How Auto Repair Shops Can Use Social Media to Build Local Influence and Attract New Customers

Auto repair shops can use platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to reach thousands of local customers, build trust, and position themselves as go-to experts. Creating optimized profiles with accurate business info is the first step toward visibility.
A successful content mix—photos, videos, reviews, tips, shop tours, and local events—keeps your audience engaged, while consistent posting and tools like Surefire Local make it easy to manage and scale your efforts across platforms.
Combining organic posts with paid social media ads allows for precise targeting and greater reach, and with analytics tools to test and measure results, auto shops can refine campaigns that drive real leads and appointments.

As you work on auto shop branding, one of the best tools to use to build your local influence is social media. Whether you focus on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, the right social media strategy can help your shop become the go-to source for auto repair in your community.

Yet if you’re like many busy mechanic shops, you may not have spent the time on these platforms that you could. If you haven’t started or maximized your social media pages, then you’re missing out on reaching thousands of potential local customers. On just Facebook alone, 78% of those ages 30-49 say they are on the platform, and those who live in your community could engage with you.

Thankfully, with the right plan and tools in place, building and using your social media presence isn’t too difficult. These social media tips for car repair shops will help you develop a solid and effective strategy.

Step 1: Create Your Profiles

If you’re a busy auto repair shop, you may not even have a social media page. The first step, then, is to build one. This step isn’t as simple as it appears at first because of the sheer number of social media pages out there. Some of the best social media pages for auto mechanics shops include:

Facebook: Typically the best place to start, this popular platform has a large number of users age 25 and older. On Facebook, you can post most types of media, including photos and videos, while also linking to pages on your website or blog. It offers excellent local marketing tools to help you target your local customers.
Instagram: Primarily video and photo-based, Instagram provides a good platform to target the 18-24 age demographic, though other ages are on there as well. Using the “Stories” feature, you can make Instagram interactive with polls and quizzes in addition to videos and photos.
TikTok: If you want to dabble in video marketing, then consider TikTok. Users expect to see entertaining posts or “hacks” that help them DIY something, but if you can gain a following, you can support your auto shop branding goals.
LinkedIn: On LinkedIn, you can connect with other automotive businesses in your area. You may not gain many new customers on this platform, but you may gain new businesses in parallel industries that can recommend you to their customers. For instance, an auto body shop can partner with a transmission shop to recommend each other to customers.

Once you claim your profile, optimize it by filling in your name, address, and phone number and adding keywords to your description. Then you are ready to start posting to the platform, and this is where your social media strategy comes in.

Step 2: Choose the Right Mix of Content

Social media provides multiple content outlets, and you need all types to connect with your users. Some content ideas that will resonate well with car owners who might need your services include:

Photos: Photos draw attention on social media. They provide the visual element that can make people stop and interact with your page.
Infographics: Infographics can show important information for car owners, such as what happens if you skip maintenance or how to extend the life of your vehicle.
Videos: Car maintenance tips, DIY tutorials for simple jobs, and automotive industry videos, like highlighting a new vehicle on the market, can all connect with your audience. For videos, make these items that won’t detract from your business. For example, you can post a video on how to check tire pressure, but not how to change brake pads.
Reels: Reels are short-form videos that give you creative leeway. They should be entertaining and can include special effects or trending music. Reels are less about education and more about connecting with your audience to build your brand.
Links: Links to your blog post or other social media platforms can help with SEO efforts and also drive customers to different online properties that you own.
Polls and questions: Posts that include polls and questions encourage people to engage with your page. The more engagement you have, the more effective your page will be.

Step 3: Generate Post Ideas

The key to successful social media campaigns for mechanics and automotive repair shops is the content you post. While the type of content is important, the topic is also important. You must strike a balance between being helpful and entertaining while also ensuring people come to you when they need automotive repair. Here are some topic ideas:

Staff bios: Post interesting information, with photos, about your mechanics. This may help you make a personal connection with your audience.
Maintenance tips: Whether a video or a post, outline the basic at-home maintenance someone can do to keep their car running well.
Maintenance reminders: Remind your followers when they need to come in for maintenance.
Before-and-after photos: If a particular repair job has an impressive before-and-after contrast, post some photos of it.
Shop tours: If your shop is clean and tidy, do a video tour of it.
Car-related local content: One of the best social media strategies for mechanics is working with local content to draw a local audience. If you know of a car show or other car-related local event, post about it.
Specific car maker news: Has your favorite brand come out with a new or upgraded vehicle? You can post information about it to resonate with your audience.
Troubleshooting problems: Create educational posts that help people troubleshoot their car problems. Often, this type of post can direct the reader to make an appointment for repair for certain types of problems.
Recall notification: If you hear of a product recall, post about it. This type of post helps with your branding by showing that your mechanic shop is on top of news in the industry.
Community outreach: Local customers appreciate working with businesses that put the needs of the community first. If you support a local non-profit or if you partner with a local charity, post about their events to show your support and build local trust.
Customer reviews: If you get a glowing review, post about it!

Step 4: Create a Publishing Schedule

For your social media marketing to be effective, you need to be consistently posting new content. Use a social media calendar to keep yourself organized and on track. On that calendar, make sure you plan for a variety of post types, so the content stays interesting. You should aim for a minimum of three posts per week.

If you’re struggling to come up with social media post ideas, look at your competitors. While you don’t want to post the same thing, you can get an idea of what types of posts work. If a type of post seems to get quite a bit of engagement, then mirror that type of post on your own social media page.

One of the best ways to ensure your social media presence stays fresh is to use a posting software tool. You can plan a large number of posts at one time, then schedule them to be posted on your platform in the coming days. For example, Surefire Local lets you create and schedule posts not only throughout the month, but also across different platforms, in one step.

Step 5: Pay-to-Play on Social Media

Once you have an established presence and a good schedule for your posts, it’s time to start paid advertising. All of the platforms offer sponsored and paid posts that you can use to target highly specific demographics. Learn how to create these posts, generate a list of keywords, and then set up a paid ad schedule on your favorite social media platforms. The combination of paid and organic posts will help you reach the largest number of potential customers.

Perform A/B testing to see what ad copy, audience definition, and keyword bidding strategy works best for your paid social media ads. Use a tool, like Surefire Local, to analyze the success of your ads and compare them side-by-side. Doing so will help you see what’s working and what’s not as you build your campaigns.

Step 6: Stay Consistent

Once you have your pages up and running, make sure you stay consistent. Post regularly, interact with the people who comment, and keep your page fresh and alive. The more you post, the better your branding will be, and the greater results you will see.

Streamline Your Social Media Strategy for Your Auto Repair Shop with Surefire Local

As you build your social media strategy, the best tool to have is a platform that lets you manage multiple social media pages in one place. This tool will save you time as you keep tabs on your posts, comments, and reactions. In addition, the right tool will allow you to set up posting schedules, so you can do most of your posts in one sitting, then let the platform post them for you.

Surefire Local’s social media marketing tools were designed with small businesses, like local auto repair shops, in mind. With all of the tools you need to successfully manage your campaigns in one software platform, Surefire Local will allow you to build a successful strategy for social media marketing without spending hours managing your pages.

To see how our platform works for yourself, make plans to attend a demo of our online marketing platform for small businesses.