Think social media is just a distraction for teenage TikTokers and lifestyle influencers? Think again. At the recent Servicesure Conference, prominent automotive content creator Alex Kersten, perhaps better known as ‘Auto Alex’, took to the stage to demonstrate how a targeted online presence can be a highly effective commercial asset, one capable of driving workshop growth, solving recruitment headaches, and establishing bulletproof customer trust before a vehicle even enters your workshop.
For garage owners who believe their daily routine is far too mundane to film, or those who feel a genuine sense of dread at the thought of appearing on screen, Alex offered a reassuring and highly practical roadmap to getting started.
It is easy to look at the massive audiences watching automotive videos online and assume they are not your target market. After all, a garage owner needs local motorists with broken coil springs and slipping clutches, not a car enthusiast living three counties away.
However, Alex highlighted a crucial shift in how modern word-of-mouth recommendations operate.
Car enthusiasts act as vital “micro-influencers” within their own local communities and families. While recommendations used to be exchanged over a garden fence or a pint at the local pub, they have now largely migrated to Facebook groups, community pages, and video comment sections.
When a vehicle breaks down, the average motorist rarely clicks a Google ad; instead, they ask the dedicated “car person” in their social circle for advice. By convincing that knowledgeable enthusiast that your garage is transparent, professional, and technically competent, your workshop becomes the one they confidently recommend.
Bringing a vehicle in for repairs can cause genuine anxiety for the average consumer, who often feels vulnerable due to a lack of technical knowledge. Many motorists walk through a workshop door expecting a worst-case scenario and fearing they might be taken advantage of.
Alex explained that when people see the human face behind the garage, that defensive barrier instantly drops. Showing your team, your workshop layout, and your daily routine demystifies the entire repair process. By the time the customer actually arrives at your forecourt, a foundation of trust has already been established.
Social media myths
High-end cameras are required: Audiences actively scroll past polished corporate adverts; raw, genuine smartphone footage captures far more attention.
Everyday garage work is too boring: What feels like routine diagnostics to a technician is fascinating to an outsider eager to learn how things work.
You need to be a natural presenter: Authenticity wins over slick performances; being relatable and slightly awkward is far more endearing than being fake.
The comment sections are too toxic: Keyboard warriors will always exist, but they are a tiny minority next to hundreds of quiet, appreciative local viewers.
One of the biggest misconceptions holding garages back is the belief that they need to operate like a media production house.
Alex revealed that even major automotive channels deliberately keep their production style remarkably simple.
Audiences tend to glaze over when confronted with slick, overly polished corporate videos because they look like expensive adverts. Conversely, they stop scrolling for raw, handheld smartphone footage because it feels authentic and honest.
The only area where compromises cannot be made is audio quality. Audiences will willingly tolerate average phone video, but they will click away instantly if they struggle to hear what is being said.
Investing in a simple, affordable external wireless microphone setup that plugs directly into a smartphone is the single best equipment purchase a garage can make.
The content itself does not need to be revolutionary either. Alex pointed to independent creators like Salvage Rebuilds, who built an impressive online following simply by using an iPhone to document completely routine, unglamorous repair jobs on everyday vehicles.
Whether your team is diagnosing a tricky timing chain rattle or explaining the findings of a standard oil analysis, viewers love to feel educated. If you can teach a motorist something useful within a short snippet of video, the social media platforms will naturally reward and distribute your content.
For time-poor garage owners, the concept of recording video might feel like an unnecessary burden, but the long-term operational rewards extend far beyond just winning new local customers.
In an industry facing a severe skills shortage, a strong online presence is a massive asset for recruitment. Forward-thinking business leaders, skilled technicians, and ambitious apprentices want to work for garages that are modern, progressive, and proud of their expertise. An active social media profile serves as a continuous showcase for your workshop culture.
And as an online audience grows, it unlocks lucrative opportunities with parts suppliers, tool distributors, and diagnostic brands. Industry manufacturers are constantly looking for trusted workshop ambassadors to showcase their products, which can often result in product sponsorships, free equipment, and entirely new revenue streams for the business.
The key takeaway from the conference stage was simple: do not overthink the process, and do not try to project a persona that isn’t yours. Next time your workshop tackles an interesting diagnostic fault or a satisfying mechanical rebuild, grab a phone, hit record, and let your team’s natural professionalism do the talking.
