Karbeam study

What actually works on Instagram for car dealers

We analysed 4,269 posts from 172 active dealership accounts to find out which ones get the most likes and comments. Here is what we found, with real examples and how to do the same.

Data collected on October 14, 2026

50%

of reels do better than the dealer's usual post. Only 21% of single photos do.
63%

of the big hits (5 times the usual or more) are reels, although reels are only 35% of posts.
1.3

posts a week for the typical active dealership. Half post less than that.
30%

of the dealership accounts we could read had posted nothing for two months.

The short version

Video wins. 50% of reels beat the dealer's usual post, against 21% of single photos, and most big hits are reels.
Give the car a personality. The best posts open with a hook or a nickname, not with the price.
Show people. Posts about cars handed over to their new owners (47%) and about events (47%) beat the usual post more often than the average post (39%).
Keep a rhythm. 43% of active dealers post less than once a week, so posting regularly is the easiest way to stand out.
Don't lead with the price. Only 30% of price posts and 27% of promotion posts beat the usual post, against 39% on average.

Finding 1

Videos beat photos

Reels are 35% of what dealers post, but 47% of their three best posts and 63% of all big hits. Among the 132 dealers who post both, reels do better than photos in 64% of accounts.

Share of all posts Share of each dealer's 3 best posts Beat the dealer's usual post

Reels (video)

1,478 posts

50%

35%

47%

Carousels

1,822 posts

40%

43%

39%

Single photo

966 posts

21%

23%

14%

Finding 2

Posts about people beat posts about price

We sorted every caption by what it talks about, then counted how many of those posts did better than the dealer's usual post. Across all posts, 39% do. Topics above that line work better than the rest.

Better than average About average Below average Average for all posts: 39%

Giveaway 57%

Humour 56%

Sold, delivery 47%

Event 47%

Team, behind the scenes 42%

New arrival 40%

Vehicle presentation 38%

Warranty, servicing, trade-in 33%

Price, financing 30%

Promotion, offer 27%

Humour and giveaways do best but are rare (about 2% of posts each), so take them as a hint rather than proof.

Finding 3

Most dealers post too rarely to be seen

How often each active dealership posts. An account that posts rarely drops out of its followers' feeds, and posting every week already puts you ahead of the 43% of dealers who post less.

21% 36 dealerships

22% 38 dealerships

25% 43 dealerships

22% 37 dealerships

10% 18 dealerships

Less than every 2 weeks Every 1 to 2 weeks 1 to 2 a week 2 to 4 a week 4 or more a week

Posts per week, averaged over each account's last 25 posts.

What to post

8 post types that work for dealerships

Each one comes from real posts in the study that beat their account's usual result. Under each type: why it works, how to do it, and real examples. The orange badge is the post's multiplier.

Reels with a hook and a nickname

The first second decides whether people keep watching. The dealers who do best give the car a character or a promise, a Maserati Quattroporte becomes a V8 Ferrari for under 20,000 euros, and write it on screen in big letters. A nickname works in a carousel too: a BMW Z3 coupe known as the clown shoe.

Put a 3 to 6 word title on the first frame.
Find a nickname or a promise: who is this car made for?
Start the caption with the hook. Price and specs come after.

@azur_luxury_motors

11,389 followers · Reel

30.6x usual

674 likes and comments

Loading the post from Instagram

What actually works on Instagram for car dealers

The short version

Videos beat photos

Posts about people beat posts about price

Most dealers post too rarely to be seen

8 post types that work for dealerships

Reels with a hook and a nickname

A salesperson presents the car

New arrivals, every week

Customers collecting their car

Events and local life

A bit of humour from the team

Giveaways tied to a local event

Share what you know

What works less well

How we did this study

Questions dealers ask us

Where does your account stand?