Hire a Freelance Social Media Manager for Restaurant Social Media in Canada

Hiring a freelance social media manager for your restaurant is one of the most effective ways to fill tables, build a loyal following, and create buzz in your local community. Restaurants are inherently visual and experiential — the perfect combination for social media success. A skilled social media manager turns your dishes, atmosphere, and team into scroll-stopping content that drives foot traffic and online orders. In Canada's competitive dining scene, restaurants that maintain an active, engaging social media presence consistently outperform those that don't. The right freelancer understands food photography best practices, local audience engagement, and how to convert followers into paying customers.

A freelance social media manager for a restaurant handles your complete social media presence across platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Google Business Profile. They create and schedule content showcasing your food, drinks, ambiance, and team — using professional-quality photos and videos optimized for each platform. They develop content calendars around menu changes, seasonal specials, events, and local happenings. Community management includes responding to comments and DMs, engaging with local food influencers, and managing your online reputation. They run targeted promotions (happy hour specials, holiday events, new menu launches) with compelling copy and visuals. Advanced work includes coordinating with food influencers and bloggers, managing user-generated content, running paid social campaigns to reach local diners, and tracking performance metrics (reach, engagement, website clicks, reservation conversions).

Look for a social media manager with restaurant or food industry experience — they understand food photography, dining trends, and the seasonal nature of the restaurant business. Ask to see examples of restaurant accounts they've managed, including growth metrics and engagement rates. They should be comfortable with food photography and short-form video (Reels, TikTok). Local market knowledge is valuable — understanding the dining scene in your city helps create relevant, timely content. Check if they can handle both content creation and community management. The best restaurant social media managers think beyond pretty pictures — they understand how social media drives actual revenue through reservations, online orders, and event bookings.

Restaurant social media engagements are typically monthly retainers. A basic package (3-4 posts/week on 1-2 platforms, community management) runs 15-20 hours/month. A comprehensive package (daily posting on 2-3 platforms, stories, reels, community management, monthly reporting) runs 25-40 hours/month. Initial social media setup and strategy development takes 1-2 weeks. Photo and video shoot sessions for content creation are typically scheduled monthly or bi-monthly. Seasonal campaigns (holiday menus, patio season launches, special events) are planned 2-4 weeks in advance. Many restaurants start with a basic package and expand as they see results from social engagement.

Basic restaurant social media management (3-4 posts/week, 1-2 platforms) costs $1,000–$2,500/month. Comprehensive management (daily posting, multiple platforms, video content) runs $2,500–$5,000/month. Social media strategy development costs $800–$2,000. Photography/video sessions typically cost $300–$800 per session. Mid-level social media managers (45–78/hr) handle most restaurant accounts well. The ROI for restaurant social media is highly measurable — track reservation increases, online order growth, and event attendance to quantify the return on your investment. Budget for occasional paid promotion ($200–$500/month) to boost reach beyond organic.