Imagine -or remember - the stress of moving to a new city.
The mixture of excitement and nervousness, the complicated feelings that come with starting a new chapter of your life while moving away from your familiar group of friends and colleagues.
Everything is new: the home you’re shuttling boxes into, the maze of backroads you don’t know, the local shops and restaurants you haven’t vetted. All of that on top of having a hundred things to do, like setting up utilities or changing your voter and vehicle registration.
Now imagine you’ve just realized you don’t have enough space in your new home for all the stuff you brought along.
It’s enough to make some of us never want to move. But storage operators are in a unique position to help people in this situation.
Your storage facility doesn’t just solve the issue of needing space for an out-of-towner. You can soften the overwhelming anxiety that comes with moving to a new town.
And when you give your new neighbor a hand when they need it most–well, you can bet they won’t forget it.
Today, let’s explore how to help new movers get settled into their homes with top-quality self storage and community building.
Moving is a time of re-evaluation when it comes to personal belongings and furniture. Does that sentimental wardrobe really have a place in the new house? Is there even room for that couch? As the unpacking progresses, is the dream home starting to look a little…cluttered?
The thought will cross many a new mover’s mind: do we really need all of this stuff?
That’s where you come in.
First and foremost, you’re providing a service–sometimes more than one service–that new movers need. By optimizing your website and local channels to get your product in front of people who need it, you’ll be offering a service to the people who need it most.
And if that sounds similar to how you market your storage facility to locals, that’s because the same principles apply. Keep your usual gameplan in mind while we go through some of the specifics of movers’ needs.
Typically, storage facilities position themselves as useful to new movers with:
Even if all you sell is storage units, keeping your value in front of potential renters means showing up for them when they need something. And given that new movers are 5 times more likely to develop brand loyalty with a business that helps them out, making yourself available helps establish that connection.
In that case, local visibility is a high priority in reaching your new neighbors.
Consider just how many local businesses a newcomer to your town will come into contact with during their first month. And every single one of them will be making first impressions; hopefully positive ones. If you’re already on top of your local business outreach, this is great news for you.
By putting information about your storage facility in the storefronts of businesses commonly used by new homeowners, you’ll have your marketing efforts in front of people who are more likely to need self storage.
But you can take it a step further.
Carrying coupons or information on special deals your fellow local businesses might be running–and by asking them to do the same for you–gives you an opportunity to both help meet a customer’s immediate need and to offer some relief to their already strained wallet (if you happen to know of a way to make moving not expensive, please share it with us). Better than physical coupons, consider QR codes for mobile coupons for even more convenience aimed at people who need that convenience.
Overall, you’re framing yourself as a helpful member of the community your potential tenants have just moved to.
Consider these high-traffic business types that new movers are bound to frequent:
Not only are you hooking potential renters up with tools and deals that help solve the problems that are bound to arise during their move, but you’re making them aware of your presence in the community.
Which brings us to our next point–showing off your role in your community to the people joining that community.
Whether they’re moving cities for work or just love the vibe of your town, all new movers need to get settled in so they can start thriving. You’re offering a quality service already–but hooking up your new community members with resources that make their life easier establishes good faith, another valuable part of your grassroots marketing.
Not to mention it’s what a good neighbor does, anyway.
Consider including commonly-needed resources on your website or providing handouts or QR codes at your office. New movers often need:
If you have a strong local presence, helping new movers find events and groups where they’ll meet members of the community means putting them face-to-face with people who you’ve served in the past.
Talk to your web designer about adding a “Moving to” your city page to your website with useful information–potential renters will appreciate the gesture of goodwill and the fact that you saved them the time of tracking all of it down!
In some cases, you’ll provide resources for a potential renter who will use those resources, feel grateful for your help, and continue about their business of getting settled in. That’s okay–you’ve made a good impression, and you’ve made yourself their first choice when they do need self storage.
Since new homeowners show heightened spending trends for two years after they move in, your potential leads will continue to accumulate new belongings, vehicles, maybe even an RV. That brand-new house can fill up fast, and that’s when they’ll remember your services.
Keep an eye out for new housing developments in your area. If you regularly pay attention to houses for sale near you, you’re likely to have new folks moving in. And when you show up for your new neighbors, they’ll know what a positive force your business is for the community–a community they’ll be proud to be part of.
And hey, more local voices talking about how great your storage facility is means more free marketing on your behalf!
To read more about savvy grassroots marketing tactics, check out these resources:
Gabfocus Spotlight: How can you make the most out of your referral program?
