The right self storage marketing strategy can be critical for effectively competing against other businesses in your local area. Self storage businesses that recognise the valuable role of marketing can significantly boost their chances of attracting customers and driving growth even in busier local markets.
However, finding the right marketing strategy for your self storage business can be challenging, especially for operators that are still new to the sector. To help, we’ve created this guide to shed some light on 10 key areas you need to consider before locking down your self storage marketing strategy, with a special focus on understanding and meeting the needs of self storage customers.
Tip 1: Understand Your Audience
Self storage is first and foremost a local business. Customers are always looking for convenient options nearby. According to recent data, 40% of customers contact the first store they choose, whereas 53% of customers travel less than 15 minutes to their self storage unit.
That's why it's important for your marketing efforts to focus on customers within your local area. Focus on understanding your market trends and consumer behaviour to identify the best ways capture your target audience’s attention and align your marketing strategies with what customers want.
To better understand your audience and keep your marketing strategies on track, we recommend that you:
Segment your audience
Divide your target demographic into distinct segments based on factors like age, location, specific storage needs, and the variety of services offered by self storage facilities. Then, create detailed customer personas (incorporating interests, pain points, and goals) to humanise your audience and keep your marketing strategies agile as customer needs evolve.
Conduct market research
Gather insights into your audience’s behaviours, preferences, and pain points through surveys, interviews, and data analysis. Understanding customer needs and motivations will enable you to craft marketing campaigns that not only resonate, they also drive impactful results.
Analyse competitor strategies
Study your competitors’ marketing tactics and audience engagement strategies to identify gaps and opportunities within your target market. By benchmarking your services against industry competitors, you can refine your approach and differentiate your self storage business.
Utilise customer feedback
Leverage feedback from existing customers to gain valuable insights into their experiences, preferences, and pain points. Actively seeking out and incorporating customer feedback into your marketing strategies demonstrates your commitment to customer satisfaction and helps keep your messaging relevant.
Tip 2: Optimise Your Website
Your website not only serves as the virtual storefront of your business, but it’s also your best chance of establishing immediate trust with potential customers and communicating your value as a business. A strong online presence can increase your chances of leaving a positive impression on customers. So, how exactly should you be approaching website optimisation for your new or growing self storage business?
Our team suggests placing a focus on:
The user experience
Ensure your website is visually appealing, easy to navigate, and mobile-responsive to provide a smooth browsing experience for visitors. This includes incorporating options to book directly from your website, using clear call-to-action buttons, responsive navigation menus, and concise messaging to guide users.
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
Implementing search engine optimisation is essential for enhancing local visibility and attracting potential customers online. Prioritise search engine optimisation by conducting keyword research to identify relevant terms and phrases related to self storage and the local area that your target audience is searching for. Use this data to then optimise your website to improve your rankings in search engine results pages by leveraging best practices such as improving meta tags, headings, and on-page content with these specific keywords.
Value proposition
Differentiating your self storage business by highlighting the unique selling points of your storage facilities is critical for your marketing efforts. This process sets you apart from competitors and usually includes focusing on amenities, security features, and even the convenience of your location. Always prioritise using engaging visuals like professional photography and use virtual tours where possible to showcase your facility and create a memorable impression on visitors.
Website performance
Regularly monitor user behaviour data and key performance metrics like website traffic, bounce rates, and conversion rates to identify areas for improvement across your website and enhance the user experience.
💡 Did you know?
Search engine algorithms prioritise high-quality, relevant content that addresses the needs and questions of your target audience. By satisfying this criteria, you can organically improve your website’s ranking and visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs).
Tip 3: Focus on Local SEO and Google Business Profile
Most customers will use search engines to find their nearest self storage company, so local SEO can be a game-changer for businesses looking to give their online visibility a boost. But what exactly does a good local SEO strategy include, and how can you leverage your Google Business Profile to maximise your online presence?
Here are some key local marketing strategies to consider:
Claim and update your Google Business Profile listing
After claiming and verifying your Google Business Profile, ensure the listing is accurate and consistent with other online platforms. This includes updating business information like name, address, and phone number (NAP), as well as business hours and photos associated with the profile. Go a step further in enriching your profile with high-quality photos showcasing your facility and its amenities to entice potential customers.
Encourage customer reviews and engagement
Actively encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews on your Google Business Profile. This will not only help encourage local word of mouth, it’ll also support professional referrals and enhance the credibility of your business.
Focus on local keywords and location-based content
Where possible, incorporate local keywords and phrases relevant into your website content. If you’re targeting multiple locations, consider creating location-specific landing pages or blog posts to address the unique needs and interests of customers in each area you serve.
Optimise for Google Maps and local directories
Make sure your business is accurately represented on Google Maps by verifying your location and providing detailed information about your facility. By keeping your location information accurate and optimised throughout your online presence, you’ll also be more likely to appear in local directories and on review sites.
💡 Looking for additional insights on local SEO and Google Business Profile?
Here are some popular resources we’ve created:
How to optimise your self storage website & attract customers through organic search results
Tips on how to maximise your Google Business Profile for self storage success
Tip 4: Effective Paid Advertising
The right approach to paid ads can give your marketing efforts an almost instant boost, driving targeted traffic and increasing bookings. But, for paid advertising to be effective — and for your Return-on-Investment (ROI) to be worthwhile — you need the right ad strategy.
When developing your paid ads, we recommend:
Craft engaging ads
Create attention-grabbing ad copy and visuals that highlight your self storage facility's unique selling points and benefits. Use persuasive language and compelling imagery to entice users to click on your ads and learn more about your offerings.
Set realistic budgets and targeting options
Determine your marketing budget based on your business goals and allocate funds strategically across different campaigns and ad platforms. Use targeting options like geographic location, demographic characteristics (such as age, income, and household size), interests (like moving, home organisation, or decluttering), and online behaviours (such as searching for storage solutions or engaging with related content) to reach your ideal audience effectively.
Experiment with ad formats
Experiment with different ad formats, placements, and messaging to identify which combinations resonate best with your target audience. Test variations of ad headlines, descriptions, and calls-to-action to optimise campaign performance and maximise your ROI.
Use ads to build brand awareness
By focusing your advertising efforts on location-specific keywords, and featuring your brand name front and centre, you can build brand awareness for your business and increase the likelihood of conversions from those already familiar with your brand.
Monitor and optimise ad performance
Regularly monitor key performance metrics like click-through rate (CTR), conversion rate, and cost-per-acquisition (CPA) to gauge the effectiveness of your paid advertising campaigns. Use this data to identify underperforming ads and make adjustments accordingly.
Tip 5: Content Marketing
There’s no doubt that when it comes to online engagement and satisfying search engine algorithms, quality content is currently king. The right approach to content can make all the difference to your self storage marketing strategy, attracting and retaining customers, while building credibility and authority for your business.
To create the right content marketing strategy, we recommend:
Develop a content calendar and plan
Create a content calendar outlining the topics, formats, and publishing schedule for your content. This ensures a consistent flow of relevant content that engages your audience throughout their decision-making process, from awareness to conversion.
Provide valuable and informative content
Focus on creating high-quality, informative content that educates and empowers your audience. Offer tips, insights, and practical advice related to self storage solutions, moving tips, organisation hacks, and decluttering strategies to position your brand as a trusted voice in the industry.
Diversify your content formats and channels
Experiment with various content formats like blog posts, videos, and infographics to appeal to different audience preferences and habits. Distribute your content across multiple channels, including your website, social media platforms, email newsletters, and industry forums, to maximise reach and engagement.
Partner with influencers
Engage with local influencers or micro-influencers who resonate with your target demographic to share authentic endorsements and recommendations of your self storage services. Local partnerships and cross-promotions can extend your marketing reach, increase brand visibility, and drive customer acquisition.
Measure and analyse content performance
Track key performance metrics like website traffic, engagement metrics, and lead generation to evaluate the effectiveness of your content marketing efforts. If possible, use analytics tools to identify top-performing content, understand audience behaviour, and make data-driven decisions to optimise your content strategy for better results.
Tip 6: Leverage Social Media
The benefits of social media are clear. What’s less clear is how new, or growing businesses can maximise their presence on these platforms. So, aside from leveraging paid advertising and integrating content creation strategies, how can you get more from social media for your self storage business?
To identify the right social media strategy for your self storage business, we suggest:
Choosing the right platforms
Identify the social media platforms where your target audience is most present and active. To start, we suggest focusing your efforts on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and LinkedIn.
Engaging with your audience
Promote more meaningful interactions with your audience by responding to comments and messages promptly, and hosting contests and Q&A sessions to build a sense of community among your followers. Additionally, encourage user-generated content by sharing genuine customer testimonials and reviews.
Monitoring competitor activity
Keep an eye on your competitors' social media activity. Pay attention to the types of content they share, the engagement they receive, and the promotions they run. This information can help you refine your own social media strategy and develop more effective promotions.
Consistently carry out social listening exercises
Social listening exercises can be a great way to track mentions of your brand across various online platforms, including social media channels, review websites, and forums. This will not only help you find out where your customers are, it also acts as a direct line to your customers’ needs.
Tip 7: Encourage Customer Reviews and Testimonials
It goes without saying that brand image and public perception are key to the success of any self storage facility. Positive or negative, customer reviews can have a huge impact — especially in an industry like storage, where trust, security, and convenience all take centre stage. How you approach customer relationship management will have a direct impact on your online reviews.
To encourage encourage positive reviews and manage your online reputation more effectively, we recommend:
Creating a feedback loop
A feedback loop refers to the systematic approach to gathering and responding to customer feedback. By establishing a structured process, you can make it easier for customers to share their thoughts, whether it’s about their overall experience, the condition of their storage unit, or any other aspect of your self storage facility.
Establishing multiple feedback channels
Offer customers various ways to provide feedback. These can include everything from online surveys and social media conversations to direct feedback via email or phone. By providing multiple avenues for feedback, you increase the likelihood of receiving a greater number of insights from a wider range of customers.
Implementing changes based on feedback
Use the insights gained from customer feedback to implement company-wide changes to your facilities, services, or policies as needed. Continuously monitor the impact of these changes and seek further feedback to make sure they’re effective and well-received by customers.
Incentivising reviews
Offer incentives like discounts, freebies, or loyalty rewards to customers who leave positive reviews or refer new customers to your business (just be sure to comply with platform guidelines and regulations regarding incentivised reviews!).
Showcasing testimonials in marketing materials
Feature positive reviews, testimonials, and success stories from satisfied customers in your marketing materials, website, and social media channels. Use authentic, relatable testimonials to build trust and credibility with potential customers and showcase the value of your self storage services.
💡 Bonus insight
If you’re confident that your self storage facility offers an exceptional customer experience, it’s always worth putting time into asking customers to share their experience with you and on public channels.
As part of your feedback loop, consider sending follow-up emails after a customer moves out. Provide links to review platforms, short surveys, or instant rating windows for convenience. With a more personalised approach, you can maintain good customer relationships and gather valuable insights to improve your self storage services.
Tip 8: Email Marketing
Email marketing remains a highly effective tool for nurturing customer relationships, driving conversions, and encouraging repeat business.
But, aside from client communication and promotional offers, what other techniques can you use to maximise the impact of email marketing for your self storage business?
To create an effective email marketing strategy, we suggest:
Personalisation
Tailor your email content to specific segments of your audience based on their preferences, behaviour, and past interactions with your business. Use these personalised recommendations to deliver relevant and engaging messages that resonate with each recipient.
Sending personalised communications
Use your CRM data to send personalised communications to current and past customers. Segment specific parts of your audience based on their preferences, behaviour, and past interactions with your business. Consider sending reminders, customer anniversary messages, or special offers tailored to their storage needs. Personalised emails or direct mail campaigns can make customers feel valued and appreciated.
Automated workflows
Implement automated email workflows to streamline your communication processes and deliver timely, targeted messages to subscribers at different stages of the customer journey. For example, consider setting up automated welcome emails, abandoned cart reminders, follow-up sequences, and re-engagement campaigns to nurture leads and drive conversions.
Mobile optimisation
With the increasing use of mobile devices for email consumption, ensure that your email campaigns are optimised for mobile responsiveness. Make sure your emails read well across all screen sizes and devices, and provide a seamless user experience for mobile users.
Tip 9: Partnerships and Networking
Collaborating with local businesses, communities, organisations, and other professional partners can create a lot of new opportunities for your self storage business. But, are you making the most of these relationships and their potential referrals? In the rapidly evolving storage industry, networking can significantly benefit your business by keeping you informed of the latest trends, growth opportunities, and competitive strategies.
To enhance your self storage business’s authority and establish your presence within the local community, it’s a good idea to:
Be strategic about potential partners
Research and identify local businesses and organisations that align with the mission, values, and target audience of your self storage services. For example, look for opportunities to collaborate with moving companies, real estate agencies, home staging professionals, and community organisations to ensure your partnerships make sense.
Attend networking events
Participate in local networking events, industry conferences, and business expos to connect with other professionals in your area. Networking provides opportunities to build relationships, exchange ideas, and discover potential partnership opportunities that can benefit your self storage business long-term.
Get involved in the community
Demonstrate your commitment to the local community by sponsoring events, supporting charitable causes, or participating in community initiatives. Sponsoring sports teams has become a popular strategy for many self storage operators. Building a positive reputation and establishing goodwill within the community can help attract new customers, connect with potential employees, and strengthen your brand presence in the area.
Establish a referral programme
Implement a referral program that incentivses existing customers and partners to refer new clients to your self storage facility. Offer rewards such as discounts on storage unit rentals, gift cards, or free storage upgrades for successful referrals to encourage word-of-mouth marketing.
💡 Looking for low-cost marketing ideas to help you collaborate and engage customers more effectively?
Read some of our innovative ideas here.
Tip 10: Experiment with offline marketing
In the digital age, it's easy to overlook the effectiveness of traditional print advertising, but for self storage operators, offline marketing can still be a valuable tool for reaching local audiences.
Here's how to harness the power of print advertising to promote your self storage business:
Local publications
Consider advertising in local newspapers, magazines, and community newsletters to target residents in your area. These publications often have loyal readership and can provide a cost-effective way to reach potential customers who may be in need of storage solutions.
Direct mail campaigns
Try direct mail campaigns to send flyers, leaflets or mailers to target specific neighbourhoods or demographics with promotional offers and information about your self storage facility. Use eye-catching designs that highlight your key selling points and provide a compelling call-to-action to encourage recipients to inquire about your services.
Billboards and outdoor signage
Invest in billboards or outdoor signage strategically placed near high-traffic areas like busy roads or shopping centers. Use bold graphics, concise messaging, and your facility's location to attract attention and drive awareness.
Tip 11: Analyse and Improve
Effective marketing requires continuous monitoring and optimisation based on data-driven insights. As your business grows (and algorithms change!), your business needs to be able to adapt its strategies accordingly.
Here are some key steps to consider:
Set clear goals and KPIs
Define specific, measurable goals for your marketing campaigns, like increasing website traffic, generating leads, or boosting conversion rates. Then, identify key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with these goals and use them to track progress and measure success.
Monitor customer feedback
As good as analytics tools are, it’s still important to remember that customer feedback never lies. So, pay close attention to customer feedback, reviews, and comments across various channels to identify areas for improvement and address any issues or concerns raised by customers.
Regularly review and adjust strategies
Continuously monitor and evaluate your marketing performance against your goals and KPIs. Identify trends, patterns, and opportunities for optimisation, and make data-driven decisions based on this information.
Creating a successful marketing strategy can be challenging, especially when trying to juggle everyday business operations and growth strategy plans. But, with careful planning, execution, and the right investment of your time and resources, you can position yourself for success.
Find yourself spending too much time on admin tasks to work on marketing your self storage business? Get in touch with Stora and learn how we can help you automate away the busy-work to focus on growing your business.
