Include Real-Time Engagement In Your Social Media Strategy

Since the start of the food truck revolution in 2008 social media has been at the forefront of the industry’s success. Food truck vendors quickly learned that social media thrives on real-time engagement with their customers. Unfortunately, as time moves on, the time for food truck owners to respond becomes smaller and smaller.

According to a 2013 study, 70% of Twitter users expect a response from brands they reach out to, and 53% want a response in less than an hour. That number jumps to 72% when they’re issuing a complaint.

Implementing Real-Time Engagement In Your Food Truck’s Social Media Strategy

Real-time Engagement Requires Listening

By engaging and listening in real-time, it will become easier to identify trends in your market. Also, ideas for new locations and how you can improve your truck’s customer service. It also allows you to react to changes in how your customers feel about the quality of your menu items as well as your prices.

Most food truck fans are very social. They are often online talking about the trucks they like, the types of menus they like and dislike. This is what makes a food truck fan a fan; they have a vested interest in engaging with other fans of the trucks they follow. So how can real-time engagement help to add value for your food truck fans?

The Value Of Real-Time Engagement

Building a fan base and creating brand ambassadors for your food truck is developed with real-time engagement. Getting social with your food truck brand message is about listening and engaging. It’s about more than simply pushing your next food truck location. You need to include of real-time engagement to help create ongoing marketing opportunities that will help vendors build a stronger food truck brand.

4 Ways Real-Time Engagement Adds Value To Customers

Provides Information: Your food truck fans want an inside view of your truck’s operation. This behind the scenes perspective can be as simple as what’s happening now or in the future.
Answers Questions: Loyal food truck customers have questions or issues they want addressed. They may have a problem with where you’ve recently started parking. Or questions about an employee that doesn’t have the best customer acumen. Being able to address these questions, or put in place the ability for other customers to lend a hand, is key to building both online trust and building your food truck’s fan base.
Allows Discussion: Food truck loyalists want to engage with truck owners or the staff members of their favorite trucks real-time engagement does this.
Validates Loyalty: Validation can come from other fans of your food truck, but it is most prized when the truck owner or staff members single out individual customers for recognition.

The Bottom Line

If you can implement a real-time engagement system that provides this value on an ongoing basis you will quickly grow your brand identity with your customers and advocates.

Do you have any additional tips for food truck owners looking to increase their real-time engagement with their customers? Share your ideas on social media. Facebook | Twitter