Should Your Restaurant Have a Social Media Manager?

Written by Justine Nightingale
Tuesday, November 8, 2022 at 05:00am CST

As a restaurant owner or manager, it can be hard to know when to hire help, especially when it comes to digital marketing. 

When considering the question, “Should your restaurant have a social media manager,” many people in the restaurant business might automatically answer no. They might think they can handle it on their own. Or they might consider one of their staff members can handle it. However, everyone has a social media account, so can’t anyone manage yours? 

First, let’s start by saying that your restaurant needs a social media manager. And next, not everyone is equipped to manage your accounts. So, let’s consider why you need an experienced social media manager. 

The Social Media Strategy

You are busy running a restaurant, and the rest of your staff has their standard job requirements, too. This leaves little time to manage multiple social media platforms, post regularly, and use paid advertising.  

While posting may seem easy – just grab some photos and some text – it’s more involved than that. 

When your restaurant has a social media manager, this person can create a marketing strategy for each platform you use.  

This person can audit your accounts, develop a strategy, study your insights, and grow your relationships with people on your social media accounts. You’ll find a manager is well-versed in all aspects of social media, from organic posting to paid ads.  

Your goal on social media is to increase customer engagement, build relationships, enhance brand awareness, and grow your revenue. A manager is uniquely qualified to do all of this for you. 

The Ever-Changing Landscape

Another reason to hire someone to take care of your social media is that it’s constantly changing.  

Consider social media as a living entity that changes with algorithms and trends. A manager can help your restaurant adapt to these changes and pivot as needed. (tweet this)

If you have a staff manager taking care of your social media, they aren’t well-versed in the newest updates. However, your social media manager can update strategies because they are always monitoring what’s happening in the social media landscape.  

In addition, your social media manager can quickly pivot to new platforms. For example, they can easily take your restaurant onto a newish platform like TikTok. They can also identify whether you need to move to a new platform.  

What’s more, a social media manager is likely learning every day. This means they can quickly adjust your strategy to add new features. So, for example, they would have been on top of Reels when they hit Instagram. 

Social media managers are highly responsive to changes and new introductions in the social media arena, and they can lead your restaurant to where you need to go. 

The Intensive Time Commitment

Another reason your restaurant needs someone in charge of your social media is that it takes a lot of time.

If you or another staff member tries to manage it, your social media posting may fall to the wayside because you’re too busy with your day-to-day work. 

You want to stay competitive in the social media arena; to do this, you need one person dedicated to managing it for you.  

It’s a good idea to hire an expert who knows how to navigate the intricacies of social media to set your restaurant apart from the competition. (tweet this)

The Necessity of Engagement

You’ll find that a social media manager is uniquely qualified to build your audience and keep it engaged.  

For example, you might decide to let an employee post randomly on your social media profiles. This is not a good way to go. You have no plan, and your brand may suffer.  

What’s more, you can’t set up social media and forget it. People comment, and you need to respond. They ask a question, and you need to respond. People leave a review, and you must respond. 

All those responses need to happen in real time, and if you’re out on the floor or a server is working the evening hour, your social media is being forgotten.  

If you have a social manager, they stay on top of these interactions. They keep your audience engaged while you can go about your job duties.

Social media is a long conversation, and this is one of the most important reasons to have a social media manager.

The All Important Reporting Aspect

You may wonder what else a social media manager can do. They can tell you how things are going by providing you with reports and analytics.  

You already know your social media manager can pivot, enhance your strategy, text creative and content, and refine your ads.  

How do they do this? They do it by listening to and paying attention to your social media reporting. For example, they can turn underperforming ads off to save you money. They can continue to improve other ads.  

Your social media manager can also see when your fans are most active and post appropriately. They can compare your platforms against each other from month to month.  

Your social media manager can fine-tune and manage your successes by seeing what’s working and what’s not.  

The Attraction of New Audiences

Another benefit of your social media manager is they can help you reach new markets. They can help you expand your reach and bring more diners into your restaurant. 

They can do this with paid ads. This might sound easy enough, but social media campaigns are time intensive. It also requires extensive knowledge that you and the rest of your staff most likely don’t have. 

You want the best return on your investment, and your manager can help provide that.  

Final Thoughts

Managing a restaurant’s social media accounts isn’t easy, and it’s time-consuming. With nearly 30,000 managers operating in the United States today, you can see how important they are.

Yet, having active, vital accounts is essential to your business. Therefore, hiring a social media manager is a great way to increase your social media engagement, use your advertising budget appropriately, and grow your business.  

Don’t hesitate to hire an experienced social media manager today! Your restaurant will reap the benefits! 

At Restaurant Engine, not only do we create great, responsive websites, but you can count on us to create a website and online menu that works with your social media accounts, too. Let us help you make the perfect site that draws customers in, improves your conversion rate, and enables you to grow your business! Ready to take the plunge and create a new website? Get your free website consultation today! 

Images: Austin Distel and Josh Rose on Unsplash