Simple questions like this have helped Accurate Automotive go from a local repair shop to a brand with over half a million followers across social media accounts.

Their early posts in 2022 focused on educational content. Primarily how-tos and repair tips. They were consistent but nothing popped off.

Then one of their how-to videos went viral for the wrong reasons.

It’s a 3-minute clip on how to change your brakes, and the comments lit them up for doing it improperly. Most of the comments were made about how they didn’t check the e-brake or how they cleaned the new rotor off with a grease rag.

The video blew up to 14.1 million views. This is not the type of attention you want when you’re selling services your demonstrating.

By posting educational content, you’re showing your expertise but you’re also opening yourself up to being critiqued. Especially if you do things differently than the internet commenters expect. That’s fine for creators like ChrisFix, who aren’t selling repair services. But for an actual shop, it can backfire.

Almost exactly a year in to making content regularly (2-5 posts a week), Accurate Automotive posted a video titled “Toyota Camry vs Honda Civic?”

It was shot casually: overexposed clips, short 4-second answers, and a person holding a mic out from behind the camera.

Why? Because the content was real. The format felt spontaneous, like you were just standing in the shop with them. Each mechanic gave their unfiltered take and viewers felt invited to share theirs too.

Bonus Insight: The video “mistakenly” compared the wrong pair of cars, which actually helped. It sparked even more discussion in the comments about what cars they should have compared.

What cars do you think they should have compared against each other?

Right after the Camry vs. Civic video, they posted another hit: “What car brand would you never own?” It got over 6.6 million views.

That’s when their content strategy became clear. They doubled down on opinion-based questions. Things like:

Most of their top-performing videos now follow this format.

Even though they’re asking experts (mechanics in the shop), it still feels like a “man on the street” video. And because the answers are coming from people who do this for a living, the content stays credible.

Most businesses lean on educational content first. And that’s fine. But Accurate Automotive proves that starting a conversation can be even more valuable.

Yes, hot takes can feel risky. You might think you’ll scare off potential customers by being too opinionated. But the truth is, people don’t follow safe brands. They follow honest ones.

If you try to appeal to everyone, you end up connecting with no one. The best content feels like it’s coming from a real person. Someone you can trust. Someone you might want to hang out with or argue with in the comments.

Accurate Automotive does this really. They create space for different perspectives by asking the same question to multiple people. It’s kind of like ESPN’s First Take. You get both sides of the debate, but the brand stays neutral.

Want to make videos like this for your brand? Here’s the formula:

You don’t need fancy gear or highly produced videos to grow a loyal following. You just need consistency, personality, and a willingness to be real.

Whether you’re a local shop or a content creator, the best strategy might just be showing up as yourself. And starting the kinds of conversations people want to jump into.