Follow that truck! Or should I say: Follow that food truck on Twitter! A look at how food trucks are using social media marketing to create online lead generation for offline purchase and consumption.

Stefanie Berliant
Client Services Manager

While I do not hold Twitter in high regard in my personal life, I do recognize that value it brings to breaking news, connecting people real time, and allowing companies and organizations to participate in conversations and interact with their audience. One niche industry that I think has used Twitter as their only online marketing campaign and performed all of these aforementioned things successfully is with a trend that has recently hit the streets and stomachs of DC: food trucks. I’m not talking about the taco trucks underneath the highway overpass- I am talking about pimped out trucks serving gourmet food at hot dog stand prices. Foodies and fat kids of DC rejoice!!

I realize these food trucks have been around in other major cities and technically broke on the DC scene last year, but I feel that the DC adoption rate for these food trucks has been skyrocketing. Additionally not enough attention has been given to how these food trucks have become so successful through their free social media marketing campaigns via Twitter. I really can no longer say that I don’t use Twitter for my personal life now that it updates me on where I can get delicious, cheap (or even free) food.

These trucks serving up food ranging from pizza to banh min to cupcakes have harnessed the power of the underground revolution through Twitter and other online social networks. Marketing their menus, locations and special promotions on Twitter creates demand in the form of a fun scavenger hunt and allows people to feel “in the know” and part of something unique. These food truck vendors have found a free and engaging way to market their products to their audiences online even though the end goal is to move people offline into the real world. Of course the food doesn’t suck either.

What’s more is that these trucks all have Facebook profiles as well as Foursquare check-ins tagged as a “moving target.” These trucks are promoting their products with flair and adding their personality into their tweets all the meantime getting feedback from customers on new meals to offer or new locations to set up shop…or park their truck. Ultimately this creates a sense of community and builds up a loyal customer base. I must applaud these social media savvy entrepreneurs who want to feed me good food from a ridiculous looking van. Just brilliant! I’ve compiled a list of local DC food trucks for your consumption:

Twitter lists that aggregate food truck tweets:
http://twitter.com/MobileCravings/dc-food-trucks
http://twitter.com/CHOWagons/dc-area-food-trucks

Twitter handles for individual food trucks:
@rebelheroes
@fojolbros
@CurbsideCupcake
@SweetflowMobile
@OnTheFlyDC
@DistrictTaco
@EatSauca
@wheresauca
@DCSlices
@PupatellaPizza
@FLmeetsDC

There is confirmation of a food truck providing the hungry people of DC with lobster rolls (http://redhooklobsterpound.com/). Please excuse me as I wipe my drool from my computer screen.