10 Social Media Marketing Tips for Auto Repair Shops

Social media isn’t always at the center of an auto repair shop’s business plan. Sure, it’s great for connecting with customers, but what mechanic has time to be on Instagram all day? 

I don’t know much about cars – I still call AAA to fix a flat tire. But, as someone who’s worked in social media for years, I can tell you it’s worth your time to advertise on these platforms, even for small auto repair shops. Most people use social media to research local businesses, and these apps are great for providing speedy customer service. 

In this post, I’ll share a list of social media marketing tips for auto repair shops. We’ll discuss the top platforms to post on, the types of content you should share, and how to measure success over time.

1. Focus on one to two platforms.

If you’re new to social media, stick to one or two platforms to start. It’s easy to spread yourself too thin, and the last thing you want is to leave your customers waiting for a response. It’s better to build a strong social media following on one or two channels and expand to others as your business grows. 

You can even use different platforms for different purposes. For example, Instagram is the most popular social media app for automotive content. Use your Instagram account to share tips, interesting projects, events (like car shows), and more. 

While building brand awareness on Instagram, use your Facebook for customer service. Ask customers to leave reviews and answer questions about your business. Use the chat feature to provide immediate support and book appointments using the built-in scheduling tool. 

Tip: It’s easy to manage multiple social media platforms simultaneously using this social media management tool. 

2. Post do-it-yourself (DIY) videos.

One of the best social media strategies is to post helpful, valuable content. Educational posts and videos position your brand as a trustworthy resource for auto repair. DIY videos, in particular, appeal to car enthusiasts because they’re looking to repair cars on their own. 

Remember: 86% of consumers spend a quarter of their free time on social media watching videos, making videos a great way to attract attention to your page. This visibility leads to higher engagement and more customers seeking your expertise. By demystifying repairs, you’ll build trust and encourage potential customers to turn to your shop when they need professional assistance.

3. Introduce your staff. 

The auto repair industry revolves around trust. Once you find a good mechanic, there’s little reason to switch. 

Building trust on social media means connecting with your audience and creating an authentic experience  – whether responding to feedback or promoting your business through ads and trendy content. 

Showcasing your staff is one way you can foster trust. Be transparent about who works for you and show off what they do for your business. That will earn your customers’ trust, particularly with first-time buyers. They’ll know what to expect from your company before they even do business with you. 

4. Complete your profile. 

It doesn’t matter if your social media profile is on Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram—you need to complete it. This will make your brand easier to find on these channels and create a better customer experience. 

You should also connect social profiles to other business listing websites, like Yelp and Google Business Profile. That will enhance these local listings and give customers another way to discover your business. 

5. Use an AI social media tool. 

Some social media management tools have AI features that save you time when creating content. They’ll help you write social media captions and comments to respond to customer reviews. They can also help you choose hashtags for your posts so they’re easier to find on social media search engines. 

Tip: Thryv’s social media tool has an AI feature that writes captions, hashtags, emojis, and more. 

6. Show off personal projects.

Some mechanics have passion projects that they work on in their spare time. It could be an old car you’re restoring or a unique vehicle you’re designing. These projects are great for social media because they make a connection with your audience. 

Here’s an example from an auto-detailing shop. The business owner posts pictures of unique cars and boats that he works on. This showcases his services and appeals to his followers, and it’s a great way to keep his brand top of mind with his clients. 

7. Differentiate yourself from competitors.

Your brand needs to have a personality on social media – especially if you’re a small business owner. If you’re always trying to sell something, your messages will get tuned out by people who don’t need your products or services.

You can differentiate yourself from other brands by identifying a distinct niche for your content. Research what other companies are doing in your industry and find ways to stand out from their messaging. For example, you could lean into customer service and brand yourself as “the most trustworthy mechanic in your area.” Ask customers for reviews and pay close attention to your social media channels for feedback and opportunities to provide customer support.  

Tip: Use this Google Review Link Generator to ask for customer reviews. 

8. Look up common industry hashtags and create content.

If it’s not on your timeline, most people discover trendy topics on social media by using the built-in search bar. Hashtags identify your content so that it appears in user searches. Similar to how keywords work on search engines, hashtags describe and categorize your post on social platforms.

You can find common industry hashtags in a few places:

• Your marketing software (We recommend getting software to help you manage your marketing in one place.)
• Social media platforms (Type in an industry topic such as “mechanic” and see what posts show up. Then, click on those posts and look at other hashtags on the same post.)
• Competitor posts (See what hashtags your competitors use.)
• Influencer posts (Find someone who posts mechanic or repair content and has a lot of followers.)

Once you have a list of popular hashtags, brainstorm content for that topic.

9. Research keywords so you know what questions people are asking.

If you’re unsure what content to create, try researching keywords. Keyword research means looking at search engines like Google to determine what your customers are searching for. Once you know that, you can create social media content related to those topics.

To research keywords, start by looking at:

• SEO tools
• Google autocomplete section
• Google’s “People Ask” section
• Google Keyword Planner

10. Run social media ads.

You can advertise on social media for free or pay to reach new audiences instead. Social media ads share your content beyond your social following, allowing you to engage with new people who may not know about your business. It’s a great way to build brand awareness and update people about your latest deals. 

A great place to advertise for auto repair shops is Facebook. Not only are Facebook’s audiences aligned with your shop’s, but the site is also known to have the most effective return on investment (ROI) on ads. Additionally, Facebook advertising has lower and more stable costs, according to a Wordstream report.  

Get Started With Social Media Marketing Today

If you want to kick your business into high gear (pun intended), then you have to build an online presence for your brand. Social media is a great place to start. It helps you attract new customers and collect feedback over time. It’s also a great place to share new deals, provide customer support, and keep your customers informed about the latest going at your business. 

Use these tips to get started, and put the pedal to the metal on growing your business today (last pun, I swear).