Guide #3: How to Build a digital Marketing Plan for Your Collision Repair or Auto Body Shop
Most collision repair and auto body shops recognize the need to “do more marketing.” However, very few have a comprehensive digital marketing plan, and even fewer have one that aligns with their shop’s workload, capacity and goals.
You don’t need a massive budget to build a plan that works. You just need a clear direction, the right channels and a 90-day game plan that grows with your shop.
This guide breaks down exactly how to build a digital marketing plan that fits your shop, helps you establish an online presence and brings in steady, profitable work.
Step 1: Set Practical, Capacity-Aligned Goals
Before you spend a dollar on collision repair marketing, you need to know what your shop can realistically handle. Start by asking yourself these questions: How many new repair jobs can we take each week? And are we trying to grow, or stabilize during busy seasons?
Your goals should match your workflow, not overload your bays or techs.
Examples of practical goals:
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“Add 5-7 more qualified estimates per week.”
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“Rank on page one for collision repair in [your city].”
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“Increase repeat customer visits for collision repair.”
Setting realistic goals keeps your plan grounded in real shop capacity, not wishful thinking.
Step 2: Pick the Right Channels and Don’t Try to Do Everything
A strong collision repair marketing plan focuses on what actually works, rather than chasing every new app, software tool or trend.
Here are the channels that matter for collision repair and auto body shops:
1. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is your long-term, steady engine. If someone searches for “collision repair near me,” you want to be the shop they see.
Strong SEO for a shop includes:
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A clean, structured website
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Clear service descriptions
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Local signals (city names, neighborhoods, landmarks)
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An optimized Google Business Profile
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A steady flow of reviews
SEO compounds over time, meaning small improvements today lead to bigger results months down the road. For a deeper breakdown, see Guide #1: How Local SEO Really Works for Collision Repair Shops.
2. Pay-Per-Click (PPC) ads on Google are still one of the fastest ways to get in front of people who need repairs right now.
The best Google Ads campaigns for repair shops target searches like:
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“Collision repair near me”
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“Auto body repair”
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“Insurance claim repair”
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“Auto body repair”
Use PPC ads when your shop needs more leads, when you want to control the exact type of repair jobs coming in and when you want to fill gaps during slow months.
3. Social media for awareness and proof because people don’t go to Instagram to shop for collision repair, but they do look you up before they trust you.
Someone may not need repairs today, but if they see your shop name regularly, you’ll be the first one they think of when a friend needs help after an accident. Social media keeps your name in people’s minds without being pushy.
Post simple, credibility-building content:
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Before/after shots
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Insurance tips
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Shop updates
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Customer reviews
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Technician spotlights
Social media builds familiarity, and familiarity builds trust.
4. Retention and follow-up are two things shops do not give enough attention to because many only focus on new customers. Your most profitable customer is the one who already knows you.
Use:
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Email follow-ups
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Seasonal reminders
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Thank-you notes with review links
Most shops skip retention, even though it generates fast revenue without incurring extra advertising costs.
Step 3: Create a Month-by-Month Budget Plan
A solid digital marketing plan spreads your budget across the channels that bring real results. For most auto body and collision shops, here’s the simplest structure:
Months 1–3: Build the Foundation
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Update your website
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Clean up SEO issues
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Fix your Google Business Profile
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Set up a review system
Months 4–6: Drive Leads
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Launch Google Ads
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Add local content to your site
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Start a consistent social posting routine
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Begin customer email follow-ups
Months 7–12: Scale What Works
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Increase Google Ads where ROI is strong
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Add service-area or FAQ content
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Post more before/after photos
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Expand your retention strategy
Where The Garage Agency Fits In
As a shop owner, you don’t have time to build or manage a digital marketing plan.
The Garage Agency builds digital marketing plans specifically for collision repair shops and auto body repair shops. We help you:
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Set clear goals based on your bay capacity.
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Pick the channels that actually bring in profitable repair jobs.
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Improve your website and Google Business Profile.
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Run and optimize Google Ads that deliver real estimate requests.
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Build local SEO that helps you show up across your city.
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Create content that builds trust before customers ever call.
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Keep your customers coming back through simple follow-up systems.
We don't just hand you a checklist and wish you luck; we handle the work, monitor results and adjust your plan as your shop grows. You get a team that understands collision repair marketing and knows how to bring in the right customers at the right time.
If you want help building a plan that brings real customers into your bays, The Garage Agency does this every day for shops just like yours.