SOCIAL MEDIA SAVVY IS YOUR MARKETING STUCK IN 1985?
2. Fear of doing it wrong
Article by Phil Holloway Hollogram Ltd
01509 398002
www.hollogram.com
The next generation of taxi bookers are already on TikTok – are you? If you operate in the private hire and taxi sector, I want to ask you a direct question:
“Why is your marketing still stuck in 1985?”
I say that with respect - but also with urgency. We are now operating in a world where the average person spends over 4 hours per day on their smartphone. Of that time, around 2.5 hours is spent on social media. Platforms such as Facebook and Instagram still dominate attention - but the fastest-growing and most influential platform right now is TikTok.
In the UK alone, TikTok has over 23 million users, and critically, it dominates the 18–34 age bracket - the very people who are becoming your next generation of regular taxi and private hire customers. Yet many taxi firms I speak to still say:
“Our customers aren’t on TikTok.” “We don’t really do social media.” “It’s not for our type of business.”
Let’s be honest, your customers are absolutely on social media. They’re on their phones when they wake up. They’re on them during lunch. They’re on them at night. They are scrolling while waiting for a taxi.
So, the real question is not whether your customers are on social media - it’s whether your business is visible when they are.
Why are so many taxi firms not using social media properly?
From my experience working in marketing for over 30 years and specifically with taxi companies across the UK there are three main reasons:
1. Comfort with what’s always worked
Word of mouth, rank presence and a good local reputation have carried many operators for decades. But behaviour has changed. Booking journeys now starts online.
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Many owners worry about looking unprofessional or “cringe.” So they do nothing instead. 3. Underestimating the shift in customer acquisition
The next generation doesn’t pick up Yellow Pages or even search Google first. They search social platforms.
And here’s my key point: TikTok is no longer just dance videos and trends. It’s a discovery engine. It’s where people form brand perceptions quickly.
Why TikTok matters for taxi companies
TikTok’s algorithm rewards authenticity over big budgets. That means a well-shot phone video of:
l A driver story l Behind-the-scenes dispatch footage l A “day in the life” l Customer reactions l Safety features explained … can outperform a polished corporate advert.
The platform builds familiarity. Familiarity builds trust. Trust builds bookings. If a 22-year-old student sees your company regularly on TikTok, when they need a ride home on a Friday night, who do you think they’ll open first - the company they’ve seen for months, or the one they’ve never heard of?
The industry is moving forward
We are no longer in an era where a logo on a door and a phone number in the window is enough. The most progressive operators in our industry are: l Building driver pride through content l Showcasing community involvement l Demonstrating professionalism publicly l Owning their local digital space
The ones who refuse to adapt will not disappear overnight - but they will slowly lose relevance. The next generation of taxi bookers are already scrolling. Already watching. Already forming opinions.
The only question is: will they see your business - or your competitor’s… or that big global ride hail app we mustn’t mention.
Wake up… its 2026 not 1985 anymore!
If you need help, or want to find out more, get in touch with me today:
studio@hollogram.com
JANUARY 2026 PHTM
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