7 Questions Miami Restaurant Owners Should Ask Before Hiring a Social Media Manager
In Miami, diners pick where to eat on their phones. They check your Instagram, your Google reviews, and your photos before they ever call for a table.
So who runs your social media matters. "What should I ask before I hire someone?" is one of the questions we hear most. Here are the seven we'd ask in your shoes.
How to use this list: Each question has a ✅ Good answer and a 🚩 Red flag. Bring it to your next interview.
1. Do You Know Miami's Restaurant Calendar?
Miami dining runs on seasons. Your manager should plan around them, not react to them.
Snowbird season: Winter brings visitors and part-time residents back, so your audience shifts.
Miami Spice: The late-summer prix fixe program can fill tables in a slow stretch, but only if promotion starts early.
Holidays and big weekends: Brunch, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, and New Year's Eve book up fast.
✅ Good answer: "We'd start teasing your Miami Spice menu weeks before it launches."
🚩 Red flag: "Social media works the same for every business." It doesn't.
2. Who Shoots the Food?
Your food is your best content. Ask who photographs it, who films it, and when.
Shoot timing: Before opening or between lunch and dinner, never during the rush.
Plating: Do they work with your chef so dishes look as good on camera as they do at the table?
Video: Who scripts, films, and edits Reels of the sizzle, the pour, and the kitchen?
At AG3, we handle content strategy and video production, so you aren't stuck holding a phone during service.
✅ Good answer: A clear shoot schedule and a short list of what they need from you, like your menu, specials, and 15 minutes with your chef.
🚩 Red flag: A feed full of stock photos. Diners want to see your ropa vieja, not someone else's.
3. How Will You Get Me More Reservations?
Likes feel nice, but they don't fill tables. Ask which numbers they'll track.
Reservation and booking-link clicks
Phone calls from your profiles
Google direction requests
DMs asking about tables, private events, or catering
✅ Good answer: "Let's pick two or three goals tied to covers and report on them every month."
🚩 Red flag: Guaranteed follower counts. Nobody can honestly promise what an algorithm will do.
4. Will You Manage My Google Business Profile?
When someone in Brickell searches "Cuban restaurant near me," your Google Business Profile often shows up before your Instagram. It has to be right.
Accurate hours, including holiday hours
An up-to-date menu and a working reservation link
Fresh food and dining-room photos
Regular posts about specials and events
✅ Good answer: "Yes. We keep it current and check how many people call, click, or ask for directions."
🚩 Red flag: "That's not really social media." For restaurants, it's often the first impression.
5. How Do Approvals Work for Specials?
Restaurants move fast. The fish runs out, a band cancels, or a slow Tuesday needs a push.
Planned posts: How far ahead will you see them?
Same-day posts: How fast can they post a last-minute special?
Revisions: How many rounds of changes are included?
✅ Good answer: A set approval window plus a quick process for same-day updates.
🚩 Red flag: No approval step at all. You should see what goes out under your restaurant's name.
6. Who Owns My Accounts and Content?
This one gets skipped, and it causes real headaches later.
Accounts: Your Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Google Business Profile should be in your name, with you as owner.
Access: Your manager gets added as a team member or partner, not given the only login.
Content: If you part ways, you keep the food photos and videos made for your restaurant.
✅ Good answer: "You own everything. We're just added to your team." Get it in writing.
🚩 Red flag: A manager who sets up accounts under their own email.
Quick check: Can you log in to your Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Google Business Profile yourself right now? If not, fix that before you hire anyone.
7. What Happens in the First 30 Days?
A good manager learns your restaurant before posting. Ask for the plan.
Review your current profiles and a few nearby competitors
Clean up your bio, links, highlights, and reservation buttons
Check your Google Business Profile hours, menu, and photos
Agree on goals and how you'll measure them
Plan and shoot the first batch of content
Hold an end-of-month check-in
✅ Good answer: A week-by-week onboarding plan.
🚩 Red flag: Promises of a packed house in month one. The first month builds the foundation.
Want a Second Set of Eyes on Your Restaurant's Social?
You don't need more random posting. You need a plan built around your menu, your neighborhood, and Miami's dining calendar. Book a free growth look below, or browse our services to see how we help Miami restaurants.
