Whether or not you follow football or Taylor Swift, the power of a loyal following is worth studying. When Swift showed up at NFL games, the attention spread far beyond music, boosting interest in everything connected to her appearance. What could your shop accomplish with a fan base half as loyal?
In episode 100 of Maximum Octane, Kim Hickey talks with Jason Patel, a performance coach at ATI who is passionate about using digital storytelling to bring younger generations into the automotive industry. They discuss what shops can learn from the Taylor Swift effect, how to boost your social media presence, what social media is really about today, and which platforms deserve your attention.
What You Will Learn
- About the Taylor Swift effect on the Super Bowl
- What can auto shop owners do to boost their presence on social media
- What is social media all about these days
- How to get the reach in social media you want and need for your business
- What the automotive industry can learn from the entertainment industry
- What social media platforms every auto repair shop should build a presence on
The Taylor Swift Effect
Jason and Kim open with the Taylor Swift effect on the NFL and the Super Bowl conversation. A passionate fan base amplifies everything. Fans share, talk, and show up. That kind of loyalty is built over years through consistent connection, authenticity, and making fans feel part of something.
For a repair shop, a fan base looks a little different. It is the customer who recommends you at a backyard barbecue, leaves a detailed review without being asked, and comments on your posts because they recognize your technicians. Those fans did not appear because of one clever ad. They formed over many visits and many small moments where the shop proved it could be trusted. Social media does not replace that work, but it gives fans a place to gather and a way to bring their friends along. The goal is to give loyal customers something worth sharing.
Boosting Your Shop’s Social Presence
Around the 8 minute mark, Jason shares what shop owners can do to boost their presence on social media. The starting point is showing up consistently with content people want to see. That means less advertising and more storytelling: the people in your shop, the problems you solve, and the community you serve.
Consistency is where most shops struggle. A burst of posts during a slow week, followed by two months of silence, tells followers there is nobody home. A simpler plan that someone actually owns works better: one person responsible for capturing content, a short list of recurring post types, and a regular time each week to publish. Storytelling can be as plain as introducing a new technician, explaining why a brake job took longer than expected, or showing the shop volunteering at a local event. Real people and real work tend to outperform polished promotional graphics.
What Social Media Is About Today
Jason explains what social media is really about now. It is less about broadcasting messages and more about entertainment, education, and connection. People scroll for content that makes them laugh, learn, or feel something. Shops that understand that can earn attention instead of paying for it.
Corey Perlman makes a similar point in How to Maximize Your Auto Repair Shop’s Social Media Potential.
That shift changes what a good post looks like. A coupon announcement asks for something. A 30 second clip explaining what the dashboard warning light means gives something first. Shops that lead with education build credibility, and credibility is what makes a customer choose them when the check engine light finally comes on. Entertainment works too, as long as it fits the shop’s personality. A lighthearted video of the team guessing what is making a strange noise can earn more attention than a month of discount posts, and it shows prospective customers the people they will actually meet.
Getting the Reach You Need
Around the 17 minute mark, Jason discusses how to get the reach your business needs. Reach comes from consistency, content that people want to share, and engaging with your audience. Short-form video, in particular, has become one of the most effective ways to reach new people.
Ideas for shop video content:
- Quick “what we found” clips from inspections.
- Day-in-the-life videos featuring technicians.
- Answers to common customer questions in under a minute.
- Fun team moments that show your culture.
Engagement is the part shops most often skip. Platforms tend to show content to more people when the first viewers respond, so answering comments quickly and asking simple questions helps posts travel further. Tagging local partners, sharing customer shout-outs with permission, and joining community conversations also extend reach without spending money. Paid promotion can help a strong post reach more nearby drivers, but boosting weak content rarely fixes the underlying problem. Start by learning which organic posts get the best response, then put a modest budget behind those.
What Auto Repair Can Learn From Entertainment
Jason explains what the automotive industry can learn from the entertainment industry. Entertainers build personal connections, tell stories, and create anticipation. Shops can do the same by giving their brand a personality, celebrating their people, and creating moments customers want to talk about. This approach also helps recruit younger technicians, who often discover employers through social media.
Anticipation is an underused tool for shops. A project car build shared over several weeks, a countdown to a grand reopening, or a recurring weekly segment gives followers a reason to come back. Recurring characters matter too. When customers see the same technician explaining repairs every week, that person becomes familiar before the customer ever walks in. For recruiting, this visibility is powerful. Young technicians want to know what it feels like to work somewhere, and a feed full of real team moments answers that question better than any job posting can.
Which Platforms to Focus On
Around the 24 minute mark, Jason shares which social media platforms every repair shop should build a presence on. The right choice depends on your audience, but most shops benefit from focusing on a few platforms and doing them well rather than spreading thin across all of them.
A practical way to choose is to look at who you are trying to reach. Facebook remains a common place for local community groups and many established vehicle owners. Instagram and TikTok lean toward visual, short-form video and tend to reach younger audiences, including future technicians. YouTube is useful for longer explanations that customers search for, such as what a timing belt service involves. Your Google Business Profile is not a social network in the traditional sense, but posts and photos there show up when people search for a shop nearby, so it deserves regular attention.
Common Social Media Mistakes Shops Make
The most common mistake is treating social media as a billboard. Feeds filled only with specials and stock photos give people no reason to follow. Another is handing the account to whoever has free time, with no guidance on voice, privacy, or what is off limits. Shops also get into trouble by posting customer vehicles with visible license plates or personal details, or by arguing with a negative reviewer in public.
Finally, many owners quit too early. Building an audience takes months of steady effort, and early posts may get little response. Shops that keep going, learn from what performs, and stay true to their personality are the ones that eventually see results.
Measuring Whether Your Social Media Is Working
Follower counts are the least useful number to watch. Better signals include comments and shares, messages from potential customers, new customers who mention seeing the shop online, and job applicants who say your posts caught their attention. Adding a simple “How did you hear about us?” question at intake and in interviews connects social activity to real business outcomes.
Review results monthly. Note which post types earned the most engagement, which ones fell flat, and what the team enjoyed creating. Over a few months, patterns appear, and the plan can shift toward what your audience actually wants to see.
Social Media Action Plan
- Choose two platforms where your customers and future employees spend time.
- Commit to a posting schedule you can sustain.
- Film one short video each week featuring your team.
- Respond to every comment and message.
Jason returns with Geoff Berman in How to Make Your Auto Shop Start Like the Lions and End Like the 49ers. For a B2B perspective, listen to Harris Fanaroff in Why Auto Repair Shops Lose Customers by Ignoring LinkedIn.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is social media worth it for a small auto repair shop?
Yes, when it is used to build trust rather than just advertise. Most customers research a shop before calling, and an active page with real photos of the team and helpful explanations makes a shop feel familiar and credible. Social media also supports recruiting, since many younger technicians look at a shop’s online presence before applying. The investment is mostly time, so the key is choosing a sustainable schedule and sticking with it.
What should an auto repair shop post on social media?
Focus on content that educates, entertains, or connects. Short inspection clips showing what was found, quick answers to common customer questions, introductions to team members, behind-the-scenes moments, community involvement, and customer shout-outs shared with permission all work well. Limit purely promotional posts. Followers stay engaged when most content gives them something useful or enjoyable rather than asking them to buy.
How often should a repair shop post on social media?
There is no single right number. Consistency matters more than volume, so pick a frequency the team can maintain for months, whether that is two posts a week or one per day. A predictable rhythm, such as a weekly tech tip video, helps followers know what to expect. It is better to post less often and keep going than to post daily for two weeks and then disappear.
Can social media help my shop hire technicians?
It can be one of the most effective recruiting tools a shop has. Prospective technicians want to see the work environment, the equipment, and the people they would work with. Regular posts that celebrate team members, show training, and capture everyday shop culture let candidates picture themselves there. Mention open positions occasionally, but let the bulk of the content show why the shop is a good place to build a career.
