Richie Powell remembers a time when the autobody industry ran on hands-on, in-person operations and the internet was a brand-new, out-there concept. He began in collision nearly three decades ago helping his family run a repair shop; since then, he’s started two paintless dent repair companies and a training company, Coastal PDR.
“Traditionally, 26 years ago, before internet and Google and all of the technology, it was just basically knocking on doors and handing out business cards and a referral basis, which worked pretty good,” he recalled to Autobody News.
Powell, alongside many other industry members, has found that the face-to-face marketing that was once so effective has given way to digital tactics like social media posting and Google advertising.
Richie PowellPerformed effectively, online marketing can be a boon for auto shops of all sizes, but it’s essential to know how to navigate the landscape and to apply tactics in a way that works best for a shop’s location.
Visibility strategies and a human element
That’s where experts like Nick Schoolcraft, president of Illinois-based Phoenix Solutions Group, come in.
Most customers who have been in a wreck are looking for body shops near the end of the repair process when they’ve already decided whether to file a claim and dealt with insurance companies, Schoolcraft pointed out.
“They enter the buying phase of the collision world only after they have already received a significant amount of input, recommendations, and referrals,” he said.
It’s for this reason, he said, that shops must calculate the right moment for visibility — when a customer is ready to make a decision about which repair shop to use.
“The strongest marketing initiatives combine multiple tactics that span the entire lifecycle of the repair experience. This means Google Business Profile optimization, local pages built for specific search intent, active reputation management, and a strict commitment to continuing the relationship after the repair,” he said.
Ultimately, the best strategies maximize visibility across multiple channels. Pairing that visibility, Schoolcraft posited, with a carefully and regularly managed online presence is the key to building trust with consumers.
In an industry that still relies heavily on in-person interactions and skilled, hands-on labor, online marketing is a concept that often feels complicated or out of reach to shops. Some business owners have been burned in the past by marketers who don’t understand the collision industry. And recognizing digital as just one facet of marketing sometimes holds shops back from integrating it properly.
While online marketing is great for supplying customers with quick and accurate information, it’s important to ensure human interactions build on that, Schoolcraft said.
“People are exhausted by purely digital interactions and are actively seeking authentic, human connection in the real world,” he said. “A digital ad might get you found, but human empathy and clear communication are what earn the keys … If a shop relies entirely on automated digital tools and neglects the human element, the marketing will fail.”
That human element might include calls to update customers on the repair process. In this way, Schoolcraft said, customers get regular interaction with their chosen shops that extends beyond the initial digital tools that draw them in.
When shop owners get in their own way
Shop owners might also sabotage themselves by thinking they know more than they do about digital marketing. Proper education can help business owners move forward with proper strategy.
Nick Schoolcraft“It is not uncommon to have a conversation with a shop owner who thinks their SEO is garbage because when they search for their shop from their living room, they are not the first result, but when they search from inside the shop, they are,” Schoolcraft explained. “They do not understand that search algorithms personalize results based on location, search history, and device. They take their own phone’s results as gospel while distrusting the factual data and analysis provided by industry-standard tools.”
Understanding that marketing is data-driven and specialized helps move shops past this hurdle, he said. It’s important, Schoolcraft said, for industry members to view marketing less as another expense and more as a system by which they can impact customer decisions, increase awareness of their presence and build market trust.
Even this shift, though, can take a while to impart to shop owners.
“Many shops built their businesses entirely on word-of-mouth and insurance referrals. They view direct repair programs as their primary growth engine. It is difficult to convince an owner who has relied on insurers for 20 years that they need to take control of their own demand, and that it will not happen overnight,” Schoolcraft said.
Taking control of a local market via diversified marketing strategies protects businesses and improves profitability, Schoolcraft said. Shifting the outlook from marketing to business outcomes helps get shops there; Schoolcraft sees shops transform customer buy-in from following their insurance companies’ recommendations on shop choice to being attracted to a shop because of its local visibility.
“When we show an owner that a strong local presence attracts these customers directly, diversifies their revenue, and reduces reliance on insurance pricing constraints, the conversation changes,” he said.
Turning up the marketing
Powell is an example of a business owner who ventured out on his own before bringing in outside help and, with a little guidance, made new discoveries — and new business leads. Powell had been doing his own Facebook marketing for some time when he turned to James Griffin, founder of Auto Shop Marketing Pros. Powell added Google ads to his toolbox, and that’s when business really reflected the impact, essentially doubling by his estimation.
Powell’s findings regarding when and how to use Google ads fall in line with Schoolcraft’s position on knowing a local area well.
“You can turn the ads on, turn them off as you need them or don’t need them. When we have a hail storm hit the area, we have an influx of work, but we also want an influx of customers,” Powell said. “So, we’ll crank those ads up quite a bit, and then we can turn them down. So we’ve really learned to monitor that and watch it and watch the market and watch the area. And every area is different.”
Powell has found it helpful to narrow advertising down to strictly Google and Facebook under Griffin’s direction. Google ads, Powell said, work best for his repair business, Dent Group of VA, which is based in Chantilly, about 40 miles west of Washington, D.C. On the other hand, Dent 
Chad Watkins Group of OBX, based in Outer Banks, North Carolina and now owned by his son, Drew, uses Facebook most successfully.
Richie has learned that winning the marketing game is all about getting noticed and following through. Search engine optimization on the Dent Group website helps with visibility, and keeping SEO up to date in accordance with Google algorithms is essential. When he receives a lead from a digital ad, he also makes sure to take things a step further by following up with the potential customer via email.
For Powell, digging into the intricacies of targeted digital marketing has been an eye opener.
“It’s kind of wild to learn all of that, but also to see, when you do it correctly, the return, versus someone who might be spending thousands and thousands of dollars on ads and not getting the return,” he said.
Marketing across the industry
Elsewhere in the collision industry, shop owners are finding that digital marketing can assist with starting — and keeping — customer relationships. The Georgia Collision Industry Association recently heard from marketing expert Micki Woods in a webinar. GCIA President Chad Watkins said association members internalized from the talk the importance of consistency in branding and messaging in marketing and the idea that marketing should reach beyond visibility to building trust with customers before they walk through the shop doors.
Like Schoolcraft, Watkins brought up the idea that autobody shops have a window to connect with customers when they’re facing a significant decision in the repair process and that trust can factor in heavily in that moment.
Watkins said he’s seeing among his peers more of a focus on online marketing now than in years past with popular social platforms like Facebook and Instagram at the top of the heap of choices for shops looking to stay visible, highlight repairs, display certifications, celebrate employees, and further reinforce their brands.
Google Business Profiles, he pointed out, are also popular for optimizing local search visibility.
“Shops understand that when a customer needs collision repair, they often search online quickly, so showing up well in local results matters. Reviews, photos, updated business information, and regular profile activity are becoming more important,” he said.
He’s also seeing some shops go the geofencing and Yelp routes, though most of them, he said, are still turning to social platforms. Ultimately, Watkins believes that digital marketing is a must, no matter the vehicle that works best for a given shop.
“Overall, I think our members are becoming more aware that marketing today is not optional,” he said. “It is an important part of staying competitive, telling your story and helping customers feel confident about choosing your shop.”
