How Connecting with Food Truck Bloggers = More Press & Corporate Gigs | FTE Episode 005

Summary: It's hard to believe we are already half way to the double digits in FoodTruckEmpire Podcast episodes. Welcome to episode #5! For the main course this week, I talk with Stephanie Hawkes of DFWFoodTruckFoodie.com. Hawkes is a prominent blogger locally within the Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) area and her work is syndicated nationally through publications like Eat St. Although Hawkes first got involved within blogging as a personal creative outlet, the blog became a serious project after gaining a local following and notoriety due to her unique writing style and in-depth coverage of the local food truck scene. In this FTE exclusive Hawkes shares how food truck owners can attract the attention of local food bloggers and also leverage their relationships to land more special events and corporate gigs, which are some of the most consistent forms of revenue for food trailers. Hawkes also shares her process for making her food truck reviews as fair as possible, even going as far as to visit a food truck 3 - 4 times before publishing a review and having anonymous friends order entrees on her behalf. If you're not sure why your food truck could benefit from connecting with local bloggers, you don't want miss this week's episode! What You'll Learn in this Episode: How to get the attention of a local food blogger The best way to contact a food blogger How to find out about more corporate and special events in your area The best way to respond to a less than glowing review online Mentions During the Show DFWFoodTruckFoodie.com - This is Hawke's blog. Here you can stay up-to-date with everything that's happening in the DFW mobile food scene in addition to learning the best places to eat in the DFW area. @DFWTruckFoodie - Follow Stephanie Hawkes on Twitter. This is one of Hawke's preferred methods of being contacted. Video - Hawkes is a highly-regarded food truck expert. You can find a couple of Hawke's interviews with television programs on her videos page. Quick Tip If you live in a metro area there are probably already local bloggers sharing their experiences about food trucks online. You can start to identify some of the bloggers in your area by going to Google and entering the following into the search field: city name + food truck reviews city name + food truck blogs Ex. Omaha food truck blogs Try different variations of searches until you find someone talking about the scene in your area then reach out to them via email or social media to make them aware of your truck. Got iTunes? Visit our page here, provide a 5-star reviews and you might be mentioned on our next episode. I hope you enjoy this week's episode. See you next Friday!