Food Trucks and Social Media… Go together Like Peanut Butter and Jelly?

If you work downtown or drive through it in the afternoons, you’ve probably noticed an increase in bright colored trucks and delicious smells wafting from them. Yes, the day has come where you can approach a truck and not worry about what it is that you’re eating. And this craze has come to Milwaukee, slowly but surely more trucks serving yummy food are popping up all over our streets from the 3rd Ward, to Brady Street, Marquette and everywhere in between!

While noshing on delicious Sweet Potato Fries from 4WheelKitchen I asked owner Joe Brady a few questions about his experience in the Food Truck industry. Since food truck branding comes largely from social media I asked what he thought was important to remember. “It’s important to remember, that it is a lot of work to keep your website and Facebook fresh … We try to follow everybody else in the business, to support them and learn from them as well, not only in Milwaukee, but all around the country. ” said Brady.

Joe Brady keeps a positive attitude through the challenges that any new business faces in the first few weeks. He’s also already looking forward, trying to find more creative and innovative ways to put his brand new truck to use.

There are so many “avenues” that food trucks can take with social media and interacting with their customers, which is why they’re so intriguing! The followers can compete for the Food Truck’s attention in location contests to decide where the truck will drive next. It encourages interaction on social media platforms to see where the trucks will show up next, in turn, spreading the name to all of your followers.

With the continual development of Facebook (most improvements we like, the new chat display though…still not sure), fan pages can be fun for consumers. Double Tree is using a real-time interactive map to find where their CAREavan is currently parked.

Miwaukee food trucks seem to have a great camaraderie as well, they join together for events such as Food Truck Fridays at Cathedral Square, creating an outdoor food court of sorts with better options than limp salad and dry sandwiches or fried “meat”. It sure makes going out to lunch with office mates a lot easier, one spot and everyone can get what they want while getting fresh air. Some food trucks even frequent college campuses during the academic year to give students a welcomed break from, dun dun DUN, dorm food.

Food trucks go to their customers, they don’t make customers come to them the way brick-and mortar establishments do. It’s actually kind of perfect for social media, going to your customers where they are, interacting how and when they want to connect. These food trucks seem to be onto something and it’s definitely something yummy!

In the Milwaukee area and want to find food trucks? Food trucks frequently go to “Food Truck” events where hungry people like us can find them:

Take Out Tuesday at the Schlitz Park office complex from 11am-2pm.
Wednesdays are typically in the 3rd Ward
Food Truck Fridays are at Cathedral Square

What other food trucks will you find around Milwaukee?

Fast Foodie
Pita Brothers
Tigerbite
Haute Tacos
Streetza Pizza

Not a Milwaukee-an? Find food trucks near you with Food Truck Talk and Food Trucks Map.