Set up a free FourSquare merchant page and let your customers know where your truck will be parked and hours of operation. Attract new customers and reward your most loyal ones by offer foursquare specials - mobile coupons, prizes or discounts which are presented to users when they check in at or near your truck.

The internet offers many great avenues for marketing, but I'd strongly recommend food trucks and cart vendors take advantage of one old-school marketing tool--the color postcard. Have a local artist design a high-impact, fun, witty postcard that shows off your truck or cart as well as your food and makes it clear that eating here is a unique experience. Then invite your customers to use the postcards to tell their friends that "We eat at The Taco Bus!" (or wherever.) For a brand new business, I'd set a budget and give away, say, $1,000. worth of postcards. ( I have been very happy with http://www.printingforless.com where I pay $125. for 500 color cards.)As the business becomes established, I'd sell the postcards at cost, producing a new edition each month so they become collector items. The key, of course, is to choose an artist/designer capable of creating designs worth collecting. A starving artist may even trade services for food!

Debra Gaynor - New York
Food trucks are so hip right now, that they should band together and start catering weddings and parties. How cool would it be to have food stations staffed by 10 food trucks, who each specialize in the few things they make (and are therefore delicious). It's also good exposure for the food truck.

If anyone is having difficulties posting here or on the Business on Main site please please let me know via eMail: toby b 1 at g mail dot com

Thanks!

Here are a few ideas.

1. INTERN. Owner of truck recruit an intern, interested in the mobile hospitality industry, from a respected undergraduate or graduate business program. That intern can tweet or blog about learning the ropes. Six months of that or more could result in an e-book sold to those hospitality trade schools as well as business programs. It can be routed to business writers in the media.

2. TRUCK KITCHEN. One day a week for two hours, the truck distributes free servings in a neighborhood for the poor and homeless. But there’s more. Give a man a fish he eats for a day. Teach him how to fish and he eats for life. The food truck owner can teach a poor or homeless person to blog about the experience at the local public library. That account could be aired on television. Also, a poor or homeless can be taught to use a video camera and record how it is to be homeless. That could be edited for a documentary.

3. AFFORDABLE LUXURY. The overpriced latte is so over. Instead, entrepreneurs have invented the $2.50 gourmet Popsicle or the macho cupcake which is premium-priced. The truck owner can invent that kind of exotic item. It can brand the truck, as with a $4.50 long cup of soup with ingredients from around the world. The brand could be Planet Earth Pleasure.

4. VOODOO. In changing and confusing times, human beings turn to consulting with other worldly forces. One day a week, in certain upscale neighborhoods, a psychic parachutes out of the truck to give low-cost or free readings. The media can be invited or the citizen media can video tape the readings. This is truly a sign of the times. When the planet Mercury is in Retrograde as it will be around August 5th this year, there can be special kinds of readings for people experiencing confusing. The psychic can do this for free in order to get the exposure.

5. COMEDY ON THE RUN. In certain neighborhoods, aspiring comics can entertain from the truck. The media and citizen journalists can be invited.

6. CHINA ON THE RUN. Given the high GDP growth rate of China, everyone is interested in learning more about this nation’s economy, social mores, legal system, and use of social media. In certain neighborhoods an expert on China from a local think tank or university can deliver a 15-minute lecture, which is put on video for YouTube. The logo of the truck is prominently featured.

Sandi Solow wrote a nice blog post about the food truck's lack of use of email:
http://isendyouremail.com/2011/07/05/why-food-trucks-need-email-marketing/

I saw the video and go through all the content a nice blog post about the food truck's

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Stephen

I think the trucks are missing a large segment of their audience by not using email as a way to market their trucks. Not everyone uses Twitter and/or Facebook, but they could certainly use email to drive social sharing (i.e. post this email on Facebook or Tweet a link in an email).

Email would also allow them to target their messages to reach different geographic segments of their audience.

I have a client that would be perfect for this if she was in the US - she's done her coffee, tea and sweet sweet treats van up 60s chic style and it has a real Breakfast at Tiffany's feel to it - will send her over to read your post, even if she can't apply! She really does fit all your criteria to the letter!

It sounds that the trend of food on wheels is again on the rise and people are also loving eating and buying food from them. I think we all are now sick of going to a fast food restaurant and eating there, as now we will have choice to buy it from people who have the kitchen on wheels and we can go to some park and eat there peaceful in a fresh green environment.

Perfect! I also love to eat food on the street especially when I am with friends. We always look for the safest and health food trucks sellers.