There’s one thing that no REIT can buy or undercut you on; they aren’t locals!
They may have money, branding, resources, staffing, professional marketers, (let me catch my breath), investors, strong SEO, and name recognition, but they can’t have a foothold in the community like you.
A lot of people in your community will use self storage at some point in their life. There’s no point in spending money on a billboard in Time Square! You’re marketing to your community, so start small and start with their needs.
The REITs have a major advantage in name recognition. For better or for worse, nearly everyone has seen or heard of U-Haul, and that’s impossible to combat. Recognition is one of the steepest hills for any local business.
The downside is nearly all of your potential tenants have already heard of the big box store down the street. The upside is that only you have the trust of being a local resident, citizen, and business in your hometown. People see those things differently.
Their greatest strengths, like marketing budgets and new construction, are also their biggest Achilles heel. People know they aren’t from around here. They know they’re not the same as your local store built with love.
All that money can’t buy trust, but, for a few quick bucks and some loving effort, you can. Marketing to your hometown takes more creativity than it does budget, and that allows you to shine in a way the REIT down the street can’t!
So how do you become the first facility that comes to mind in your hometown? That’s simple! Go into your hometown. Do marketing that gets your hands dirty, your face seen, and your money’s worth!
So where do you start? Building trust with your community while building your brand is easier said than done. Here are a few quick ideas to get your feet off the ground!
When planning your community marketing strategies, consider who you’re marketing to.
Sponsoring local sports teams, like Little League baseball, is the perfect chance to get your brand in front of the eyes of young parents. Young parents do a lot of moving, rearranging, and storing!
Become a hometown hero by sponsoring a local team. It’s good for the community, and wouldn’t your name look good on a jersey?
This one is a no-brainer. Hosting a food drive helps your community, gives you name recognition, and gets new feet onto your facility!
One of the simple ways your facility can help is by partnering with a local food drive, offering up your space, and receiving collections on your property. You could even offer a free storage unit to hold the donations!
When you host a food drive you have the opportunity to partner with other local businesses, food shelters, and residents who now have someone in mind when they think of self storage.
Similar to the food drive, hosting a toy drive is an amazing chance to give back to your community while still marketing your brand.
A self storage facility is an obvious choice for hosting a toy drive. It’s safe, neutral, and has all the room that your community’s generosity can fit.
Go the extra mile, hire a Santa, hang up lights, and break out the hot cocoa! Make your facility a welcoming place to be, because every person who drops off their donation is a potential tenant. Put your most festive foot forward.
Build the right kind of reputation.
If you really want to get feet on the ground and eyes on your storage units, a garage sale is the perfect idea to spread the word and make a little cash.
What is a storage facility but hundreds of tiny little garages? It’s a no-brainer.
Not only will your current tenants have a chance to free some space, but you can rent empty storage units to vendors or residents who want to sell their own goods! By renting out empty storage units, you’re making a little money and increasing traffic.
Make spring cleaning a new tradition at your facility!
There is one consistent truth about every vehicle owner: their vehicle gets dirty. That’s where you come in!
A storage facility is an obvious place to host a car wash. With their ample space and convenient locations, storage facilities make for an ideal venue.
Whether you want to organize this car wash or just host it is up to you, but both have their strengths! Having your own car wash is a great way to get some new potential tenants on the ground and make some extra revenue. On the other hand, hosting another group’s car wash has its benefits. Hosting another group, like the local school’s math team, gives you immediate credibility while still bringing new people to the facility.
Don’t waste your space!
There are a lot of fun ways to market to your local community, one of which is hosting a haunted house!
Where they see a block of empty storage units, you see potential. Each empty unit could have its own theme, or your employees can all be classic characters. Whatever you do make it yours, make it spooky, and bring in those future tenants!
You don’t have to plan a huge event to capitalize on one!
Find the action and go to it. Is there a marathon? Go and pass water bottles with your name on them. Are they throwing a movie marathon downtown? Hand out popcorn!
The point is to get your name and your face out there. People may not think about self storage often, but when they do, make sure they think of you.
Community marketing is about being a part of something really big and really small all at once. The big box stores have a lot working in their favor, but they don’t have the connection to your hometown that you do.
When it comes to marketing to your community, think outside the metal box!
To read more about self storage marketing start here:
StoragePug is a modern marketing company for self storage. We create intelligent marketing websites that allow you to rent units & take payments through your facilities' website.
