The automotive business has at all times been extremely aggressive; a brand new automobile is a big funding for people and companies, and there’s typically a prolonged consideration stage earlier than a purchase order is made. It’s additionally a crowded market, with a number of world manufacturers competing for consideration via distinct choices and model attraction.
Advertising and marketing and gross sales for automobiles and elements was once dealt with virtually fully offline, however instances have modified. As consumers proceed to show to on-line channels when contemplating their choices, a robust social media presence is extra essential than ever. By aligning social objectives with companywide model and gross sales targets, automotive corporations can set themselves aside and construct a extra vital presence within the wider market.
On this article, we’ll clarify which methods automotive corporations needs to be investing in, primarily based on energetic developments. We’ll additionally share real-world examples of profitable social media advertising and marketing for automotive, together with from one of many world’s greatest automotive manufacturers, Honda.
What’s automotive social media advertising and marketing?
Automotive social media advertising and marketing is any techniques and techniques utilized by automobile or automobile elements manufacturers on social networks.
This may embody the varieties of content material automotive corporations are creating, the channels they prioritize and the processes they comply with to extend their attain. Sometimes, this type of advertising and marketing is used to drive gross sales, additional a model’s identification and construct loyalty.
The significance of social media in automotive advertising and marketing
Gone are the times when individuals would merely stroll right into a dealership and purchase primarily based on sight and gross sales pitches. The rise of on-line buying has utterly modified the way in which individuals analysis and purchase vehicles, and the elements they want for them.
Social media is on the forefront of that change. Within the US, 44% of individuals imagine that social media is probably the most influential type of media relating to advertising and marketing new automobiles. Equally within the UK, 40% of individuals say that social media adverts would affect their resolution of whether or not or to not purchase a brand new automobile. In the meantime, 46% of Chinese language consumers depend on a automobile’s social media critiques earlier than they make a purchase order.
That is per bigger developments in social media. In keeping with The State of Social Media in 2025, 41% of Gen Z flip to social media first when looking for new info, and 76% of individuals general stated they’ve been influenced by social media when buying within the final six months.
Social has a significant function to play in wider automotive advertising and marketing methods. Used successfully, social campaigns may also help cut back general advertising and marketing prices and enhance a model’s attain. It’s additionally a vital channel for direct communication with prospects, significantly throughout a disaster.
By utilizing superior instruments like Sprout Social Listening, an automotive social account can be used to raised perceive prospects’ emotions and intentions, which may then assist with refining advertising and marketing approaches over time.
All of those elements level to social being the central level for shoppers to find and love manufacturers, which is why automotive manufacturers needs to be investing of their social media presence.
Social media developments for automotive
We’ve recognized a number of present developments that automotive manufacturers are utilizing to set themselves aside on social media. Whereas not all of them are distinctive to the business, the way in which you strategy these developments may also help set you up for fulfillment when plotting your automotive social media advertising and marketing technique.
Direct engagement
The ability of social media isn’t simply due to the attain it may well provide; it additionally gives manufacturers alternatives to immediately interact with their viewers. By way of replying to feedback, managing DMs and social inboxes and leveraging user-generated content material (UGC), social media permits automotive corporations to speak with and encourage interactions from their followers.
Honda is one such world automotive model that’s benefiting from direct follower engagement. One of many firm’s social media advertising and marketing objectives is to make use of social as the first engine for a two-way dialog between the model and its prospects. To realize this, they’ve been utilizing Sprout Social’s social media administration instruments.
Since shifting to Sprout, of their first yr, Honda achieved a 251% enhance in neighborhood engagement. In yr two, they centered on refining the standard of those conversations via automation and a sensible use of filtering instruments.
This deal with high-quality engagements meant Honda might cut back queue instances by 40%, liberating up roughly 40 hours a month. Giving them extra time to refine their content material methods and conduct proactive knowledge evaluation. It additionally enabled them to attain a 91% high-quality engagement charge as a model, far greater than the automotive business customary of 75%.
Study extra from Honda’s social crew concerning the success and worth they discovered with direct social media engagement whereas utilizing Sprout.
Strategic influencer and creator partnerships
The Q2 2025 Sprout Social Pulse Survey discovered that 64% of all social customers say when a model companions with an influencer they like, they’re keen to purchase extra from that model. Purchases might be considerably impacted by strategic influencer and creator collaborations, however success depends on cautious analysis and viewers alignment.
It’s essential that you just spend time discovering the proper influencer or collaborator in your explicit model. This identical rule applies if you happen to’re hoping to create collaborative content material with conventional celebrities, like actors or athletes. The extra an influencer’s content material and viewers aligns along with your automotive model, the extra probably the content material you create collectively will resonate.
For Honda, that meant partnering with content material creators like @mobile_mama_reviews. Her understanding of the business, and partner-focused content material, align nicely with a selected market Honda is concentrating on: drivers wanting family-friendly vehicles.
Seize area of interest pursuits
A confirmed strategy to stand out out there is to lean into your area of interest viewers, interesting to particular segments of the market that your model can uniquely help.
For instance, some manufacturers focus totally on segments throughout the luxurious market, like premium sports activities automobiles or accoutrements, whereas others market themselves as reasonably priced household vehicles. However in automobile advertising and marketing, it’s attainable to drill down into these segments even additional to attain a stronger reference to shoppers.
One instance of area of interest curiosity concentrating on in social automotive advertising and marketing is Subaru. A Japanese firm that was once related to sports activities and motorbikes, Subaru makes use of its on-line and social methods to market its automobiles to canine house owners. They launched the BBC Countryfile Canine of the 12 months competitors in 2025, and lately posted this social marketing campaign in partnership with the ASPCA.
These campaigns put Subaru front-of-mind for individuals who worth sturdy, journey automobiles, however who additionally use them to move their canine. By concentrating on this area of interest, they’ve been capable of converse on to what a phase of their viewers is captivated with. This helps their model resonate extra strongly with these inside this area of interest of pet lovers.
Digital experiences via AR/VR
Since shopping for a automobile is such a private expertise (and funding), many consumers wish to see a automobile in particular person and drive it themselves earlier than they commit. Automotive dealerships nonetheless serve this essential perform, however new applied sciences can help digital experiences that lead consumers to the dealership. Crucially, they’re additionally an effective way to face out out of your competitors, attractive new and dependable followers to check drive the newest mannequin.
AR/VR experiences can showcase new automobile fashions, providing customers a chance to examine a automobile from a number of angles. You too can create short-form movies for function showcases or long-form activations that hyperlink up with campaigns. By getting artistic with these immersive experiences, you’ll be able to provide prospects a extra distinctive shopping for journey. This could additionally assist your model really feel extra modern and tech-focused, which might be an essential affiliation to have in right this moment’s market.
In Honda’s “Wall of Goals” AR/VR marketing campaign, they arrange AR murals in LA, supported by sky segmentation expertise, that means their artwork might merge with the sky. They used this interactive expertise to advertise Honda’s mission for carbon neutrality with their suite of EV automobiles.
7 social media advertising and marketing methods for the automotive business
Now that you just’re conscious of a number of the main developments in automotive social media advertising and marketing right this moment, let’s dive into confirmed methods you should utilize to spice up efficiency. We’ll additionally share insights from Honda’s social media crew on how a few of these methods information their strategy.
1. Align social content material with the client journey
Each piece of content material you publish throughout social ought to match someplace alongside your buyer journey. Content material like a model showcase Reel can construct consciousness, whereas a brand new mannequin reveal might seize viewers on the consideration or resolution phases.
No matter stage, intention to embed a narrative inside your content material. Take a look at how one can construct a story round your model and its merchandise, and weave this into the whole lot you create. Right here’s a latest instance from Low cost Tire’s Instagram, the place they’ve mixed storytelling with interplay, encouraging their followers to have interaction via emoji feedback round a standard downside their model can clear up.
Social media advertising and marketing instruments can even aid you join social posts along with your purchaser’s journey via CRM integrations, like Sprout’s Salesforce integration. Integrations like this join your content material with knowledge collected out of your gross sales crew so you’ve a extra holistic view of your gross sales and advertising and marketing efforts.
2. Determine key social channels and adapt your content material accordingly
An efficient social technique means placing your content material in entrance of the proper individuals, and selecting your channels is the primary (and arguably most essential) step. Within the automotive business, networks like Fb, Instagram and YouTube are all very important for rising your model’s attain.
Different networks like TikTok and LinkedIn may also be helpful in your model, relying on the age of your audience and if you happen to’re making an attempt to draw B2B prospects. As soon as you choose the proper social channels in your model, ensure you dedicate sufficient time to creating content material for every account.
For example, Honda has constructed a big following of 5.6 million individuals on Fb, and has began increasing onto TikTok, the place they’ve achieved virtually 500,000 followers. As you develop your following throughout networks, take into consideration what content material you’ll be able to repost or repurpose, like utilizing Instagram content material for TikTok (proven under), or Fb posts throughout LinkedIn. Honda typically repurposes its Instagram Reels content material for TikTok, so it may well construct a presence on each networks effectively.
3. Construct belief with neighborhood administration and social buyer care
In keeping with Allie Coulter, Honda’s Social Media Director, “Social is a lot past content material…This isn’t simply movies and pictures anymore. It’s the neighborhood administration piece that’s really the dialog.”
Your neighborhood is simply as very important because the content material you’re publishing. Alongside content material, it is advisable to handle the social inboxes of your accounts often so that you just’re offering the proper degree of buyer care. As Honda’s Senior Social Media Strategist, Heather Epstein, shares, it’s about “Working with our prospects 1-to-1, ensuring that we’re answering all of our buyer’s’ questions, and likewise ensuring that our prospects learn about the whole lot that we’re doing.”
In case your social or care groups are unfold too skinny, think about implementing a chatbot that may filter conversations earlier than you get to them. Instruments like Sprout provide a Bot Builder that lets you simply construct and automate distinctive chatbots for Instagram, WhatsApp, Fb and X (previously Twitter). By setting auto-responses, you’ll be able to react rapidly to frequent questions or points, and save your crew’s time for addressing advanced buyer requests.
In addition to fielding messages, take into consideration how one can construct an energetic neighborhood via your social content material. Create interactive posts like polls, contests or UGC campaigns that encourage followers to have interaction immediately. Alongside boosting engagement, such a content material additionally provides you perception into buyer opinions and behaviors, which can be utilized to refine your gross sales strategy. Replying to feedback can even shock and delight your prospects and present you’re listening to them.
4. Spend money on paid social promoting
Paid social campaigns provide better attain and might increase the profitable content material you’ve already created. They are often significantly useful when paired with an influencer, creator or movie star marketing campaign, as you’ll multiply the advantages of your marketing campaign by getting it in entrance of extra individuals.
Paid social methods can be used to help omnichannel activations. As one instance, BMW promoted its BMW Intelligence movie collection throughout YouTube and different video-based social networks, with every video linked to a function of its vehicles.
5. Unlock buyer insights with social listening and media monitoring
Listening to prospects is one other core a part of Honda’s social media success. As Coulter says, it “…goes again to that two manner dialog that we actually wished to create, to ensure that we’re the corporate that listens and that we’re incorporating what our prospects needs and wishes are into our content material.”
Epstein says social listening is a very helpful approach for content material planning and understanding Honda’s viewers: “In relation to producing a number of our content material, we glance to social listening to see what varieties of options individuals are speaking about, like what options actually make the distinction between shopping for or not shopping for a sure automobile. And we be sure to emphasise these options relating to producing that content material.”
Superior social listening and media monitoring instruments give you extra detailed insights into present developments, viewers behaviors and automotive information. By leveraging these instruments, you’ll be able to achieve extra worth out of your social networks by turning them into actionable knowledge turbines in addition to attain growers.
NewsWhip by Sprout Social permits automotive corporations to entry predictive media intelligence so you’ll be able to react to developments earlier than they hit the mainstream. By coupling this monitoring with Social Listening, you’ll be able to achieve full visibility into what your prospects are saying proper now and what they anticipate from you and your competitors over the long run.
6. Allow your companions with social media campaigns
Automobile manufacturers don’t carry out in a vacuum; their success depends on an internet of dealerships, franchises, suppliers and different partnerships. By enabling your companions on social, you’ll have the twin advantage of strengthening your reference to them whereas additionally creating partaking content material.
Coulter refers to this strategy as a manner of constructing a middle of excellence: “There’s so many factions of our enterprise. Which we all know makes it sophisticated however superior. And that’s the place we all know that…these manufacturers want their very own capability to speak what they want. However the model additionally wants that consistency as nicely. In order that’s why we’re constructing that heart of excellence.”
Honda understands that every part of their model and enterprise wants its personal communication methodology, however that all of them must be aligned to a core identification. A latest instance of that is Honda’s collaboration publish about their F1 automobile, the Williams FW11. Honda collaborated on this publish with 5 completely different Instagram accounts, together with their primary model, their sub-brands like Honda Racing and the private account of their racecar driver, Takuma Sato.
Campaigns like this one additional the attain of you and your companions, and present your prospects how numerous your model is.
7. Measure, optimize, repeat
The one strategy to successfully enhance your social efforts is by gathering knowledge, analyzing it and utilizing it to refine future methods.
Spend money on analytics instruments that may provide better visibility into your social technique efficiency. Use this knowledge to establish which campaigns are resonating probably the most along with your viewers, and the place additional refinement is required. Then, use these insights to information your upcoming content material campaigns.
By monitoring marketing campaign efficiency, social knowledge can even aid you enhance different areas of your group. Embed the insights you’ve gained from these methods into your quarterly critiques, and mix the information to uncover market modifications and calls for, and the actions your model needs to be taking subsequent.
Gasoline your automotive social media advertising and marketing with social knowledge
Social media is already a key channel for shoppers to find manufacturers, so it’ll proceed to be an essential and rising channel for automotive manufacturers. By utilizing these social methods and injecting social knowledge into your broader methods, you’ll refine your strategy to automotive social media advertising and marketing whereas staying deeply linked to your viewers throughout touchpoints.
Study how one can place your social media technique to impression the underside line of your automotive enterprise with The 2025 Affect of Social Media Advertising and marketing report.
