Personally, I wouldn’t share a picture of my dad to a food truck. Plus I responded to one of these and no free dinges yet, what gives?
Constant updates=Love! This truck is everywhere and at all the best tourist locations.
4.Schnitzel & Things
Pre-order your food. If you’ve every experienced NYC lunch rush you understand how genius this is.
Womp, womp. Same basic formatting for tweets. We get it, it’s lunchtime. We thought we’d attempt a drunk Schnitzel & Things food truck run on 52nd btw 6th/7th at 2am. That’s actually not a bad food truck idea.
5. Red Hook Lobster Pound
I wanted to save the glory child, #1 food truck in America for last. Because they were that terrible.
I don’t understand most of these references. It’s not really explained and they keep mentioning Derecho like we all of a suddenly get it.
I’m a grammar snob. There was just too many of these mistakes: ITs, 2day, be4. It’s making me cringe. AND TOO MANY ALL CAPS AND OVERUSE OF THE WORD LOBSTAH.
So what have I learned?
If you have a great product I guess you don’t need to be good at social media. That’s where word of mouth marketing really helps. But, it doesn’t hurt to be relatable and fun with your fans. It only takes word of mouth marketing that much higher. Additionally, it doesn’t have to be all about where the truck is, it helps of course, but it should also be about your product and personality. Each food truck has its niche or else you’d never make it on that list or in NY, so emphasize what you’re made of. Trust me, we’ve got plenty of those doughnut and halal trucks.
Nicole Monahan 