How much does social media marketing cost in Toronto?

Social media marketing in Toronto typically ranges from $800 to $3,000 per month. Social Plus Studio offers custom packages for restaurants and lifestyle brands. Book a free strategy call for a custom quote.

What areas does Social Plus Studio serve?

Social Plus Studio serves the entire Greater Toronto Area including Toronto, Brampton, Mississauga, Vaughan, Richmond Hill, Markham, Aurora, Newmarket, Oakville, and Burlington.

Does Social Plus Studio work with restaurants?

Yes, restaurants are our specialty. We have worked with Fork on York, Santorini Estiatorio, Petros82, Villa Caledon Inn, The Kings Arms, and many more Toronto-area restaurants.

What social media platforms do you manage?

We manage Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. We also run paid advertising on Meta (Facebook and Instagram ads) and create platform-optimized content.

How quickly can I see results from social media marketing?

Most clients see measurable engagement growth within 30 days. Paid ads can show results within the first week. Organic and SEO improvements typically take 60 to 90 days.

Do you offer food photography and videography in Toronto?

Yes. Professional food photography, menu photography, restaurant videography, and social media reels are core services. We have worked with 16 plus restaurants across the GTA.

How to Get More Google Reviews for Your Toronto Restaurant

Jun 10

Written By Jonathan Manglicmot

When someone in Toronto types "best sushi near me" or "brunch spot in the Junction," Google doesn't just show restaurants that exist — it shows restaurants that are trusted. And the single biggest trust signal Google uses is reviews.

More reviews. Better reviews. Recent reviews. These three factors determine whether your restaurant shows up in the local 3-pack — the map results at the top of a Google search — or gets buried on page two.

The good news: getting more Google reviews is not complicated. It just requires a system, and a little consistency.

Why Google Reviews Matter More Than Yelp or TripAdvisor

Yelp still has an audience. TripAdvisor still drives some traffic, particularly for tourists. But for a Toronto restaurant trying to capture local discovery, Google is where the game is played.

Google reviews directly influence your Google Maps ranking. They appear prominently in Google Search results. And they're the first thing most people see before deciding whether to visit. A restaurant with 200 Google reviews averaging 4.6 stars will outperform a restaurant with 50 reviews averaging 4.9 stars in almost every local search scenario. Volume and recency matter as much as rating.

The Simple Ask That Most Restaurants Skip

The single biggest driver of reviews is also the most overlooked: just asking.

Research consistently shows that the majority of customers who have a positive experience will leave a review — if they're asked. Most restaurants never ask. Train your front-of-house team to make the ask part of the closing experience. After a great meal, when a customer says "That was amazing," the response should be: "I'm so glad! We'd really appreciate it if you left us a Google review — it makes a huge difference for us. Here's our card with the QR code."

Natural, non-pushy, and effective.

Make It Effortless: The QR Code Card

The harder you make it to leave a review, the fewer reviews you'll get. A QR code that links directly to your Google review page removes every point of friction.

How to set it up: search your restaurant on Google, click "Write a review" on your listing, and copy the URL from the review pop-up. Shorten it with Bit.ly. Generate a QR code linking to that URL. Print it on business cards, table cards, or your receipt. A small card that says "Enjoyed your meal? Let us know on Google 📲" will generate reviews passively, every single service.

Follow-Up Emails and Texts

If you're collecting customer emails through reservations, you have a list of people who've already visited and presumably enjoyed themselves. A short follow-up email sent 24–48 hours after a reservation, signed by the owner or GM, asking for feedback with a direct link to your Google review page consistently produces results.

The email doesn't need to be long: "Hi [Name], thanks so much for joining us last night. We hope you loved your meal. If you have a moment, we'd be incredibly grateful for a Google review — it helps other Toronto diners find us and means the world to our team. [Link]. See you again soon."

Responding to Every Review

Responding to reviews — positive and negative — signals to Google that you're an active, engaged business. For positive reviews: a warm, specific thank-you takes 30 seconds and makes the reviewer feel seen. For negative reviews: respond calmly, acknowledge the experience, and invite them to contact you directly. Never argue. The audience for your response isn't the reviewer — it's the thousands of people who will read it before deciding whether to visit.

What NOT to Do

A few things that will hurt you more than help: don't offer incentives for reviews (it violates Google's policies), don't use review-gating services that filter unhappy customers, and don't buy reviews. Fake reviews are increasingly detected and removed, and the risk of a penalty to your listing isn't worth it. The only sustainable approach is a genuine one: create great experiences, ask sincerely, and make it easy.

The Compound Effect

Even five new reviews per week adds up to 250 reviews per year. Over two years, you have a listing that dominates local search for your cuisine and neighbourhood. Start the system this week — it costs nothing but a little intention and a printed card.

At SocialPlus Studio, review generation is part of every local SEO strategy we build for Toronto restaurants. Talk to us if you want help building yours.

Jonathan Manglicmot https://jonniemang.com