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How Healey Brothers Auto transformed salesmen into social media powerhouses
Featuring Jay Healey and Justin Friend
Welcome to the Car Dealership Guy Industry Spotlight, a new show on the Car Dealership Guy Podcast hosted by Sam D'Arc.
In this episode, Sam explores how dealerships are leveraging “internal influencers” to drive their social media campaigns with Jay Healey, CMO of Healey Brothers Automotive Group, and Justin Friend, SVP of Dealers United. Together, they discuss how companies can set themselves apart in a crowded market, the importance of authenticity in marketing, and why the human touchpoint is still vital to car sales.
1. A family legacy built on community values.
Healey Brothers Auto Group began in 1977 when Jay Healey’s grandfather returned from military service with a vision: to build a dealership rooted in honesty, community, and family values. Today, the group operates 10 franchises across 9 locations, selling approximately 1,000 vehicles a month, with a mix of Chrysler, Kia, Hyundai, and other major brands.
“We always want to give back, support the schools, help the veterans, and just be there for our people. It’s not just about the money raised. It’s about keeping it local, helping people who directly affect us.” – Jay
2. Empowering salespeople to be “internal influencers.”
Healey Brothers have empowered their sales teams to create content that connects with potential customers online. Social media gives salespeople a platform to humanize the buying experience. Supporting their creativity while providing guardrails ensures authenticity without sacrificing professionalism.
“Everyone wants to be an influencer today, every young kid. So, we tell them: "You're kind of your own business, and you can help yourself while helping Healey.” – Jay
And the strategy works. One standout salesperson started the job shy but found her voice through TikTok.
“She’s got thousands and thousands of followers now. She has fun with it—does funny videos and trends—and customers love her. She’s also one of our top salespeople every single month.” — Jay
3. Hyper-local marketing over vanity metrics.
While many dealerships chase broad reach, Healey Brothers zeros in on local relevance. Instead — localized campaigns yield higher ROI by focusing ad spend where it matters most.
“I don’t care if I have a thousand followers from Canada,” Jay said. “I’d rather have 10 new followers in Goshen, New York, who engage with me and know what we’re about.” — Jay
This hyper-local approach also extends to paid ads. For example, Healey targeted Bergen County, New Jersey, (a higher-income market) to sell Lincoln vehicles.
“Targeting is huge. You have to understand your market before deploying social campaigns. Sometimes, you try something, and it doesn’t work—that’s okay. You refine and move forward.” — Justin
4. The art of storytelling through social proof.
Healey’s most successful content doesn’t focus on inventory or deals — it tells stories. Whether it’s a customer testimonial, a GM sharing their family story, or fun-themed videos featuring employees’ kids, the content resonates. Authentic storytelling builds trust. And videos that showcase real people and experiences outperform overly polished content in terms of engagement and conversion.
“We had one video where a manager’s daughter dressed up as Santa and did a skit—it killed it in engagement.” — Jay
Dealers United – Specializing in Social, SEM, and SEO, Dealers United is the premier digital marketing partner for car dealerships looking to dominate digital and drive more car sales. Learn more at dealersunited.com.
5. Balancing creativity and risk on social media.
Giving employees creative freedom to post on social media can feel risky, but Jay sees the bigger picture. To manage potential pitfalls, a well-defined process for content review paired with professional social accounts allows employees to post freely while protecting the dealership’s brand.
“Our team reviews everything. We also encourage them to create professional accounts like ‘Teddy T Sells Cars’ so they can keep their personal life private.” — Jay
6. The evolution of marketing: from billboards to Meta ads.
Healey’s marketing has evolved significantly.
“Back in the day, it was all radio ads, billboards, and TV. Now it’s about content creation, testing what works, and targeting the right audience.” — Jay
Meta remains a cornerstone of their strategy. It’s where their buyers (40- to 60-year-olds) are still engaged. Organic posts are then tested, and top performers are turned into ads. If it gets good engagement, Healey puts spend behind it.
7. Experimenting with new ad formats.
Healey leverages innovative ad formats like Meta’s Instant Experience to enhance engagement and bridge the gap between brand awareness and direct conversions.
“It’s a cool format where you have a video at the top and inventory scrolling at the bottom. It’s perfect for blending storytelling with actionable results.” — Justin
For Healey, this approach blends storytelling with direct action. One of his salespeople did a quick video on the F-150, and the ad drove traffic straight to Healey’s vehicle display pages.
8. Redefining the Chief Marketing Officer role.
Jay’s role as CMO didn’t exist five years ago—it was born out of necessity.
“Our marketing was out of control. Everyone was doing their own thing, sometimes against each other.” – Jay
Today, Jay oversees everything from scriptwriting to campaign strategy, centralizing operations under one roof. But mainly his job is about showing customers who Healey is and what the business stands for.
“Jay challenges us in the best way. He’s always testing, iterating, and pushing for the next big thing.” — Justin
9. Humanizing the customer experience.
Healey believes empathy is the cornerstone of customer service. This philosophy extends across every touchpoint in the customer journey, from sales to service. While technology is used to streamline processes, Jay emphasizes that it’s the human touch that makes the difference.
“I still think people like to be pampered when they come to a dealership. Yeah, they want to spend less time there, but they also want that connection.” – Jay
From walking customers through their new car’s features to offering personalized support in the service department, the Healey Brothers team aims to exceed expectations.
10. Data-driven decisions: The foundation of success.
By focusing on ROI-driven metrics like cost-per-lead (CPL) and cost-per-unit-sold (CPUS), Healey ensures that every dollar spent contributes to their bottom line.
“I’m not going to keep spending on something that’s not working unless it’s really an important part of our message or culture.” — Jay
“You can look at engagement and impressions, but if it doesn’t pay the bills, it doesn’t matter. The goal is to drive quality traffic—people who are genuinely interested in what Healey Brothers has to offer, whether that’s a new vehicle, service, or parts.” – Justin
The results speak for themselves. Healey can pinpoint exactly how their marketing dollars translate into sales, with monthly performance reviews that track every campaign down to individual units sold.
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