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How to pitch a non existent SM job to my boss?
Posted by on November 13, 2020 at 5:06 pmSo I have two jobs, I’m a board certified surgical technologist and a waitress. Right now due to health problems (I’m seeing specialist after specialist) I’m only waitressing. It’s a restaurant that’s been open since 2008 and I’ve been there off and on since 2011.
It’s a small south east corporation with about 14 restaurants total, but they are not all the same restaurant. There are 7 “sister” restaurants.
My friend was recently promoted to AE’s social media team and she came over last night and we talked how awesome it is. Due to my health right now, waitressing sucks the life out of my body (physically, but I mean mentally too some days lol) and I got to thinking, the only social media that is posted is from our managers who run it by corporate for the pic and post approval. My specific restaurant with 3 great location only has 1500~ followers on Instagram and the FB varies by location. My boss and I have a great relationship. He is very open minded and his MIL is the regional manager. Only problem with that is.. she’s kind of a b*tch. I’ve been there since 2011 like I said, and to this day she’s never spoken a word to me. But knows who I am. I’m shy and introverted so I just never said anything first.
How would I ask him and pitch the idea that if I took over my restaurants IG and FB, it’d grow? I don’t have a background in SM but I know how it works and I know what people want to see. Especially customers. If you made it this far, thank you and any advice is appreciated ! -
3 Replies
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One argument for having a social media and digital marketing role is based on what I call ‘the cost of ignoring.’ Reviews, comments (on and off your accounts streams), and general customer service all fall into this. Listening and responding in the usual places, and in places they are likely ignoring online. If their entire current strategy is based on outbound posts, they are only doing 1/10th of the job.
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I think it’s a great idea and they very well could appreciate having that taken off of their hands, especially if you can do it better.
Approach them with some graphics templates (Canva.com is free and has MANY options) and your content ideas. For example, are you going to post about new menu additions? Flash sales? Employee spotlights? Talk about your recipes/suppliers/locations/decor? Seasonally appropriate “fun” posts? And make sure to explain the value of each post and what it will do to grow the brand.
You MUST give people a real REASON to follow and engage with the account. Stunning visuals? Really fun content? Awesome deals posted only on social? Exclusive updates on your food truck’s location for that day?
I highly recommend doing tons and tons of research on best social media practices, food photography, and make sure you’re making video content!!!! Definitely upload to Stories regularly, and make some Reels. They are really being pushed on IG right now.
I’m also happy to answer any further questions you have! I actually quit my job as a barista in a grocery store due to chronic pain. Then I started my business as a Virtual Assistant, and now do Social Media Management.
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Show example social feeds from similar sized restaurants, maybe in a different part of the country and also a direct competitor. Create content that you would post; and then outline all the things you would also be doing: interacting with comments, sharing specials, etc. And set KPIs, how will they know you’re doing a good job? Giving them an action they can rate your performance on. Or suggest a customer survey every quarter. Also if you’re a business account, you’ll probably need to put paid behind your posts to have them be seen. Or lean into reels. Are you doing this probono or asking for a salary or part-time pay, offer similar job descriptions and pay rates as well.
I ran a small restaurant’s social/web and put in about 5-6 hours a week, usually an hour a day responding to comments, requests, messages, and curating content with photographs, lining up the specials, finding time for the owner to chat about contests, surveys, menu redesigns, etc. The downside is people expect immediate answers, so sometimes I’d be a Saturday at 9am when I’m golfing and people are asking the account if we ran out of mimosas yet.
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