Create an Account
Log In
Create an Account Log In
/ Blog

A Quick and Dirty Guide to Marketing Food Trucks on TikTok

You don’t need a fancy ad budget to make your food truck the talk of the block—you need a phone, a plan, and TikTok. Let me teach you how to use TikTok to grow your local business. 
 

Why TikTok for Food Trucks 

TikTok is where people go to discover moments—the smell, the sounds, the story. For a mobile food business, that’s everything. In the end, social media marketing is actually very easy.  

The trick is to serve content that entertains first and sells second.
 

Why You Should Name your Niche 

Pick one crisp niche line that customers can understand at a glance. But bear with me, because I am going to say something crazy.  

Make it the goal of this line to actively dissuade customers from coming to you. 
 

Example: 

  • Niche line: Serving fusion hotdogs for the late-night crew 

  • Hyperlocalized example: Raleigh’s Warehouse District 

Why this helps: specificity not only makes you memorable, but it gets rid of the people who won’t like what you have to offer and instantly draws a tribe of superfans.  
 

How to Set Up an Account That Actually Converts 

  1. Username: pick something short, local, and searchable. 

  1. Example: @WarehouseDogRaleigh or @WarehouseDog_NC 

  1. Profile picture: use a high-contrast headshot of the owner or chef smiling—not the truck. People trust faces more than logos and odds are that your logo is not formatted to be a thumbnail size. 

  1. Bio: name your niche, name your neighborhood (feel free to change this based on the day), and give one line to the value. Include a clickable business link (TikTok business or Linktree works): 

  1. Example bio: Fusion hotdogs • Raleigh Warehouse District • Open Fri-Sat 7–2am • Order & menu ⬇️ 

  1. Link: use a URL that surfaces menu, live location, and ordering. Make sure it’s mobile-friendly — most clicks will be from phones. 
     

Three Easy Content Pieces That Win (and exactly how to film them) 

You can create most of your content with phone video, natural light, and consistent framing. 
 

  1. Film your food being made (batch it) 

  • What to capture: sear, sauce pour, toppings, final garnish. 

  • How: vertical video, 1080p, lock focus/exposure if your phone allows. Film several 10–30 second clips from different angles. 

  • Edit tip: keep clips short, use jump cuts, add upbeat trending audio and a 2–4 word text hook at the top (“Fusion dogs, big bite”). Save these clips as evergreen assets for reusing with new audio or captions. 

 

  1. Film the opening of a plate/box 

  • What: slow reveal from lid removal to first bite. 

  • Why: satisfying. People rewatch reveals. 

  • How: frame the box center, use a soft natural light source. Add mouth sounds as separate audio if possible, or a trending ASMR track. Caption: “First bite reaction— file under: never boring.” CTA: “Save this for your next late-night order.” 

 

  1. Create recipe carousels of 10-30 slides  

  • Slide 1: photo of the dish with bold text: “Watch for the recipe.” 

  • Slide 2: step-by-step ingredients and short instructions. Keep these slides to a single idea/instruction. 

  • Last 3–5 slides: give long instructions or a pro tip to increase rewatching. Longer text in later slides increases time on post because viewers scroll back to read—that signals engagement to the algorithm. 

  • Convert the carousel into a short video excerpt for TikTok and Reels.

    social-media-ft-post.jpg

How to Force the Algorithm to Notice You (without tricks) 

  • Entertain first. Hook in the first 1–2 seconds.  

  • Make sure your hook is 5-8 words in length, end in a power word, and are written at or below a 5th grade reading level. 

  • Make viewers pause, laugh, or rewatch. Longer text late in a carousel or a quick “unexpected twist” in a 15-second clip helps. 

  • Reuse footage with different music and text overlays. One clip can become five posts. 

 

Map Posts and Local Discovery 

When you post a “we’re here tonight” image, include: 

  • a screenshot of your map pin or a simple map slide, 

  • the top-performing meal for tonight, 

  • a time window and a short urgency line (“Limited batch” or “First 50 served”), 

  • and a tiny niche callout like “Late-night fusion hotdogs” — still make it about what the customer gets (“warm, messy, perfect after the show”). 

 

The Plan: Exactly What You Will Do (step-by-step) 

This is the sequence you asked for, tightened into actionable steps. Do these in order. 
 

  1. Do the account setup as suggested.  

    i) Create username, upload headshot, write the bio with niche + location + link, and confirm your link works on mobile. Set your profile to public and enable business features if you want analytics. 

  2. Create 15 pieces of content and post them before you start sharing your account. 

    i) These aren’t designed to “blow up.” Post them at whatever speed you prefer — drip one every few days or post them back-to-back. The point is to populate your page so every visitor sees depth. 

    ii) Why: this builds retention power. When someone lands on your profile and sees 10–15 solid posts, they’re more likely to follow and to come back.

    iii) Do not share or ask others to follow your account. 

  3. Create 14–30 more pieces of content (a silo) and don’t post them yet. 

    i) Organize these by category: food close-ups, map posts, UGC, staff stories, process. This gives you a content silo that supports your niche. 

    ii) Why: with a prebuilt silo you avoid the content hamster wheel. You’ll have variety ready for different nights and promotions. Do not publish these yet. 

    iii) Do not share or ask others to follow your account. 

  4. Share your account and ask for follows. 

    i) Once your profile looks full and consistent, announce it: share the handle on your other channels, at your truck, on receipts, and with partners. Ask customers to follow and tag you in their reels. 

    ii) Pin one of your best posts to the top so new visitors see your strongest brand moment immediately. 

  5. Set a regular cadence and batch weekly from now on. 

    i) Weekly: batch create 3–7 new pieces and schedule them for the coming weeks. Use TikTok’s scheduler or your preferred tool. 

    ii) Cadence suggestion to start: 3 posts per week (two short videos, one carousel/map/UGC). After two months, iterate to 4–5 if you have the capacity and the content demand.

    iii) Continue measuring and reusing strong assets with new audio/captions. 

 

Look; TikTok is the perfect platform for discovery. And if you serve something entertaining and tell the story well, people will come.  

So, what are you waiting for?