I’ll be honest: when I started ED AutoCare, I thought social media was going to be my main source of customers. I’d post amazing before/afters, go viral, and bookings would flood in.
That’s not what happened.
Social media works differently than you’d expect. It’s not the main source of bookings. It’s for building trust with people who already know about you. Here’s what actually works.
Which Platforms Matter (and Which Don’t)
I’ve tried Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Here’s what I learned:
Facebook - Essential
This is where your customers are. Not young people on their personal profiles. I mean local community groups, marketplace, and business pages.
Most valuable for:
- Local community groups (e.g., “Middlesbrough Buy & Sell”, “Teesside Recommendations”)
- Marketplace listings when you offer deals
- Your business page (for credibility more than reach)
- Event promotion (when you’re doing a limited-time offer)
I get 2-3 bookings a month from Facebook, usually from community groups or word of mouth. It’s consistent work.
Instagram - Worth It If You Enjoy It
Instagram is where detailers showcase their work. Beautiful before/afters, satisfying videos, that sort of thing.
Reality check: Unless you’ve got 5000+ followers, Instagram won’t directly bring you many bookings. But it’s good for:
- Building credibility (people check your Insta before booking)
- Showing personality/behind the scenes
- Engaging with the local car community
- Getting shared by car enthusiast pages
I post 2-3 times a week. Takes me 10 minutes. Brings in maybe 1 booking a month directly, but dozens of people mention they looked at my Instagram before booking through other channels.
TikTok - High Effort, Unpredictable
The algorithm can blow you up or ignore you completely. I tried for three months, got a few videos to 50k+ views, and got exactly zero bookings from it.
Here’s why: TikTok serves your content to people far away. A lad in London watching satisfying car cleaning videos isn’t going to book me in Middlesbrough.
That said, if you’re young, comfortable on camera, and enjoy creating content, TikTok can build your profile. Just don’t expect it to fill your calendar.
LinkedIn - Skip It
Unless you’re targeting company car fleets or business executives, LinkedIn is a waste of time for detailing.
Twitter/X - Skip It
No one’s booking a car detail through Twitter.
My recommendation: Start with Facebook (essential) and Instagram (easy to maintain). Ignore everything else until you’re fully booked and bored.
What to Post (and How Often)
The mistake I made early was posting too much. Three posts a day, every day. Two problems:
- People got tired of seeing me in their feed
- I burned out after two months and quit
What works: consistency over volume.
Ideal Posting Schedule:
- Facebook business page: 2-3 times per week
- Instagram: 2-3 times per week (can be the same content as Facebook)
- Facebook community groups: Once a week maximum (more feels spammy)
This is manageable. It keeps you visible without burning you out or annoying people.
Content That Actually Works
Not all content is equal. Here’s what gets engagement and what gets bookings:
Before/After Photos - Your Bread and Butter
This is what people want to see. The more dramatic the transformation, the better.
What works:
- Swirled black paint → glossy corrected finish
- Filthy interior → showroom clean
- Oxidised headlights → crystal clear
- Engine bay grime → detailed engine
Take the “before” photo before you start work. I can’t tell you how many times I forgot this in my first month and had no comparison shot. Costs you the best content.
Format: Side-by-side or slider posts work best. Just the after photo doesn’t show the transformation.
Progress/Process Videos
These do surprisingly well. People find them satisfying.
Examples:
- Foam cannon covering a car
- Clay bar revealing contamination
- Machine polisher removing swirls
- Ceramic coating beading water
Keep them short (15-30 seconds). Film on your phone. No fancy editing needed. Just clip out the boring bits.
I post one of these a week on Instagram, usually get 3x the engagement of regular photos.
Customer Reviews/Testimonials
Screenshot good reviews (ask permission first) and post them. Add a photo of the car if you have one.
People trust other customers more than your own marketing. A customer saying “Ethan transformed my car, highly recommend” beats anything you could say.
Behind-the-Scenes/Personal Stuff
Show personality here:
- You working with the polisher
- Your van or workspace setup
- A tricky job you solved well
- What you’ve learned from mistakes
This doesn’t get many likes, but it builds trust. People want to know you’re normal before they let you near their car.
What Doesn’t Work:
- Memes (overdone, looks unprofessional)
- Motivational quotes (“Success is a journey…” - save it)
- Reposting other people’s content
- Overly salesy posts (“BOOK NOW!!! LIMITED TIME!!!”)
- Posting about products/tools too much (nobody cares what wax you use except other detailers)
The Before/After Formula
Since before/afters are your most important content, let me break down what makes them work:
Good lighting - Take both photos in similar light. Harsh sunlight or garage lighting is fine, just be consistent. Don’t take the “before” in a dark garage and the “after” in bright sun. It looks fake.
Same angle - Stand in the same spot for both shots. Makes the comparison clearer.
Show the problem - Your “before” needs to actually show why they needed detailing. Swirls, dirt, dullness. Make sure it’s visible.
Minimal caption - You don’t need an essay. “2015 BMW 3 Series - Full paint correction and ceramic coating. Before on the left, after on the right.” Done.
Tag the location - Always tag your town/area on Instagram and Facebook. Helps locals find you.
Building a Following (Without Paying for Ads)
I’ve never paid for Facebook or Instagram ads. Here’s how I built my following:
Engage in Local Groups
Join every local Facebook group relevant to your area. Not to spam them, but to be helpful.
When someone posts “Can anyone recommend a good car detailer?”, reply genuinely. Don’t just say “I do detailing, message me.” Say something like: “I run ED AutoCare, been detailing full-time for 3 years around Middlesbrough. Happy to answer any questions or provide a quote.”
You’ll get banned if you spam. But genuine, helpful responses build trust and get you bookings.
Ask Customers to Follow/Review
After a good job, simply say: “If you’re happy with the work, I’d really appreciate a review on Google or a follow on Instagram if you use it.” Most people say yes.
I don’t do this pushy. Just a casual mention while packing up. Maybe 40% follow through. That’s fine. Adds up over time.
Collaborate with Local Car Pages
Most areas have Instagram pages like “@TeessideCars” or Facebook groups for local car meets. Offer to detail an admin’s car for free (or cheap) in exchange for a feature/shoutout.
I did this once, got 200 followers from one post. Half of them aren’t local, but the credibility boost was worth it.
Use Hashtags (Instagram Only)
Use a mix of local and service-based hashtags:
Local: #MiddlesbroughCars #TeessideDetailing #RedcarCars Service: #CarDetailing #PaintCorrection #MobileDetailing #CeramicCoating Broad: #Detailing #CarCare #AutoDetailing
Don’t use 30 hashtags. 8-12 relevant ones is plenty.
Consistency Beats Virality
I’ve had posts with 50 likes and posts with 2,000 views. The 50-like posts brought more bookings because they reached local people.
You don’t need to go viral. You need to stay visible locally. Post regularly, engage with local content, and be present in community groups.
What About Paid Ads?
I ran Facebook ads for three months. Spent £300, got maybe 4 bookings. Barely broke even.
Here’s why ads are tricky for local detailing:
- People don’t impulse-book detailing. They think about it, check you out, then maybe book weeks later. Hard to track ROI.
- Facebook targets broadly. Half my ad views were people 30 miles away who’d never actually drive to me.
- You’re competing with people offering £20 hand car wash vouchers. Your £150 paint correction looks expensive in comparison.
My advice: Don’t run ads until you’re consistently fully booked from organic methods and want to expand. Use that £300 on better equipment or a website instead.
Common Mistakes I Made
Mistake 1: Posting Every Single Car
For two months, I posted every car I did. Three posts a day. People unfollowed me because their feed was just my content. Now I’m selective. Only post the good transformations or interesting jobs.
Mistake 2: Comparing Myself to Big Accounts
I’d see detailers with 50k followers and think I was doing something wrong. Then I realised most of them aren’t fully booked either. They just look busy online. I’ve got 800 followers and I’m turning work away. Followers ≠ income.
Mistake 3: Ignoring Engagement
I’d post and disappear. Didn’t reply to comments, didn’t like other people’s posts, didn’t engage in local groups. Social media is called “social” for a reason. It’s a two-way thing.
Now I spend 10 minutes a day replying to comments, liking local posts, and commenting on car content. Builds relationships, makes you visible.
Mistake 4: Trying to Be Someone Else
I tried copying the style of big detailing influencers: fancy transitions, upbeat music, loads of energy. Felt fake because that’s not me.
Now I just post honest, straightforward content. “Here’s a car I detailed today, here’s what I did, looks good now.” That’s it. People respond better to real than to over-produced.
Mistake 5: Obsessing Over Likes
I’d post, then check likes every 20 minutes and feel bad if numbers were low.
Now I post and forget about it until evening. Social media is a long game. A post with 15 likes today might bring a £300 booking in three months when someone remembers you.
What to Do This Week
If you’re just starting with social media:
- Create a Facebook business page (if you haven’t already)
- Create an Instagram business account
- Take before/after photos of your next 3 jobs (even if they’re mates’ cars)
- Post one before/after to Facebook and Instagram with a simple caption
- Join 5 local Facebook groups (community groups, buy/sell groups, car groups)
- Introduce yourself once in each group (don’t sell, just say hi and what you do)
- Commit to posting 2-3 times per week for the next month
That’s it. Don’t overthink it. Social media isn’t going to make you rich overnight, but it’s a solid supporting tool that builds credibility and keeps you visible.
The real bookings come from doing good work, getting reviews, and being recommended. Social media just helps people find you when they’re ready to book.
Want more on getting those first customers? Check out our guide on getting your first customers or see how we handle bookings at ED AutoCare.