MARKETING STRATEGIES FOR YOUR SELF-STORAGE BUSINESS
Marketing strategies can enhance your business's visibility, attract potential customers, and ultimately convert them into paying customers. In Step 6 of our content series, we explore how to differentiate yourself in the self-storage industry with a strong online presence, valuable content, local optimization, word-of-mouth marketing, and community connections.
If you are following our step-by-step content series, “How to Start a Self-Storage Business,” you are at the marketing phase of things. Marketing your new self-storage business requires a strategy to reach potential customers and build brand awareness. Whatever your location or size of business, people need to be able to find you, connect with you, and become paying customers. The self-storage industry can be quite competitive. Implementing marketing strategies can help differentiate your storage business from others. You can emphasize your unique features, such as large units, security, location, or exceptional customer service to set yourself apart and attract customers seeking those specific benefits.
If you are not a marketing guru (not many of us are), be sure to hire a professional who specializes in helping storage businesses increase their SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and revenue with innovative marketing strategies. Christina Alvino, for example, is the owner of FineView Marketing, which specializes in working with small and mid-sized storage operators. She understands the elements of search engine optimization, which is a huge part of marketing today.
“SEO is the most crucial piece of any digital marketing plan as its sole job is to provide visibility into the digital world. What does that mean? It means more traffic and more opportunities to convert prospective customers. SEO is also valuable when you’re building brand awareness, building relationships, and working to position yourself as an authoritative and trustworthy expert in your field.”
~ Christina Alvino
If there is one place to focus your marketing, it is on your self-storage business’s website. Develop a user-friendly website that highlights your facility, its features, and benefits. Include information about unit sizes, security measures, location, pricing, and contact details. Your website is where you tell your story, showcase your photos, get people in touch with you, sell your product, share news articles and videos, link to social media, post blogs, offer referrals, highlight your partners, and post testimonials. It is also for online reservations and promotions. Be sure you have a reservation system that allows potential customers to book storage units directly from your website. You can offer promotions, discounts, or referral programs to incentivize business. Make your website appealing and easy to navigate with imagery and copy that speaks to your brand. It must be clear, concise, and beautiful at the same time.
Unlike your physical locations with operating hours, your website is accessible 24/7. It allows customers to explore your self-storage options, access pricing information, and make reservations or inquiries at any time. If you go to your website right now, does it reflect the current state of your brand? Does it look inviting and easy to navigate? Does it have a clear and present call to action? And do not forget about your website’s SEO. Tap into keywords that will draw customers to your self-storage business whenever you can.
When potential customers are searching for a self-storage business, they will type in phrases such as, “self-storage for my boat,” “storage space near me,” “drive-up self-storage in Boulder,” or “10’ x 20’ storage units near the University of Colorado.”
Identify and research the keywords and phrases that potential customers might use when searching for self-storage facilities. Incorporate these keywords into your website content, including page titles, headings, meta descriptions, and body text. The more often your website pops up when someone is searching for these terms, the higher ranked it will become.
The goal here is to be at the top of a Google search! So, choose keywords and key phrases wisely. With consistency and quality content, your self-storage business can improve its visibility on Google over time.
Social media can be a powerful tool for promoting and growing your self-storage business. You can engage directly with your target audience and respond to customer inquiries, supply helpful information, and address concerns promptly. Share engaging content, promotions, storage tips, and updates about your facility on
Facebook,
Instagram,
YouTube,
LinkedIn, and
Twitter to enhance your online visibility. Each platform has a specific audience, so be sure to post accordingly. Social media is a free marketing tool where you can give current or potential customers a glimpse of your self-storage business. You can use social media to highlight what’s special about your storage facility. Share high-quality photos and videos that highlight the cleanliness, security features, and convenience of your storage units. This can help potential customers get a better idea of what you offer and why they should choose your facility.
Position yourself as an
expert in the storage industry by sharing valuable tips, advice, and guides on social media. Create content that educates customers on packing techniques, organization tips, and space-saving solutions. Have fun with these posts, too! Encourage users to engage by posting contests or giveaways. And be sure to respond promptly to inquiries.
Use social media to highlight your team and local connections to your community here to attract and keep customers on a level that basic marketing advertising cannot.
And you can set up posts across different platforms at the same time to quickly capture an even larger audience.
Many people use online directories when searching for local businesses. List your business on popular online directories like Google My Business, Yelp, Yellow Pages, Bing Places for Business, and Chamber of Commerce. Also look for specialized online directories that focus on self-storage or related industries, such as the Self-Storage Association, SpareFoot, and SelfStorage.com. Being listed in these directories can help you reach people who are searching for storage solutions. To improve your visibility in local search results, make the most out of your listings by including location-specific keywords and phrases.
Complete your profile with correct information, photos, and customer reviews. This helps potential customers find your facility when searching for self-storage options in your area. Remember, the more times people see your company name and logo, the better chances they will think about you when the time comes for them to become a customer. Online directories also have the bonus of driving customers directly to your website with one click. And customer reviews should be prominently posted.
Be sure to encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews and testimonials on platforms like Google, Yelp, or your website. This is another way to bump your website up in rankings. You can boost your self-storage business’s local visibility when satisfied customers leave positive reviews.
To become a resource for current and potential customers and have information readily available. Create blog posts, articles, videos, or podcasts related to self-storage, moving tips, organization hacks, and decluttering. It is key to post blogs on topics related to self-storage, such as, “Choosing the Right Size Storage Unit” or “How to Safely Store Your Boat or Car.” Again, you’re using keywords to draw customers to your business. Share this content on your website and social media platforms to prove yourself as an expert and attract potential customers. Before you know it, your self-storage business will become a favorite industry resource. Regular blog content—especially SEO-optimized content—will help your search engine rankings, and regular social media content will help you build a larger audience and create stronger brand awareness.
And don’t forget about OG marketing.
Your self-storage business’s sign needs to be easy to see and read from the road. This important marketing tool should not be taken lightly. Customers want a facility that is close to home, easy to access, and safe. So, make it easy for them to find you! And distribute flyers, brochures, or business cards in relevant locations such as community bulletin boards, local businesses, or real estate offices. Advertise in local newspapers, magazines, or radio stations to reach a broader audience. Share success stories of customers who have benefited from using your self-storage facility. Highlight unique challenges they faced and how your services helped them overcome those challenges. And always look at customer feedback, conduct market research, and track industry developments to adjust your marketing efforts to meet the shifting demands of the market.
Partnerships with local businesses can offer several benefits to your self-storage business. You can work with businesses such as moving companies, real estate agents, or home staging companies to offer mutual referrals or discounts to customers.
By setting up partnerships, you can create a network of businesses that recommend your services through word-of-mouth marketing. When seeking partnerships, consider businesses that complement your self-storage services and target similar customer demographics. Networking events, local business associations, and online platforms can also be helpful in finding potential partners. For every partnership, be sure you share backlinks to and from their websites. And guest posting on relevant websites can also provide exposure and link-building opportunities.
Your self-storage business needs to be a part of its community to really succeed. Participate in local events or collaborate with community organizations to increase visibility and show connections. This can help attract customers and build a positive reputation within the community. Storage facilities are giving back to the community more than ever this year. When a company works to make a difference from the inside out, the benefits go beyond the bottom line. Here are some ideas for giving back:
- Offer a storage unit to a local organization in need
- Support local schools and aging facilities
- Donate every time someone signs a lease at your facility
- Sign up for volunteer opportunities as a team
- Give monetary donations every year to nonprofits
- Work at local soup kitchens during the holidays
- Make giving part of your company culture
- Offer discounts to local nonprofits
- Match employee donations
- Sponsor local sports teams
Whatever your location or size of business, people need to be able to find you, connect with you, and become paying customers. Effective marketing strategies help you attract new customers to your self-storage facility. By highlighting your business’s unique features, amenities, and competitive advantages, you can persuade potential customers to choose your facility over the others. Remember, consistency is key when implementing your marketing strategy. Monitor your results, adapt your approach if necessary, and continually seek ways to improve your marketing efforts to drive customer acquisition for your self-storage business.
When starting a self-storage business, the easiest and most cost-effective choices can be the most solid. And marketing your business doesn’t have to be complicated. The future of storage is looking good, and it feels like it’s going to continue to grow. Whether you research yourself or get help from industry experts, the more information you gather, the better prepared you’ll be. We hope you have enjoyed this content series on, “How to Start a Self-Storage Business.” In no time, your site will be transformed into a revenue-generating storage business!
ABOUT Custom Cubes
At the core, Custom Cubes uses a hands-on approach to business that is carried throughout everything we do. When we need to talk, we pick up the phone. If there are questions, we demo our product. And when we’re intrigued with something new, we give it a try. If a team member needs help, we offer it. When our community needs support, we lend our resources. With compassion and innovative ways of “thinking outside of the box,” anything is possible. That’s our culture.
When building Custom Cubes, Rod Bolls set out to create a company that prioritizes a balance between working hard and playing hard. He aligns a strong business model with a strong team and a sustainable work environment. To achieve an ideal company culture, Rod nurtures every relationship. For example, this includes customers, partners, vendors, local non-profits, neighborhood sports teams, and museums. Our products include drive-up self-storage units, relocatable self-storage units, portable storage containers, moving containers, and restoration containers.
Custom Cubes units can help you increase your business’ revenue-generating space with units in a variety of sizes, including our new 10 x 20 units and our 8 x 20 units. Our portable containers and relocatable self-storage units are flexible, stackable, and beautiful! Custom Cubes is here to ensure that our products help you achieve your business goals.
Check out www.boxwell.co or call (303) 317-5850 today!
