Using Social Media Twitter to Promote Offline Business - Kimchi Taco Truck

LA Times had an article about this one Korean BBQ taco truck — Kogi Korean BBQ that successfully used social media (twitter) and promoted his taco truck business.

I thought their tactics are interesting because who would have thought to use twitter in promoting a taco truck that traditionally relied on location, repeaters, and a horn (to notify people).

The fact that it received 300~800 people for its food, indicates that the twitter successfully delivered their viral efforts in attracting customers. This is a true Viral Marketing + Social Network + Offline marketing integration. Kudos to Kogi BBQ.

In my observation, the key to success had to have these ingredients.

• A unique product to catch people’s attention. In Kogi’s case, food menu that is different from a common taco truck.
• Introduce unique food to the mass in the right timing. While many marketers are figuring out how to leverage social media with a lot of attention to Twitter, Kogi used such tools to successfully promote their business.
• Obviously, Kogi successfully used social media to promote their offline business. The key is offline promotion through online media. Thinking outside of the box!
• Location: Instead of choosing a common area where they could potentially gain their targeted audience, they chose locations anonymously to stimulate consumer interest and curiosity around different location consumers aren’t familiar with.

As we learn from recent airplane landing on Hudson river (NY) that Twitter can deliver quick news and information around the world, Twitter and social media could be utilized to spread information quickly to a wide range of audience. It also has clearly demonstrated it could be used to stimulate offline business as well.

The next challenge is to retain consumer interest and build loyal customers. Good luck to Korean BBQ taco trucks.