In today’s digital age, social media isn’t just a tool for businesses—it’s the lifeline that connects brands to their audience, drives engagement, and fuels growth in ways traditional marketing can’t match. But how essential is it in the paint protection film (PPF) industry?
A recent online poll by KMR sheds some light. Posted in the last week of August and running through Labor Day, the poll asked users to rate the importance of social media to their business with options ranging from “Very Important” to “Not Important at All.”
And the results are telling: Most respondents believe social media is crucial, with 41% saying it’s very important and 40% finding it somewhat important. Less than 20% said it wasn’t very important or not important at all.
“Social media has been instrumental in building XPEL’s brand,” says Michael Mejia, senior director of marketing for XPEL Inc., a manufacturer based in San Antonio. He adds that it’s been key in their strategy to educate, engage, and inspire both customers and installers.
Pratas Baruah, vice president of sales and marketing for Garware Hi-Tech Films, a manufacturer in India, says social media keeps his business “top of mind” with users, and that it’s been a “significant contributor in boosting brand visibility, increasing reach and driving traffic to our E-commerce platform.” Baruah also adds that engaging content and targeted ads have generated high-quality leads for his business.
David Smith, digital marketing manager at Madico, says the Florida manufacturer is seeing exceptional growth in audience engagement across platforms, reflecting a strong connection they’ve built with their community. “This level of interaction is crucial as it drives meaningful conversations and deepens trust, which ultimately strengthens our brand presence and customer relationships,” Smith says.
At least one professional, Todd Masinelli, the digital marketing leader at Eastman, a chemical manufacturer in Tennessee, focuses on the SEO aspect of social media.
“When Gen X and older Millennials need to search for something, they typically go to Google,” says Masinelli. “But for those who are younger, survey data is increasingly showing that they rely on Instagram and TikTok as their primary search engines.” Masinelli adds, “Just as we’ve grown accustomed to thinking about SEO for our websites, we also have to recognize the importance of social search and the kinds of content it’s surfacing.”
Masinelli also says that social media is a cost-effective way to reach people at scale.
When asked which social media networks have worked best for business, Mejia was quick to note that they are all unique and serve different purposes. “It’s not an apples-to-apples comparison,” says Mejia, noting that each network plays a crucial role in XPEL’s success.
Smith says Instagram and Facebook work well for Madico when reaching out to dealers, but LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter) are challenging because of low volume. Still, he says, they are stepping up post frequency on those networks.
And when it comes to the newer platform, Smith says, “I’m still working on getting on the TikTok and Threads bandwagon, so those are lower right now.”