Your car dealership social media strategy should be one of your most reliable engines for reach, trust and lead generation. Yet for most dealerships, results feel flat.
Engagement is low. Video views stall. Leads are rare. And the posts that do go live often feel rushed – put together in the final minutes of the day.
If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. Dealership teams are busy. Sales teams are stretched. And marketing is almost always doing three jobs at once. The good news is that the biggest problems holding your social media performance back are fixable. Often quickly and without adding complexity to your already full workload.
This post breaks down the 10 most common reasons dealership social media underperforms, why they matter and the simple fixes that can be adopted to solve them. Lets get started.
1. You don’t have a defined car dealership social media strategy
Most dealerships think they have a social media strategy because they are posting. But posting is not a strategy. A strategy explains what you post, why you post it, who it is for, and how success is measured. Without that clarity, your social accounts become a stream of disconnected content that never builds momentum.
Signs your strategy is unclear
- You create posts only when someone has five spare minutes.
- There are no content themes or pillars.
- Posts do not connect to the customer journey.
- Success is measured by vague ideas like “more reach”.
The fix – Build content pillars that mirror how buyers shop
Good dealership social media is systematic. Not spontaneous. Create 4 to 6 content pillars that reflect what buyers actually want:
- Vehicle features and walkarounds.
- Customer stories and testimonials.
- Finance explainers and affordability content.
- Servicing and ownership tips.
- Local community and dealership culture.
- New arrivals and hero stock.
Once you have pillars, planning becomes clearer. Posting becomes consistent. And your content begins to feel intentional instead of improvised.
2. Your content is all about you, not your buyers
This is one of the most common dealership mistakes. If every post you share is a stock photo, a sale announcement, or a “just arrived” caption, your content becomes predictable. Buyers stop paying attention because there is no value for them.
People follow dealerships for insight, not inventory.
Why promotional-only content fails
- It provides no educational value.
- It blends in with every other dealership posting the same thing.
- It fails to reduce the questions and doubts buyers actually have.
The fix – Shift to value-led, customer-first content
High performing dealership social media is built around helping buyers make confident decisions.
Add posts that genuinely support their journey:
- How to choose between models.
- How finance really works.
- What servicing looks like at your dealership.
- The three things to check on a test drive.
- Short customer stories.
- Feature demos filmed by your sales team.
When the content is helpful, trust grows. When trust grows, enquiries follow.
3. You’re posting inconsistently or only when someone remembers
Algorithms reward consistency. Buyers reward familiarity. If your posts appear once a week, then disappear for ten days, your brand becomes forgettable.
Why inconsistency hurts performance
- The algorithm stops pushing your content.
- Buyers stop expecting to hear from you.
- Engagement drops which signals low quality to the platform.
The fix – Build a realistic weekly rhythm
You do not need to post ten times a week. Start with three posts and create a simple rotating schedule:
- Monday: stock or a walkaround video.
- Wednesday: customer or value-led content.
- Friday: culture or behind-the-scenes.
Schedule everything in advance. This removes the scramble and restores consistency.
4. Your salespeople aren’t using social media to sell
This is the biggest untapped opportunity in the industry. Your dealership’s official page can only reach so far. Your salespeople, however, have warm networks made up of local connections, past customers, and potential future buyers.
The missed opportunity
Most salespeople do not post because:
- They do not know what to share.
- They are unsure what is “allowed”.
- They do not have content ready to go.
The fix – Enable social selling
Give each salesperson:
- Share-ready content.
- Highlights of new stock.
- Short scripts for walkaround videos.
- Basic training on LinkedIn and Instagram.
People buy from people, so your sales teams online presence matters as much as the dealership’s.
5. You’re not looking at the data, or looking at the wrong data
Many dealerships only look at likes or impressions. But the numbers that matter for sales are deeper.
What you should actually measure
- Saves and shares.
- Profile visits.
- Link clicks.
- Video watch time.
- Enquiries generated.
These metrics tell you if buyers find your content useful and if your social activity is influencing their decisions.
The fix – Run a simple weekly review
Ten minutes is enough:
- Identify the top two performing posts.
- Recreate similar content.
- Identify the bottom two.
- Remove that style or topic from your plan.
This creates continuous improvement without complexity.
6. Your car dealership social media strategy engagement is one-sided or slow
Posting and leaving is not engagement. Social media networks reward two-way interaction, and buyers reward dealerships that feel human.
The fix – Make engagement an everyday habit
- Reply to comments within minutes where possible.
- Respond to messages promptly.
- React to customer posts and tags.
- Join local community conversations.
Engagement builds stronger relationships than posting ever will.
7. Your video content is weak or missing altogether
Dealerships that master video outperform every other dealership in their area. Buyers want to see cars in motion. They want to hear a salesperson talk through practical details and they want a closer look than a photo can offer.
Why video matters
- It builds trust quickly.
- It increases time spent with your content.
- It boosts visibility across Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
The fix – Keep videos simple
You do not need a studio. You need consistency.
- Thirty second walkarounds filmed on a phone.
- Test drive clips.
- A quick feature demo.
- A service advisor explaining maintenance.
Authenticity beats production.
8. You haven’t optimised your car dealership social media strategy for local SEO
Buyers should be able to find you instantly. Many cannot.
The fix – Ensure your social presence is discoverable
- Use your suburb or city in your bio.
- Update opening hours.
- Add accurate contact details.
- Use geo-tags on every post.
- Encourage reviews on Facebook and Google.
Small optimisations drive large improvements in visibility.
9. You’re not supporting organic posts with paid social
Organic reach alone is no longer enough. Even the best content needs light paid support to reach in-market buyers.
The fix – Use lightweight paid tactics
- Boost your best performing posts.
- Use local radius targeting.
- Retarget people who watched videos.
- Promote hero stock during peak interest.
Paid and organic working together beats either strategy alone.
10. Your dealer principal isn’t fully bought in
Without leadership support, social media becomes underfunded, misunderstood, or deprioritised. But when leadership is aligned, results scale quickly.
The fix – Show the commercial impact clearly
- Social media reduces cost per lead.
- It increases trust before a buyer arrives.
- It strengthens salesperson visibility.
- It supports new car, used car and service revenue.
When the commercial value is visible, support follows.
Final thoughts
If your dealership’s social media feels inconsistent, time-consuming, or ineffective, it is not because your team is not capable. It is because the system behind your content needs structure, rhythm and clarity.
The right setup removes stress. It removes the scramble and it gives your team the confidence to show up consistently without needing to overthink every post.
–
Related reading:
FAQs
How often should a car dealership post on social media?
Aim for three to five times per week. Consistency matters more than volume.
What type of content performs best for dealerships?
Short videos, customer stories, walkarounds, comparison posts, and finance explainers typically deliver the highest engagement and conversions.
Do salespeople need their own social media presence?
Yes. Their networks are warm and trust-based, making them one of the most effective channels for generating enquiries.
Done by you, backed by us.
Head to our Resource Hub for free guides, templates, cheat-sheets and practical resources that make social media easier.
