ace it: In today’s world, if you want to get new customers for your self-storage facility, you need to be actively marketing online; it’s called “Inbound Marketing.” Basically, you want to be found when people are searching for a self-storage unit “near me.”
The problem is that your facility may be in a very competitive local market. Undoubtedly, if you’re a “mom and pop” facility, you are probably competing against one, two, or more of the “big guys.” Unfortunately, large operators can easily outspend you when it comes to marketing.
Consequently, when you try to just randomly post on Facebook, and/or buy ads on Google, you may be wasting your money and not getting the results you need. In this article, I’ll tell you what you need to do to effectively promote your facility organically (that is nonpaid).
Back in the day, you used “outbound marketing” (broadcast and print) to get your message out there hoping that your target market saw it or heard it and came to your place of business or called you. Print ads, billboards, direct mail, brochures, radio, and business cards still work. However, they can get pricey.
Digital marketing, when done properly, and organically (unpaid), can be an inexpensive—even free—way to promote your self-storage business. Today’s digital marketing has revolutionized how people find what they want or need and how businesses market themselves. It is comprised of search engine optimization (SEO), content marketing, and social media.
If you try to do one without the other two, you won’t get the results you want. Now, you have to proactively take control of your marketing. And guess what? It doesn’t cost as much as old-fashioned broadcasting! It does take a little “sweat equity,” but you’ll reap good results if you do it right.
It all works together. First of all, Google still owns search. According to Statcounter1, Google had over 88 percent of all searches in North America. Google’s goal is to give the searcher exactly what they’re searching for. Google wants fresh, relevant, helpful content written for the human reader in natural language. That gives you search engine optimization (SEO).
You have to think like the searcher. What are they going to enter into the search box to find you? The consumer is in control. You have to put yourself in their shoes:
- What are they searching for?
- How will they find you?
- What comes up in the search?
- Does your website capture leads or convert a visitor into a customer?
- Does your website contain blogs or videos (that’s content)?
- How do you promote your content (social media)?
- What are their pain points and problems?
- How can you help?
Using the Google Keyword Tool2, think of what search terms your potential customer will put in the search box in your geographic area. You get up to 10 keyword phrases. It’s part of Google Ads, but it’s free to use. There are several other keyword tools available, but I prefer the Google tool because it’s Google. Here are some ideas:
- self storage near me
- self storage [ZIP code]
- self storage 24 hour access (if you offer it)
- self storage first month free
- climate controlled self storage (if you offer it)
- RV storage (boat, vehicle, etc., if you offer it)
- cheapest self storage
You get the idea. You’ll get a list of results. You want to see the search volume (how many times people search for a given term in a month). Additionally, the tool will give you other related phrases and their respective search volume. You want to know which are the highest in search volume with low to medium competition. Sort the phrases and download them in a spreadsheet so you can use them later.
- Site and page titles
- Headings (H2, H3, H4, etc.)
- Meta description (This is the paragraph that comes up in searches. It’s what the human searcher will read to decide if this is what they want. This is vital for successful SEO.)
- Categories and tags in your blogs (The suggested phrases are a list of topics for you to write about.)
- Text and body copy of pages and blogs
Needless to say, being a local business, you should have your location and the areas you serve in your site title, footer, and contact page. Besides that, don’t forget your Google Business Profile,3 which is integrated with Google Maps.
Once you have your basic website optimized, you need to start creating content. You need to do content marketing in your business if you want to:
- Drive more potential clients to your website (you’ll need to create content),
- Grow your following on social media (you have to share both your and other people’s relevant content), and/or
- Increase conversions (you need to write the right content).
Good, quality content is the main building block of today’s successful, digital marketing strategies. Whether it’s written (blogs, ebooks, special offers, etc.), visual (video, animated gifs, and graphics), or podcasts, if you don’t create content, you might as well close up shop.
It takes time, planning, and creativity. Here are some content marketing strategies to incorporate and invest in:
- Create content that your target market(s) wants. So you know what interests your target audience, you first need to define them clearly.
- Be helpful. For instance, provide a list of tips on organizing, downsizing, moving, etc.
- Decide what you’re good at and what type of content you’re capable of creating. Are you a decent writer? If so, write a blog. Do you like to talk? Then videos or podcasts will work for you. Simple pictures and graphics work, too!
- Keep in mind that all the content you produce is part of your brand image. Make sure you put out good, quality content. If blogging, proofread it. Good grammar and spelling count even for SEO. Videos and graphics can never be fuzzy. By the way, don’t rely solely on artificial intelligence (AI). You write for the human reader by showing off your experience and expertise. Use AI for research, but write it as if you were talking to your potential customer.
Finally, you share your wonderful content on your social media profiles. That brings up the question of which network to use. Do you have to be on all of them? No. The ones you use depends on your business.
Is your company more business-to-business (B2B), business-to-consumer (B2C), or both?
- B2B – If you’re located in a highly industrial area, your customers will probably be other businesses or corporations. They may need storage for employee relocation, records and equipment, sales samples and products, etc.
- B2C – This is the average person who needs some storage space either temporarily or long-term for whatever reason (downsizing, renovating, decluttering, moving, between semesters, part-time residents, etc.)
You may have a mixture of both. Determine what percentage is B2B and B2C, then divide your marketing efforts accordingly. Here’s how the social networks breakdown when it comes to B2B vs. B2C (B2B/B2C):
- Facebook – 40/60
- LinkedIn – 80/20
- Pinterest – 10/90
- YouTube – 50/50
- X (formerly Twitter) – 50/50
- Instagram – 10/90
- TikTok – 0/100
In other words, if you’re B2B, LinkedIn should be your primary network, with Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube as secondaries, and maybe Pinterest if you have a lot of visuals and for SEO.
For B2C, your primary networks should be Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, with X and LinkedIn as secondaries for credibility, networking, exposure, and SEO. TikTok is video-only and for a very young audience; don’t even bother with this unless you have a huge college-aged customer base near a university.
Be aware that YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest are all visual (images and videos). However, with Pinterest, when you pin an image from a blog post, it takes the link with it. Thus, it helps with SEO. In contrast, links don’t work on Instagram posts (only in stories that vanish in 24 hours). Links work on Facebook and LinkedIn, so make sure you add them along with a call to action (CTA). Tip: Use social media to connect and network with referral sources like realtors, apartment complexes, and local companies.
As you can see, because of social media and online channels, today you have more marketing choices than ever before. The challenge is that each of these channels and networks has different cultures and user demographics. Hence, you need to get to know your perfect customer and put yourself in their shoes.
Obviously, you can have more than one target marke “persona.” Give your perfect customer a name to go with their buying personality. The reason we do this is that you talk to a 35-year-old male differently than you talk to a 55-year-old woman. Other factors are education, tech savviness, location, interests, education, income, family, etc. Ask these questions:
- What are they going to enter in the Google search box to find you?
- What types of blog posts are you going to write that will entice a potential customer to click on a link and go to your site?
- What type of content from trusted sources are you going to share that would be of interest to your target market?
- What CTA will be effective in converting a visitor into a lead or sale?
You have to answer these and many other questions before you can even start marketing online and offline. Consider all these characteristics as they would apply to your perfect customer. Think of the one client that you would replicate if you could. Not all of them will apply to every persona.
B2C
- Age (not an age bracket)
- Gender
- Ethnic background
- Occupation
- Position (executive, manager, worker, or retired)
- Income
- Education
- Marital Status
- Children (age and number, if grown and out of the house, write that)
- Location
- Interests/hobbies
- Values
- Attitudes
- Lifestyles
- Politics
- Religion
- Behavior
- Likes
- Dislikes
- What motivates them?
- What motivates them to share information with others?
- What does a day in their life look like?
- What are their dreams and ambitions?
- What type of vehicle do they drive?
- Pain Points (AKA typical problems. How can your facility solve them?)
- How does that problem make them feel?
- What intimidates them?
- What don’t they understand?
- What benefit of your product solves their problem?
- Why would they use your facility?
- What would motivate them?
- How tech-savvy are they?
- What devices do they use?
- Name (Yes, give your perfect client(s) a name)
B2B
- Industry
- Number of employees
- Amount of annual sales
- Geographic location
- Goals/Objectives
- Who is the decision-maker(s) in the company? (This person becomes your “consumer.”)
- What’s their main service or product?
- Pain Points/Problems that you’ll help solve
Remember this quote from Andrew Spence: “If they think you’re like them, they think you can understand them and their situation better.”
Overall
- Are there enough people that fit my criteria?
- Will my target benefit from my product/service? Will they see a need for it?
- Do I understand what drives my target to make decisions?
- Can they afford my product/service?
- Can I reach them with my message? Are they easily accessible?
- Is there enough money to be made in your target market?
- Are they seasonal?
- Who’s the decision-maker or primary buyer?
- Where do they get their info?
- When are they ready to buy?
- How much education do they need before they make a decision?
- Where, how, and when are they going to do their research?
- What do they look for? (credibility, knowledge of the business, pricing, location)
- Who do they trust?
- How are you going to gain their trust?
- What is your company’s mission?
- What are the benefits and features of your facility?
- What do your customers and prospects already think of your company?
- What qualities do you want them to associate with your company?
- What makes you unique that will interest them above your competition?
Lastly, write a three-sentence summary of your target market. If you have more than one, name and describe each. Once you have your personas, do a little bit of research on them. Find out:
- Which networks do they frequent the most?
- What are their buying habits?
- What’s the best strategy to get their attention?
- What are your competitors doing online?
Subsequently, set some SMART Goals. Each goal should be:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Relevant
- Time-bound
Next, write out a strategic marketing plan that outlines what you’re going to do to achieve the goals. Based on that, put together a to-do list (a tactical plan) of how you’re going to implement the strategy. In other words, what you’re going to do when, where, and how often.
Then, just do it. If you’re new to social media, figure you should spend 90 minutes a day building a following (building relationships) on social media. (That’s the “social” part of social media.) Once you have a following, use tools like Sendible5 to schedule out your posts. Eventually, you’ll get used to the tools and the networks and it will take you less time to do what you need to do.
Above all, you must monitor and measure your marketing efforts. Check your website and social media analytics and insights monthly to see what’s working and not working. Consequently, adjust your goals, strategies, and tactics accordingly for the next month.
With a little “sweat equity” you can effectively promote your facility online with little to no monetary investment. Remember, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. It may take two to three months before you start seeing results. Keep at it. It’s all worth it!