How to Set Up Social Media for a Car Dealer

Setting up social media for your car dealership is one of the most direct ways to connect with local buyers, build trust in your community, and move inventory off the lot. This guide gives you a clear path, showing you exactly which platforms to focus on, how to optimize your profiles, what kind of content actually works, and how to create a simple, repeatable system for posting.

Choose the Right Social Media Platforms

You don't need to be everywhere. Fighting for attention on a dozen platforms will stretch your team thin and deliver mediocre results. Instead, focus your energy on the platforms where car buyers are actually spending their time. For most car dealers, that means mastering a few key players.

Facebook: The Community Hub

If you only choose one platform, make it Facebook. It's the digital town square for your local community. It’s perfect for sharing inventory, running highly-targeted local ads, posting service reminders, and building genuine relationships with past and future customers.

• What to set up: A Facebook Business Page is non-negotiable. Don't use a personal profile. A Business Page gives you access to advertising tools, analytics, and professional features like appointment booking and integration with Facebook Marketplace.
• Why it works: You can list vehicles on Marketplace directly from your Page, reaching thousands of active local shoppers. Facebook Groups also offer a powerful way to connect with local niche communities (e.g., local car enthusiast groups, community yard sale pages).

Instagram: Your Digital Showroom

Instagram is all about visuals, making it the perfect platform to show off your cars. High-quality photos and, more importantly, engaging videos like Reels and Stories can stop a potential buyer mid-scroll. It's where you make your inventory look irresistible.

• What to set up: Create an Instagram Business Profile (not a personal or creator account) and link it directly to your dealership's Facebook Page. This unlocks better analytics and scheduling capabilities.
• Why it works: From slick shots of a freshly detailed SRT to a quick walkaround video of a new minivan's family-friendly features, Instagram lets you sell the dream. Stories are great for behind-the-scenes content that builds trust, like a tour of the service center or a "day in the life" of a salesperson.

YouTube: The Virtual Test Drive

When buyers are in the research phase, they turn to YouTube. It’s the second-largest search engine in the world, and people use it to get in-depth information. By creating detailed video content, you can become a trusted local automotive resource.

• What to set up: A dedicated YouTube Brand Channel for your dealership.
• Why it works: In-depth video walkarounds of popular models can position your salesperson as an expert. "How-to" videos from your service department (e.g., "How to Check Your Oil in a Chevy Silverado") build incredible trust and can attract future service-department customers. Don't forget YouTube Shorts - these short, vertical videos are perfect for quick feature highlights or vehicle cold starts and can reach a massive audience.

TikTok: The Engagement Engine

Don't dismiss TikTok as just for dancing teens. It's a powerful discovery engine with a massive user base across all demographics, including in-market car shoppers. The content here is less polished and more "real," which can work wonders for humanizing your dealership.

• What to set up: A TikTok Business Account.
• Why it works: Short-form videos excel here. Think fun behind-the-scenes clips of the team, satisfying car detailing videos, or hopping on trending audio with your own automotive spin. It’s a place to show personality, not just cars for sale.

Build Your Profiles for a Strong First Impression

Your social media profile is your digital storefront. An incomplete or sloppy profile is like a dealership with a dirty showroom - it sends the wrong message. Make sure every element is professional, consistent, and helpful for the customer.

Step 1: Get the Naming Right

Your username or handle should be as close to your dealership’s name as possible. Aim for consistency across all platforms. If @MainStreetMotors is taken, try something clear like @MainStreetMotorsTX or @MainStreetMotorsOfficial.

Step 2: Optimize Your Photos

• Profile Picture: Use a clean, high-resolution version of your dealership’s logo. It should be easily recognizable even when small.
• Cover Photo (Facebook, YouTube, X): This is your billboard. Use a high-quality photo of your dealership's exterior, your staff grouped together, or a lineup of your most popular models. Update it seasonally or during major sales events.

Step 3: Write a Killer Bio

Your bio is your elevator pitch. In just a few lines, you need to tell people who you are, what you do, and what they should do next. Include these key elements:

• Who You Are: "Your trusted family-owned dealership in Springfield."
• What You Sell: "Specializing in new Fords and quality pre-owned vehicles."
• A Call to Action (CTA): Always include a link! Use a tool like Linktree to create a landing page with multiple links, or point them directly to your main inventory page. Use action-oriented language: "👇 Shop our latest arrivals."
• Location & Hours: Make it easy for people to find you. Add your physical address and business hours.

Pro Tip: Create a "Branding Info" Document

Open a simple text document and save all of this core information: approved logo files, official hex colors, handle/username, bio text, and the link to your website. This makes setup a simple copy-and-paste job and keeps your branding consistent everywhere.

Your Content Plan: The Four Pillars of Car Dealer Social Media

The biggest mistake dealerships make is posting nothing but static, boring photos of cars with the price and mileage. To build an audience that cares, you need to mix it up. Build your content strategy around these four pillars.

Pillar 1: Showcase the Inventory

This is the foundation, but it needs to be dynamic. Go beyond the standard picture.

• Video Walkarounds: Shoot 60-second Reels or TikToks showing off a new arrival. Start with an exterior shot, then jump inside to highlight a cool feature like the infotainment screen or sunroof.
• POV Test Drives: Mount a GoPro on the dash or have a passenger record a short video of what it feels like to drive the car.
• "Car of the Week": Feature one specific vehicle each week with a series of posts, including a detailed walkaround, photos of standout features, and maybe even a short Q&A about it in your Stories.

Pillar 2: Introduce the People

People don't buy from dealerships, they buy from people they know, like, and trust. Show the human side of your business. This is your biggest competitive advantage over massive, faceless online retailers.

• Meet the Team: Post a friendly photo and a short, fun bio for each of your salespeople, technicians, and reception staff. What's their favorite car on the lot? What do they love about their job?
• A Day in the Life: Share brief clips on Instagram Stories of the service team working on a cool car, the detailers making a pre-owned vehicle sparkle, or the sales team getting ready for a busy Saturday.

Pillar 3: Educate and Empower

Become a trusted resource, not just a seller. Educational content builds incredible authority and keeps your audience engaged even when they aren't actively shopping.

• Service Tips: Have a technician record a quick video on their phone explaining something simple, like "When should you rotate your tires?" or "What this dashboard light means."
• Feature Explainers: Create short videos demonstrating how to use common but sometimes confusing tech, like pairing a phone to Bluetooth or using adaptive cruise control. This content has a long shelf life and helps your current customers, too.

Pillar 4: Celebrate the Customers

Your happiest customers are your best marketing assets. Social proof is incredibly powerful.

• The "Happy New Owner" Shot: It's a classic for a reason. Always ask permission first, but a smiling customer next to their new car is authentic and relatable. Tag them in the post (with their permission) to expand your reach.
• Sharing Customer Stories: If a customer posts a photo of the new car on their own profile and tags you, ask if you can reshare it to your page or Stories. It's a powerful, unbiased endorsement.

Plan and Schedule Your Content for Consistency

Consistency is more important than frequency. A simple plan that you can stick to is far better than a complex one you abandon after two weeks. Don't create content on the fly - plan it out.

Step 1: Choose Your Posting Cadence

Start with a manageable goal. A good starting point is 3-5 posts per week on your main platforms (Facebook/Instagram), complemented by daily Stories.

Step 2: Theme Your Days

Map your content pillars to days of the week to take the guesswork out of what to post.

• Monday: "Meet the Team" Monday
• Tuesday: "Tech Tip" Tuesday (Educational)
• Wednesday: "Walkaround" Wednesday (Inventory)
• Thursday: Customer Testimonial or "Happy Owner" Post
• Friday: "Featured Friday" (Highlighting a premium pre-owned vehicle)

Step 3: Batch-Create Everything

Set aside 2-3 hours one day a week to create all the content for the following week. Walk the lot and shoot 5-7 short walkaround videos. Take headshots of a couple staff members. Film a quick tech tip in the service bay. By batching your work, you turn social media into a scheduled, efficient task rather than a daily scramble.

Final Thoughts

Successfully setting up social media for your car dealership comes down to a simple formula: pick the right platforms, build professional profiles, create a consistent mix of valuable content, and engage with your local community. It turns your social presence from a simple advertisement into a true digital extension of your showroom floor, building relationships that lead to sales.

We know that juggling all of this while running a dealership is a challenge. That's why at Postbase, we designed a social media tool that’s actually easy to use. Built specifically for the modern world of short-form video, you can schedule Reels, TikToks, and Shorts alongside your other posts in a simple, visual calendar. It helps you stay consistent and organized without the complexity, giving you more time to do what you do best: sell cars.