Auto Parts Marketing Ideas, New for 2025

Last updated June 5, 2025

Author: Jon Hedges
Jon has 40 years of marketing experience in the automotive aftermarket industry.
Click for LinkedIn profile

Hedges & Company decided to come up with a list of fresh auto parts marketing ideas for 2025. At first, we thought we might end up with only a dozen or so ideas but, wow, we ended up with this huge list of auto marketing ideas. Over 50 ideas!

Hedges & Company has been marketing auto parts and accessories for over 21 years and we have a lot of experience with all these ideas. We’ve helped clients increase sales using video marketing, SEO, promotional marketing, strategies including creating “good,” “better,” “best” classifications, sponsorships, and many more. So when we say the experts at Hedges & Company came up with these ideas, we’re speaking from personal experience!

We have these grouped below by category, some are automotive advertising ideas, some are auto parts marketing ideas, and some focus on automotive social media. Take a look, there are lots of ideas to use to build your business.

Anything that’s easy to do, maybe even something you could do today, is marked with this icon:

Note that Hedges & Company provides automotive marketing services and full disclosure, although we benefit from some recommendations in this article, all advice is based on aftermarket industry best practices and client results.

Auto parts marketing ideas using video

Use video for social media

These are all ideas about automotive videography, which can be used by posting video on social media or on YouTube (then embedding YouTube video on your website).

Here are video ideas on what video should be on, and how to easily create video content. These ideas all relate to automotive content marketing.

Today, video content is more important than ever. Google recommends using it in Google Ads, as does Facebook, Instagram, and all other social media platforms.

Google’s blog post 5 Ways Marketers Can Beat the Attention Recession recommends using video to overcome the “attention recession.”

1. User-generated content: Encourage customers to share videos of installed parts or their project cars on social media. This is called User Generated Content (UGC). Consider offering a prize, like a hat, to anyone who shares a video. Think about a gift certificate to the customer who gets the most likes or shares, turning this into a contest. This is one of the easier video marketing ideas. Several Hedges & Company clients have done this with success.
2. DIY auto parts installation video tutorials: Create automotive video guides for installing parts to attract auto DIY enthusiasts. Post the video to YouTube so you can embed it on your website, and add links from the YouTube video description or the video transcription to parts on your site.
   Hedges & Company helped a client optimize installation videos and increased inbound organic traffic.
3. More ways to use auto parts installation video: Add links to video from product pages on your website. Add QR codes to your product packaging so customers can have links to installation video, right when they need it. That may even eliminate customer service emails or phone calls.
4. Create long-form automotive video content but break it down: If you create and post a 10- or 20-minute video that covers multiple topics, like installation steps, post the video but then break it down into short segments that are specific to smaller, subtopics. Post those shorter videos and optimize the YouTube video to show up for those topics. Another benefit, you can use these shorter videos for your auto parts advertising through Google Ads.
5. Post video on multiple platforms: This falls into the category of automotive social media marketing (below), but any parts marketing video posted on YouTube can also be posted on Instagram or Facebook. Hedges & Company has done this and it’s an easy way to reach multiple audiences.
6. Create video in multiple formats: Create videos in three formats: horizontal (16:9 aspect ratio), square and vertical (9:16 aspect ratio). Tip: when shooting video, a vertical video is usually easier to edit into a square video, but plan ahead and look at what shows in the frame—or will show after editing. There is plenty of free video editing software on the internet. We use Adobe.
7. Create short-form “what’s in the box” video: Do an unboxing of your products, either yourself or hire an influencer. Show customers what they get to convince them to place an order.
8. Create video content on auto parts product demonstrations: If you make high-quality stainless steel exhaust systems, put one in saltwater next to regular steel and film a time-lapse video. If you sell high-quality wax or ceramic coating, show raindrops (use a hose or watering can) beading up and film it every week to show how long your wax lasts. If you sell lighting parts, show a before/after video or photo at night. Use your imagination!
9. Use your phone to create video: This video marketing idea saves money: don’t worry about expensive video production, just use your phone. It saves a lot of money and creates an authenticity that can’t be reproduced in expensive video production.
10. AI in video marketing: This video marketing idea can save you time: AI tools generate personalized video messages, automate video editing, and can analyze audience reactions to improve future content. There are many dozens but check out platforms like Runway, Imagine.art, Fliki, or Vyond. For more information, search for “generative AI video” on Google.

“Good, better, best” is a good marketing strategy.

Parts marketing ideas using cross-promotion, cross-selling and upselling

11. “Good, better, best:” Classify your auto products into different levels based on price, longevity, performance, or benefits/features. This helps customers understand what they might get by spending a little more, or what they may miss out on buy looking at lower price points. The reason this is a good automotive marketing idea is because you can offer products to people willing to spend different amounts of money, or, you have a line of products that you can upsell to and get a customer to spend more money with you. It also builds trust because you’re offering customers options.
12. Upsell to “better” or “best” auto parts: Like we pointed out in idea number 11, once you classify products, you can use facts on longevity, performance, or benefits/features to upsell customers from the “good” products to “better” and from “better” to “best.”
13. Cross-promote auto parts marketing with other companies: Team up with complementary, non-competing companies to do joint promotions. For example, a tire company and wheel company could work together. Or a floor mat company and a seat cover company could work together. Hedges & Company created blog content for multiple non-competing clients referencing their products. These blogs ranked well organically, got clients more exposure for their products and everyone benefited.
14. Local partnerships: For local auto parts stores, collaborate with local repair shops or garages (that you trust). Ask them to recommend your parts store to their customers, and in return you recommend their services to your customers.
15. Bundle deals: Offer complementary auto parts as kits or bundles. For example, bundled brake rotors and pads. Offer the kit at either a discounted price, or at full price taking into account the added convenience or peace of mind to the customer when buying a kit. Make sure these kits/bundles are included in your auto parts advertising using Google Shopping.
16. Interactive auto parts compatibility quizzes: Create quizzes, either on your website or on your social media to match customers with the right part. Turn it into a contest! Come up with automotive trivia ideas if you have the expertise. Give away a hat or race tickets!
17. “Buy this, need that:” On your website, link from product pages to other products customers need for installation. In a store, use shelf-talker signs to guide customers to products in other aisles. Hedges & Company worked with a data source to populate this data and manufacturers saw an increase in B- and C-movers (a traditional way to classify product popularity in the aftermarket, with the most popular being A-movers).
18. “Buy this, consider that:” You’ll see this on sites where products are shown with “customers also bought these.” On your website, link from product pages to other recommended, complementary products. In a store, suggest related products to your customers with shelf-talker signs.
19. Upsell and cross-sell training: Train sales teams or online customer service people to recommend related, complementary or premium auto parts when talking to customers.
20. AI-driven product recommendations: Use AI to suggest complementary auto parts to customers, based on purchase history.
21. Collaborations with repair apps: Integrate parts listings into popular repair apps like Fixd. You can also buy advertising on apps through Google Ads.
22. Affiliate auto parts marketing: Create an affiliate marketing program to partner with bloggers and influencers to drive auto parts sales for you.

Automotive social media marketing

Auto parts marketing can use social media.

Here are some great auto parts marketing ideas to build your automotive brand on social media and create top-of-mind awareness. You can market automotive products or services. Here are just a few automotive social media marketing ideas:

23. Influencer partnerships for social platforms: Collaborate with automotive influencers who have YouTube channels, or popular Instagram or Facebook profiles, for product reviews and tutorials. Hedges & Company worked with a client to do this, and also optimized YouTube videos. YouTube channels and videos tend to be under-optimized.
24. Interactive live streaming on social media: Host live Q&A sessions or demonstrations on Facebook or Instagram Live. Promote it ahead of time on your social profiles.
25. Short-form video content: Leverage platforms like TikTok (if it’s still around!), or YouTube for Shorts, for quick tutorials and product highlights. If you go to the SEMA Show, post videos of cool project cars or video of the crowd. This helps you build legitimacy.
26. Invite questions on social media: This is an easy automotive social media marketing idea: Invite your customers post questions for your products or services (but have someone available to answer them quickly).
27. Collab posting or blogging: No bandwidth to devote to social media? Partner with influencers or auto enthusiasts to create engaging content that can be repurposed on social media and on your own website.
28. Use audiences in Meta advertising to boost posts: Use the Meta Ad Manager to boost posts for low-cost auto parts advertising on Facebook. The more targeted, the better, and it usually doesn’t cost a lot. Facebook and Instagram are a “pay to play” platform today and if you don’t boost your posts, they’ll only be seen by 1% of less of your followers. Meta also has a lot of built-in automotive marketing audiences to select. Hedges & Company has selected many precise audiences available in Facebook and Instagram that greatly improved impressions and clicks. There are hundreds of great automotive audiences but they’re hard to find, don’t give up!

Build confidence and trust with customers

Here are some marketing ideas to increase auto parts sales, by giving your customers confidence in spending money with you. Today, Experience, Expertise, Authority and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) is incredibly important in order to have a successful business. That link takes you to a very detailed explanation we created on E-E-A-T. Google has an E-E-A-T algorithm that measures your site and anything you can do to establish expertise and authority helps with organic rankings.

29. Money-back guarantee: Offer customers a satisfaction guarantee to increase confidence and close the sale.
30. Customer testimonials: Show satisfied customer stories and reviews on your website to build expertise, trust (remember E-E-A-T) and credibility.
31. Add customer reviews: If you don’t have reviews now, take advantage of UGC reviews at the part number level using a service like Trustpilot and embed product reviews. That helps the “T” part of E-E-A-T by showing customers trust you and have had a good experience buying from you.
32. Community engagement: Sponsor car shows, racing events, or car clubs to build brand awareness and trust.
33. “Social proof” from reviews: Ask customers on social media to give you reviews, and feature those reviews and ratings prominently in your parts marketing materials.
34. Google reviews: Invite purchases to leave you a 5-star review on Google. Google makes it easy to share a link including on social media.
35. Interactive forums: Host branded online forums, for enthusiasts to discuss vehicles and parts and ask questions. A word of warning if you set up your own forum or help moderate one: stay on top of comments in a forum to filter out spam comments!

Automotive marketing ideas to sell more parts

Here are some simple marketing ideas to get that first purchase, and keep customers coming back for more! Some of these ideas are intended to increase your customer’s lifetime value, the amount they will spend with you over the next three to five years.

36. Chatbots and virtual assistants: Provide customer support using AI-driven chatbots on your website. They provide 24/7 support and answer questions. Bots can guide users through the sales funnel, offering product suggestions and completing purchases. Just remember, they do require programming so plan accordingly.
37. Educational content: Create simple guides or blog posts about maintenance or replacing parts to build trust and authority.
38. Referral discounts: Incentivize customers to refer their friends and family, by giving them discounts or a gift card.
39. VIN part finder: Use online tools that match the correct parts to customer vehicles using VIN numbers.
40. Subscriptions: Try subscription services parts that are replaced on a regular basis, like filters and wipers. Notify customers of an upcoming shipment.
41. Wish list or registry: Let your customers save products on a wish list on your website or in a store. Make it shareable so a customer can send it to friends, or be able to access it in a store for walk-in traffic. Tip: warn your customer in advance you can’t hold a product if it has limited availability!
42. Customer segmentation: Learn about Lifetime Value (LTV)! Hedges & Company has years of experience measuring LTV (sometimes called CLTV for customer lifetime value) and one of the founders was creating LTV models and strategy back in the 1990s. In the age of AI, you can harness the power of AI to find hidden patterns in customer data, giving you options for advanced segmentation based on behavior, vehicle, demographics, or psychographics. We have found Claude.ai particularly good at data analysis.
43. Pop-up events and displays: Local shops can host temporary events to showcase products and give hands-on demonstrations. Companies selling online can display at major regional or national car shows

Auto parts marketing ideas that are very promotional

Here are some ideas to get promotional, by sending offers to your customers. These ideas can be used as automotive direct mail ideas, too.

44. Email campaigns with suggested purchases: Send personalized email offers based on maintenance schedules (for example, oil filters every 3-4 months) or previous purchases (if they bought gaskets maybe they’re doing a rebuild).
45. In-store promotions with non-competing businesses: Partner with physical brick and mortar retailers for in-store displays, discounts, or exclusive product launches.
46. Installation services with non-competing businesses: If you’re an eCommerce business, partner with local installers and offer to ship products direct to the installer.
47. Seasonal promotions: Run targeted sales during peak times (for example, cooling system parts in summer, towing parts before Memorial Day or Labor Day).
48. Weather-related promotions: Run online ads based on geography and weather (for example, sell wax and polish when no rain is expected, sell wiper blades when it’s raining).
49. Loyalty programs: Reward repeat customers with discounts, free shipping, sneak previews of new products, or exclusive deals.
50. Limited-time flash sales: Use urgency tactics to drive quick sales of your overstocked inventory. Offer a deal in the morning that expires at midnight or when stock runs out.
51. Customizable products: Offer customizable parts available in different finishes or colors. Or, even with a custom engraving—laser engraver prices have really come down.
52. Virtual trade shows: Attend or host virtual trade shows for your wholesale customers.
53. Direct mail postcards: Yes, direct mail still works. One reason is because it isn’t as common as it used to be. Be sure to use high-quality automotive mailing lists.
54. Press releases: Releases are easy to distribute online and can link back to your website. Look into EIN Presswire or PRWeb.
55. Fitment updates: Look around your website and update year ranges for parts. Related: look for old website blog content that can be recycled and used for a new blog post. Hedges & Company has updated outdated content and got old content that lost its organic rankings to return within the top 10 listings in Google.
56. Online marketplaces: Expand opportunities to sell on platforms like Amazon, eBay, and Etsy. They’re easy to test in a limited way before going “all-in.”
57. Online forums: Sponsor an automotive forum section so you can answer questions and promote your products.

Digital auto parts marketing ideas

Fair warning, we may get a little self-serving here…Hedges & Company sells these services. Still, let’s dive in.

58. Use automotive expertise: Hire an automotive digital marketing agency (hint, hint) to give your website more visibility and sell more auto parts. To see some success stories on digital marketing see our success stories.
59. Dynamic retargeting ads: Show ads on Google based on specific parts customers have viewed or left in their cart. This is an effective strategy.
60. Google Premier Partner agency: Hire the aftermarket industry’s first Google Premier Partner (hint, hint) agency.
61. Programmatic advertising: Automate digital ad placements using programmatic marketing for maximum reach among car enthusiasts.

We hope you found this list helpful. Let us know if you have any questions or if we should add something to the list!

How to cite this article and content

This article is copyrighted, but it’s polite to share! This content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License and can be distributed or quoted, with attribution given to Hedges & Company, and a link back to this article from your website.