“When your socials look like everyone else’s, like a brochure or billboard, it’s not doing you justice or a good service.” That line from Corey Perlman sums up the biggest mistake many repair shops make on social media.
Corey is a keynote speaker, best-selling author, social media expert, and owner of Impact Social Media. He started teaching technology workshops at General Motors and car dealerships before social media was mainstream. In episode 91 of Maximum Octane, he and Kim Hickey cover what content works for repair shops, what to look for in a social media professional, common mistakes, and how to respond to negative reviews.
What You Will Learn
- About Corey’s journey into social media advertising and digital marketing
- How digital marketing impacted the car dealership industry
- What an auto repair shop owner should look for in a social media expert
- What kind of content works better for auto repair shops
- Corey talks about social media’s unproductive habits for auto shop owners
- How to respond to negative feedback online and negative reviews
Corey’s Journey Into Digital Marketing
Corey opens with how he got into social media and digital marketing. His early work with General Motors and dealerships gave him a front-row seat to how the internet changed car buying and service. That experience led to his book eBoot Camp, a speaking career, and eventually Impact Social Media.
That background is useful for shop owners because it shows that the online shift in automotive is not new. Dealerships went through the change first, learning that customers would form an opinion of a business long before they set foot in the showroom. Independent shops are facing the same reality. A shop’s website, Google Business Profile, reviews, and social media accounts now act as its front counter for anyone who has not visited yet. Owners who treat those channels as an extension of the customer experience, rather than as a chore, are better positioned to earn the trust of people who are still deciding where to take their vehicle.
How Digital Marketing Changed Dealerships
Around the 5 minute mark, Corey discusses how digital marketing transformed the car dealership industry. Customers began researching online before ever visiting a lot. The same shift has happened in auto repair. Most customers now look up reviews, websites, and social profiles before choosing a shop.
For repair shops, this means the first impression is usually digital. A driver with a check engine light may search on a phone, scan a handful of review ratings, click into a profile or two, and decide within minutes. Social media plays a supporting role in that decision. When a potential customer sees recent posts showing real technicians, a clean shop, and helpful advice, it reinforces the idea that the business is active, professional, and trustworthy. When the most recent post is months old, or every post is a coupon, it raises questions. Owners do not need to be everywhere, but the channels they use should look current and real.
What to Look for in a Social Media Expert
Corey explains what shop owners should look for when hiring a social media professional. Experience with local businesses, a focus on engagement rather than just posting volume, clear reporting, and an understanding of your brand all matter. Be cautious of anyone who promises guaranteed follower counts or relies only on generic stock content.
Before hiring anyone, it helps to ask a few direct questions. Who exactly will be creating the content, and how will they learn about your shop? How will they get photos and stories from inside the business? What will they report each month, and how does that connect to phone calls, appointments, or website visits? How do they handle comments, messages, and negative reviews? A good partner will want regular input from the shop, because authentic content depends on it. A provider that never asks about your team, your customers, or your community will likely produce the brochure-style posts Corey warns against.
Content That Works for Repair Shops
Around the 13 minute mark, Corey shares what kind of content works best. The answer is content that feels human: your team, your customers, behind-the-scenes looks at the shop, helpful tips, and community involvement. People connect with people, not with generic ads.
Content ideas that tend to perform well:
- Short introductions to technicians and advisors.
- Before-and-after photos of interesting repairs.
- Quick maintenance tips explained in plain language.
- Customer thank you posts and milestones, with permission.
- Photos from community events and sponsorships.
Short videos tend to work especially well because they show personality. A technician explaining in thirty seconds why a customer should not ignore a warning light, or a quick walk around the shop on a busy morning, gives followers a sense of who they would be dealing with. Content does not need professional production. A phone, good lighting, and a willing team member are usually enough. The bigger challenge is gathering material consistently. Many shops assign one person to capture a photo or short clip each day, then choose the best ones for the week. Always get permission before featuring a customer or their vehicle.
Unproductive Social Media Habits
Corey talks about the unproductive social media habits shop owners fall into, such as posting only promotions, being inconsistent, or ignoring comments and messages. Social media is a conversation, and shops that do not engage miss the point.
Another unproductive habit is chasing every new platform at once. Spreading effort across too many channels usually means none of them gets the attention it needs. Most local shops do better by choosing one or two platforms where their customers already spend time and showing up there consistently. A related habit is measuring success only by follower counts. A smaller, local, engaged audience that comments, shares, and calls the shop is worth far more than a large group of followers who will never visit. Finally, some owners hand social media off entirely and never look at it again, which leaves them unaware of comments and messages that deserve a response.
Responding to Negative Feedback
Around the 24 minute mark, Corey explains how to respond to negative feedback and reviews. Respond promptly, stay calm, acknowledge the customer’s concern, and offer to continue the conversation privately. Avoid arguing publicly. Future customers judge you by how you handle criticism.
ATI’s You’re Not Ruined! How to Respond to a Negative Review gives a step-by-step approach. Jimmy Lea also covers reviews in How to Get the Best Out of Your Raving Fans on Google.
A simple framework helps keep responses professional. Thank the customer for the feedback, acknowledge their experience without making excuses, briefly state what the shop will do or invite them to call a named person, and keep it short. Never share private details about the repair or the customer in a public reply. It also helps to have a second person read the response before posting when emotions are running high. Shops should also be careful about how they ask for reviews. The Federal Trade Commission’s guidance on endorsements and reviews explains why incentivized or selectively solicited reviews can create problems.
How to Build a Simple Weekly Posting Routine
Consistency matters more than volume, and a simple routine makes consistency realistic for a busy shop. One approach is to give each weekday a theme. Monday might introduce a team member, Wednesday might share a maintenance tip, and Friday might highlight an interesting repair or a community event. Themes remove the daily question of what to post and make it easier to plan ahead.
Set aside a short block of time each week to gather photos, write captions, and schedule posts. Most platforms and many shop marketing tools allow scheduling in advance, so the work can be done in one sitting. Then build in a few minutes each day to check comments, messages, and reviews and respond promptly. Once a month, look back at which posts drew the most engagement and do more of what worked. Over time, this routine produces a feed that looks like a real local business run by real people, which is exactly the impression Corey encourages shops to create.
Social Media Self-Audit
- Do your last ten posts look like ads or like real people?
- How quickly do you respond to comments and messages?
- Are you posting consistently every week?
- Have you replied to every negative review professionally?
This episode returned as a Maximum Octane throwback. For a B2B angle, listen to Harris Fanaroff in Why Auto Repair Shops Lose Customers by Ignoring LinkedIn.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should an auto repair shop post on social media?
Content that shows real people tends to perform best. Introduce your technicians and advisors, share before-and-after photos of interesting repairs, post short maintenance tips in plain language, celebrate customer milestones with permission, and highlight community events your shop supports. Mix in occasional promotions, but avoid making every post an ad. The goal is to help potential customers get to know and trust your team before they ever call the shop.
How often should a repair shop post on social media?
Consistency matters more than frequency. Many local businesses aim for a few posts per week on one or two platforms, which is enough to look active without overwhelming the team. Choose a schedule you can maintain for months, not just weeks. A simple weekly theme plan and a scheduling tool make it easier. Just as important is responding to comments and messages promptly, because social media is a conversation, not a bulletin board.
Should I hire someone to manage my shop’s social media?
It can make sense if no one on the team has the time or interest to do it well. Look for someone with experience serving local businesses, a focus on engagement rather than just posting volume, clear monthly reporting, and a willingness to learn your brand and team. Avoid providers who promise guaranteed follower counts or rely entirely on generic stock content. Even with outside help, plan to supply photos, stories, and input from inside the shop.
How should a repair shop respond to a negative online review?
Respond promptly and calmly. Thank the reviewer, acknowledge their concern without arguing or making excuses, and invite them to continue the conversation privately with a named person and phone number. Do not share private repair or customer details publicly. Keep the reply short and professional. Remember that future customers are reading your response as much as the original reviewer, and a thoughtful reply can show that your shop takes concerns seriously.
Which social media platform is best for auto repair shops?
The best platform is the one your local customers already use. For many repair shops, that means Facebook and Instagram, along with keeping a Google Business Profile current, since it often appears first in local searches. Short video platforms can work well for shops with team members comfortable on camera. Rather than trying to be everywhere, pick one or two channels, post consistently, and engage with your audience before expanding.
Resources and Links From This Episode
Connect With the Guests
- Corey: website, LinkedIn, Get Corey’s books!
