Digital Due Diligence findings about automotive giants’ social media landscapes: Uncover key insights into the top 20 car brands, including how Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Ferrari, and Tesla leverage social media platforms to boost engagement and brand value.
Lóránt Erős
Digital Strategist
This article is part of our Automotive DDD series, where we explore the power of Digital Due Diligence in the automotive industry. Read on to uncover the fascinating link between the digital strategies of today’s top 20 most valued car brands and their overall brand value.
KEY POINTS:
Mercedes-Benz and BMW are leading the pack when it comes to social media followers, showcasing global dominance in engagement and presence.
Ferrari excels on TikTok, while Tesla takes the lead on YouTube, highlighting the critical role of video content in audience engagement
Four out of the top five automotive brands with the most social followers are German luxury brands
Who Rules the Road of Social Media? A Look at Strengths and Trends
Aggregated social media followers per brand
When it comes to social media strength within the automotive industry, the DDD revealed several stand-out players and hot trends. Let’s take a look at the most prominent ones, shall we?
Mercedes-Benz and BMW (with a gap of 6 million) hold the crown for the most followers, highlighting a strong global presence and reach. Interestingly, German car brands are dominating the top five most-followed list, with a whopping four spots.
Looking at the top 10, luxury car brands are clearly making a splash, grabbing four spots. If you zoom in even closer, you may or may not be surprised to see that 9 brands have over 30 million followers, and 6 of those have a staggering 40+ million.
Instagram and Facebook have emerged as the most popular platforms for automotive brands, with the highest exploration rates and follower numbers. X (Twitter) also holds a notable position, securing the third-highest follower count. Tesla reigns supreme on X by having over 19 million followers. This represents a significant portion of the total industry follower base on the platform, which sits at around 40 million. And finally, while many car companies have a presence on LinkedIn, the follower numbers suggest it's not a top priority for their social media strategies at the moment.
Hitting Play: The Power of Video Platforms for Automotive Brands
Percentage of YouTube and TikTok followers in relation to total follower base
In today's world, car companies can't just rely on fancy brochures. That's where video platforms like YouTube and TikTok come in – they're like the ultimate car show!
These platforms allow automotive brands to showcase their vehicles, features, and brand identity through dynamic video content and also enable them to connect with their followers on a more personal level, offering virtual test drives, behind-the-scenes peeks, and promotional videos.
YouTube, being a popular video-sharing platform, allows automotive brands to reach a wide audience and generate a high number of video views. Tesla, for instance, uses YouTube to show off their electric cars and all the cool tech and innovation they pack in. People love it – these kinds of videos attract tons of views and engagement. Tesla, in fact, garners the most video views on the platform among the analysed brands.
YouTube and TikTok aggregated follower base
On the other hand, TikTok, a platform known for short-form video content, offers automotive brands the opportunity to create fun and creative videos that resonate with younger audiences. Brands like Hyundai have seen success on TikTok by generating a high number of video views. However, engagement rates, which measure how actively users interact with the content, may vary compared to other platforms. So the very nature of TikTok might influence how deeply users connect with the content.
Hashtag Horsepower: Instagram and Facebook in the Automotive World
Aggregated social media followers per channel
Instagram and Facebook play essential roles in the social media portfolio of automotive brands for visual storytelling, brand promotion, and community engagement. Here's how these platforms help automotive brands win over fans:
Instagram, known for its visual-centric nature, allows automotive brands to showcase their vehicles in a visually appealing manner.
Both Instagram and Facebook serve as effective channels for promoting new vehicle launches, special promotions, and brand campaigns. Automotive brands can reach wide audiences through targeted advertising, sponsored posts, and collaborations with influencers to increase brand awareness and drive sales.
These platforms enable automotive brands to interact with their followers, respond to comments and messages, and build a sense of community among enthusiasts.
Automotive brands can use Facebook and Instagram as channels for providing customer support, addressing inquiries, and resolving issues in real time. This direct communication helps enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Key Insights into Automotive Social Media Strategies
So, what did we learn about automotive companies and their social media presence? Here are the key findings revealed by the DDD:
Mercedes-Benz and BMW hold the top spots for the largest social media follower bases, demonstrating the successful integration of social media into their global strategies.
While all of the analysed brands utilise video platforms, Hyundai stands out for relying on them the most, with YouTube and TikTok contributing a significant 22% of their total follower base.
Four out of the top five most-followed brands are German, and luxury car brands claim four spots within the top 10. These findings suggest a strong online presence for both German car manufacturers and luxury brands.
Ferrari has the most followers on TikTok, while Tesla dominates on YouTube, showcasing the importance of video content in engaging with audiences.
Facebook and Instagram are the most explored social media channels among the analysed automotive brands, with Twitter ranking third in terms of follower count.
All 20 automotive brands included in the analysis have a presence on LinkedIn, although the size of their follower bases indicates that LinkedIn is not a top priority in their social media strategy.
These findings underscore the importance of social media in the automotive industry and demonstrate the valuable insights a brand can gain through a social media analysis within the DDD framework. Additionally, they offer ideas on how to develop effective social media strategies across various platforms to engage with audiences.
The present analysis utilises data collected in January 2023. Our selection of the top 20 automotive brands is based on Brand Finance's Automotive Industry (2022) Report. The DDD focuses on the digital performance of these brands across the EU, USA, Oceania, Japan, and South Korea.
While this blog series showcases the core pillars of our DDD methodology, it is important to note that it represents a snapshot based on data collected in January 2023. Our complete analysis, customised for your organisation, includes an in-depth examination of business-specific data and offers a detailed perspective of your industry landscape.
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