Dealers ask us about every social platform: TikTok, LinkedIn, X, YouTube. The short answer is that LaLista advertises every car on Facebook and Instagram, and nowhere else. This post explains why, and what each of the two does for a dealer.
Facebook: where private buyers already look at cars
Facebook is still part of many adults' daily routine in Germany and Sweden, including people shopping for a used car. A car ad in the Facebook feed sits next to posts from friends and local groups, and people are used to seeing things for sale there. Facebook is also forgiving with information: a buyer can see the photo, the model, the price and a short text in one glance, and tap straight through to the car.
For a dealer, that makes Facebook the steady base. Family cars, estates, SUVs, everyday used cars: this is where a nearby buyer is likely to see them.
Instagram: the photo does the work
Instagram is built around the picture. A car that looks good in a photo — a strong colour, a clean shot, a premium model — gets the room it needs to stand out, in the feed and full-screen in Stories and Reels. That is why every LaLista ad comes in two shapes: 4:5 for the feeds and 9:16 for Stories and Reels.
One setup, both platforms
Facebook and Instagram are run from the same place at Meta. One Facebook Page, one ad account, one set of ads. When a car gets its ad, it runs on both, and Meta's delivery decides where each view happens and shows the ads that people click more often. The dealer doesn't split anything by hand.
Targeting works the same way on both: the ads are shown to people within driving distance of the dealership, because that is where a buyer who might come for a test drive lives.
Why not TikTok, LinkedIn or X?
We made a deliberate choice to do two platforms properly instead of five halfway.
- TikTok rewards filmed video made for TikTok. A dealer's listing photos with a price on top don't fit that format, and filming every car isn't realistic for a lot that changes every week.
- LinkedIn is built for professional and business buyers. That can suit fleet sales, but it isn't where a private buyer looks for their next family car.
- X has a small audience for car buying in Germany and Sweden and doesn't fit the way we advertise stock.
Every extra platform would also mean another account, another set of rules and another thing that can go wrong for the dealer. Keeping to Facebook and Instagram keeps the setup simple: share one Facebook Page once, and every car is advertised.
What this means for a dealer
You don't need to decide which car goes on which platform, or how to split anything between them. Every car in stock gets its own ad on Facebook and Instagram, the ads are included in the monthly price, and every night the ads are brought in line with your stock, so sold cars are removed overnight. In the dashboard you see, per car, how many people saw it and how many clicked through.
If a new platform ever earns a place for car dealers in Germany and Sweden, we will add it. Until then, we would rather do two platforms well.
