o matter what event I’m at—or is currently being held—you can count on coverage, more often than not, as it’s happening on the social media platforms. It’s mandatory, especially if we’re going to keep up with those algorithms, right? Same can be said for truck features and tech stories as they’re occurring.

That’s all fine and dandy for the avid Instagrammers and Facebookers looking for their daily content fix—especially those who aren’t subscribers or even regular readers of CTP (shame on them!). But what about those of you who are? Do you feel you’re getting ripped off when the magazine comes and you see what you’ve already seen via IG/FB? I would certainly hope not, as I use the socials as a teaser, doing my best not to totally spoil every piece of content coming to a print/digital issue soon. Sure, we get a bit heavy with event coverage, namely when it’s something as big as Dino’s, Triple Crown of Rodding, or either of the Grand National events right here in our backyard. But again, an effort is made to keep some variety amongst the outlets.

For me, I primarily use IG as a communication tool. Whether it’s keeping tabs with the builders and owners on their latest projects, or keeping up with all the new products hitting the market, or simply talking smack with my favorite freelancers (you know who you are), often you’d mistake me for a millennial glued to his iPhone for the amount of time I can rack up scrolling in all directions!

Another reason I rely on social media to the extent that I do is to keep tabs on what the other publications are up to. Since the classic truck world still has quite a bit of competition when it comes to magazines (unlike hot rodding and muscle cars), I want to ensure our content is as fresh and unique as humanly possible. Unlike the “olden” days where trucks would wind up in numerous titles simultaneously, today I feel there’s enough material out there to keep a good variety between us and them. That said, I’m going to do my best to get the latest and greatest first, of course, and oftentimes trucks will end up on the pages of the competition, and even on the cover, after the fact. I try and get that point across to both builders and owners before the first shutter click is ever taken—sometimes they get it, sometimes they don’t!

But at the end of each and every day, my goal is simple: make the very best magazine I can and support it wholeheartedly with social media that’s equally entertaining and worth following … especially freelancers!

If you don’t already follow us on Instagram and/or Facebook, I encourage you to do so:
IG: @classic_truck_performance
FB: @classictruckperformance

And, if you’re in the mood for some really informative how-to videos, subscribe to CTP’s YouTube channel: @classictruckperformance.