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Guide · Decision

Restaurant marketing: agency, in-house or freelancer?

When each option fits a Vancouver or Surrey restaurant, what each one asks of you, and the questions to ask before you hire anyone.

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In short

The short answer

Hire an agency when you need several skills at once (Google profile, website, photos, reviews, ads) and do not have the time to manage them. Keep it in-house when someone on staff has real time and skill for ongoing work. Use a freelancer for one defined job. Many restaurants combine them: staff handle daily replies and photos, specialists handle search and ads.

Compare

Side by side

AgencyIn-house personFreelancer
How you payA monthly fee for an agreed scopeSalary or the owner’s own timePer project or per hour
Range of skillsSeveral specialists under one roofUsually one person’s skillsOne or two skills, done well
ContinuityCovers holidays and sick daysDepends on one personDepends on one person’s availability
Management timeLow once the plan is setHighest: you manage and trainMedium: you brief each job
Local knowledgeVaries; ask for local examplesStrongest for your own restaurantVaries
Best forOwners who want it done and reportedBusy, content-heavy venues with daily needsA single job: a site, a shoot, an audit
Fit

When each one fits

  • Agency: you have no marketing person, several things are out of date (profile, menu, photos, reviews), and you want one team accountable for the plan and the numbers.
  • In-house: you have a manager or team member with the time and the skill, and enough daily work (posting, replying, promotions) to keep them busy.
  • Freelancer: you know exactly what you need, such as a photo shoot, a website build or a one-off audit, and you can brief and review it yourself.
Due diligence

Questions to ask anyone you hire

  • Who does the work, and who is my day-to-day contact?
  • What will I receive each month, and what will the report show?
  • Will my Google profile, website and social accounts stay in my business’s name?
  • Is there a long-term contract, and how do I leave?
  • Do you promise rankings or a number of customers? (If yes, be careful: no one can honestly guarantee that.)
  • Can I see real local work with dated, verifiable facts?
Our approach

How we work, for comparison

Third Eye is an agency. We work month to month with no long-term contract, we keep accounts in your business’s name where the platform allows it, and we do not promise rankings or results. See how we work and our client work.

Keep reading
Restaurant marketing agencyWhat we do for restaurants.How to choose an agencyA checklist for owners.
FAQ

Questions, answered.

It can be, if you lack the time or skills to keep your Google profile, website, photos and reviews current. If one person on staff can do it well, in-house may be enough.

Yes, and many restaurants do: staff handle daily photos and replies, and specialists handle search, ads and measurement.

Long lock-ins, guaranteed rankings, and accounts held in the provider’s name rather than yours.

Ready to be found?

Book a free strategy call or run the free visibility check. We will show you exactly where customers can and cannot find you today.

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