Self Storage Marketing Ideas
If you’re new to the self-storage business, I’m sure you’re wondering what’s the best way to market your business, so you stay at full capacity all year. Or, maybe you’re a seasoned self-storage manager who wants to scale your business so you can compete with capital-heavy publicly traded real estate investment trusts encroaching on your territory. Whichever category you fall into, here are ten marketing ideas for your self-storage facility that will get customers in the door and keep them coming back!
Here are ten marketing ideas, ranging from SEO to direct mail campaign ideas for your self-storage facility that will put your facility on the map and at the forefront of your customer’s minds.
- Optimize & Market your Website:
I’m sure your storage facility has a website; most places do. The question becomes, is your website SEO optimized? If not, your consumer is driving two blocks over to your competition instead of you after doing a Google search. SEO is a marketing strategy that relies on keywords so your business listing will rank higher on search engines like Google. SEO is done by using keywords, meta descriptions, snippets, and more.
SEO is a great way to promote your business, and if your marketing budget allows, it’s a good idea to pay for inbound marketing, such as pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. The more people know about your facility, the more people will rent from your facility.
- Collect Online Customer Reviews:
Most people don’t mind leaving reviews when they are happy with your service. As of 2022, 90% of consumers rely on customer reviews before making a purchase. Of that 90%, 88% trust online reviews as much as they would a review from a friend or colleague. If you have an online presence, you should encourage happy customers to leave reviews on Google, Facebook, Yelp, and other online review sites. You can even offer discounts or incentives to encourage customers to leave reviews.
- Create a Direct Mail Campaign:
A direct mail campaign allows you to stay on top of your consumer’s minds, so when they need your service, they think of you and not your competitors. Postcard mailers are a great example of ways you can do this. You can send them out to your local community mailboxes, targeting potential residential and commercial customers. This is also a great way to announce your special offer for first-time customers or upcoming holiday discounts, which may be exactly what tips the scale in your favor.
- Offer RV, Car & Boat Storage:
If RVing or boating is common in your neighborhood, offer storage for those large items. This can differentiate you from the competition.
- Get Involved in your local community:
Your company will become a household name if you get involved in community activities and affairs. Perhaps it’s within your budget to sponsor the local community high school softball team, or you can adopt a portion of a nearby highway for clean-up. Community outreach is the scenic route of marketing that eventually shows big dividends. It gives you the opportunity to become a household name and gain recognition from the community and its leaders.
- Attend Industry Events:
Networking is a great way to expand your business and your contacts. There are self-storage conventions and professional networking events nationwide.
- Beef up onsite security:
People rely on self-storage facilities to be secure, not just for the stuff but for their persons too. Many patrons of self-storage want to access their units during off hours, weekends, and holidays. Having a security system in place can be why they choose your facility over the competition. Visible cameras, a well-lit exterior, key-coded locking gates, and a maintenance crew on staff may increase costs but will go a long way in gaining customers.
- Train your employees:
Take the time and expense to train your employees to keep the facility running smoothly. Ensure they know how to maintain the facility in tip-top shape. Their number one priority should be their customer service skills. Running a storage facility is a customer-facing business. You don’t want your staff scaring customers away. No one wants to rent a facility from someone who can’t help them when they need it most.
- Bundle your products:
Learn the art of the upsell. You don’t just rent storage units; you sell locks and other items your customers may need when transporting their prized possessions to and from your facility. You should have a selection of moving boxes, packing tape, bubble wrap, and any other items your customers may need on hand. Create a variety of bundles, as every customer will have different needs. This will keep your customers happy and help to increase your profits.
- Work on referrals:
Referrals are a cost-free way to advertise your facility. In fact, statistics show that most small businesses get over 60% of their business through referrals. The best way to get referrals is simply by asking. The best time to ask for referrals is when you’ve just solved a problem for a customer. This method is called the principle of reciprocity, where each party benefits from a situation. Another way to get referrals is through incentives. Many companies offer a gift card for a nominal value when they refer a friend.
Now that you have a list of ten ways to increase your facility’s exposure and gain revenue, don’t hesitate to implement these tactics. At The Tymac Group, we build state-of-the-art facilities that sell themselves. If you’re interested in learning more, visit us at The Tymac Group.
