On this page
- What should a car dealership post on social media?
- Which social media platforms should a car dealership use?
- A weekly social media plan for car dealers
- What should a car post caption say?
- How do you make walkaround videos that sell?
- Should car dealers post on Facebook Marketplace?
- How do you turn social media followers into test drives?
- What rules should dealership social media follow?
- How do you measure dealership social media?
- Common questions
- Sources
What should a car dealership post on social media?
Car dealership social media works when your feed looks like your lot on a good day. People follow a dealer for the cars and come back for the people. Build the feed from six kinds of posts:
- New arrivals: the car the day it's ready, with price, mileage and a full photo set.
- Walkaround videos: a short lap around the car, inside and out.
- Deliveries: the buyer with their keys, posted only with their OK.
- Behind the scenes: a trade-in getting detailed, a car coming off the transport, recon before and after.
- Tips: how to check a VIN, read a window sticker or get a car ready to trade in.
- Your team and town: who answers the phone, the youth team you sponsor, the food drive you show up for.
Lean on the cars. Every car post is a chance to start a conversation about that car, so cars should fill most of your feed.
Which social media platforms should a car dealership use?
Pick two you can keep up with before adding more. A dead account looks worse than none.
| Platform | What to post there | What it's good for |
|---|---|---|
| New arrivals, deliveries, events and Marketplace listings | Your page, Marketplace and inventory ads in one place | |
| Walkaround Reels and new-arrival Stories | Short vertical video and a grid that shows off your inventory | |
| TikTok | Personal walkarounds and behind-the-scenes clips | Salespeople with a camera-friendly personality |
| YouTube | Full walkarounds and Shorts | Videos you can link from every listing |
| Google Business Profile | New arrivals and updates | Showing up when people search for your dealership |
A weekly social media plan for car dealers
| Day | Post | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Weekend deliveries roundup | Photo carousel |
| Tuesday | Walkaround of a new arrival | Vertical video |
| Wednesday | A buying tip, like how to read a window sticker | Short video or graphic |
| Thursday | Walkaround of a car you want to move | Vertical video |
| Friday | This weekend's new arrivals | Photo carousel with prices |
| Saturday | Behind the scenes on the lot | Stories |
| Every day | New arrivals the day they're ready, and replies to every comment and message | Posts and DMs |
That's six planned posts a week plus arrivals. If it's too much, keep the two walkarounds and the new arrivals, and drop the rest.
What should a car post caption say?
Write the caption a shopper would want before they call. Five lines cover it:
- Year, make, model and trim on the first line
- Price and mileage, stated plainly
- One thing that sets the car apart, like a single owner, fresh tires or factory warranty left
- The link to the car's listing on your website
- One next step, like "Message us to book a test drive"
Leave out all-caps hype and strings of emoji. If the caption states a monthly payment, check the rules section below before you post.
How do you make walkaround videos that sell?
Keep them short and in the order a buyer looks: front three-quarter, side, rear, then the driver's seat, dash, odometer, back seat and cargo area. Say the year, make, model, mileage and price in the first few seconds, point out one or two things that set the car apart, and end with how to reach you. Shoot vertical for Reels, TikTok and Shorts, and add captions so the video works with the sound off.
If you can't film every car, CarShots makes a 15-second 360° walkaround with voiceover and music from the car's photos, so every car can have one. See examples on our walkaround videos page.
Should car dealers post on Facebook Marketplace?
Yes. Your social posts and your Marketplace listings should point people at the same car. Use the full photo set, put the price in the listing, and reply quickly, because the next listing is one swipe away. The step-by-step is in how to sell a car on Facebook Marketplace.
How do you turn social media followers into test drives?
Appointments pay the bills, not followers. Make every post easy to act on:
- Put one next step in every caption. "Message us to book a test drive" beats a wall of links.
- Pin a post with your hours, your address and how to book a test drive.
- Answer comments and DMs the same business day, with the price and a time to come see the car.
- Treat "Is it still available?" as a real question: answer yes or no and offer a time.
- Tag every lead with the post or platform it came from, so you can see which posts turn into appointments and sales.
What rules should dealership social media follow?
- Payment posts are ads. If a post states a payment, a down payment, the number of payments or a finance charge, federal Truth in Lending rules require the down payment, the repayment terms and the APR in the same post (12 CFR 1026.24).
- Ask before you post customers. Get the buyer's OK before a delivery photo goes up, and leave kids out unless a parent says yes.
- Keep plates off the internet. Customer cars and trade-ins don't need their plates online. In CarShots you hide a plate with a plain-words edit. Our free license plate blur tool blurs them in other photos.
- Keep testimonials real. Don't post fake reviews or pay for positive ones: the FTC's rule on fake reviews and testimonials bans both.
How do you measure dealership social media?
Likes are a weak signal. Track the numbers that end in a sale: messages and calls from social, appointments booked, cars sold to people who came from social, and the posts that started those conversations. Check once a month, then make more of what sells and drop what doesn't.