Some may call me a tweetoholic.
Don’t jump to conclusions now… I’m not one of those wow-I-just-had-the-best-bagel-of-my-life-type of tweethearts. In fact I pride myself in thinking I am both entertaining and fun to follow (not to toot my own horn). For me, Twitter’s an outlet to be witty. To read funny tweets. To stay in the loop with friends, getting a little snapshot of their day, hearing a random thought that they have.
With that being said, there’s no denying that Twitter has evolved into an INCREDIBLE force beyond the personal day-to-day use. The little birdie often tweets major news before broadcast and has become a medium for celebrities to communicate with their fans. However what really gets me is how in 140 characters or less, small and large businesses alike are making major professional strides. Here in Nashville alone the phenomenon of food trucks around town is living proof of how vital Twitter has become as a means to help develop small business.
The key? It’s simple, cheap, and undeniably powerful. With the help of this little birdie, food trucks are servin’ up around town through 3 effortless steps – Branding. Networking. Building.
1. First Step: Branding
In a USA Today article by Steve Strauss, he states that Twitter is “a great megaphone for branding.” This is hands down unarguably true. Twitter is a platform for small businesses to create an image and hold a presence. With Twitter images attached to each handle, that is what followers associate directly to the tweets. So picture this. I’m a famished Vanderbilt student mid-day scrolling through my Twitter feed in class. Suddenly spotted: the Grilled Cheeserie icon. All at once grilled cheese sounds absolutely divine to the point I simply cannot go on without it. Click their page. See current location. Done. It’s as simple as that.
the best icon to spot on my Twitter feed #grilledcheeserie #omnomnom
2. Second Step: Networking
Twitter is in itself a foolproof way to network businesses. Simply follow the #hashtag trends of the topics and conversations that are of interest. It’s as easy as #Nashville #foodtrucks. Following trends will help Twitter suggest people for you to follow, suggest handles similar to your own, and suggest your handle to other Twitter users. Through this, food trucks can follow and be followed by local foodies, online Nashville blogs, and other food trucks – gaining exposure and networking for publicity and potential work collaboration. The circle of food trucks here in Music City is so diverse, which works wonders on the publicity scene. It’s the “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours” of the online world. In fact, the food truck circle often tweets at each other, especially when grouped together for a particular event. I can assure you there’s tweet lovin’ all around with this group. Competition? Well Twitter can help with that too. Through following similar trucks, these mobile kitchens of deliciousness can monitor their competitors, keeping track of schedules, viewing menus, and comparing followers.
such a loving twonvo amongst food truck friends
(for reference: twitter conversation -> twitter convo -> twonvo)
3. Third & Final Step: Building
Who are the main Twitter followers of small businesses? Customers, of course. Followers of these local mobile delicacies? Hungry customers. Food trucks have something a tad bit bigger going for them than the typical small business: they command attention. Hunger in a sense is just like urgency. Just as the public demands pressing news-related tweets, hungry customers want food and want it now. From anywhere, these customers can find the exact location and menus of their go-to favorite food truck right at their fingertips. The cycle of customer-food truck relationships continue with customer tweets of compliments, recommendations, or critiques. New customers may tweet at the trucks Instagrammed images of their first meals while loyal customers oftentimes praise their favorites, request a special dish, and retweet the truck’s handle. In turn, the best publicity of all is the business’ ability to then retweet their customers. Giving their customers a little love is the ultimate thank you not to mention a great way to show potential followers the reviews of their food as well as exaggerate how large their fan base may be.
cue stomach growling
So head out this weekend and track one of these bad boys down. And with that I encourage all of you to follow these local handles because ya know what? We’re what make their wheels go round. And more importantly: they are all absolutely mouthwatering mobile bundles of goodness. Cheers to good bites!
a sampling of some local crowd pleasers
DISCLAIMER: Do not read if hungry.
