When you shop online, you’re surrounded by options. The problem isn’t having enough choices – it’s which choice is worth your money.
So which item are you adding to your cart? The one with lots of pictures that give you an exact idea of what you’re buying, or the item with no photos at all?
We’ve all heard the saying “A picture is worth a thousand words.” This is especially true for websites, Google Business Profiles, and social media. You’re not just showing people your product. You’re establishing trust.
But photography and videography can feel like a huge topic. Let’s break it down into three phases:
Busy season heating up? Here’s the quick version:
Using high-quality photographs and videos on your self-storage website, Google Business Profile, and social media defines how potential renters see you. Without good photos, convincing tenants to rent at your facility is an uphill process!
Approximately 75% of online searchers say they rely on product photos to help make a buying decision. That’s a powerful tool for your self storage marketing.
Besides helping drive visitors to your site, photos and videos also keep visitors on your website longer—which means more chances to click on the “rent now” button.
It’s not just potential renters, either. Current customers use your website to pay their bill. The use of quality photos reminds them why they chose to use your facility. Plus, good photos make your business look professional.
Photos and videos also provide your management team with a tool to showcase what makes your facility special.
Don’t hesitate to place photos and videos throughout your office to show potential and current tenants your various amenities. For example, StoragePug client Rocky Hill Storage uses drone footage to show new tenants where their parking space is located or what building their unit is in.
According to Google, businesses that use photos in their Google Business Profile get 42% more requests for driving directions to their location. Google Business Profiles with photos also get 35% more clicks through to their websites than businesses without photos.
A BrightLocal Google Business Profile study shows that customer engagement increases with the number of photos used in a Google Business Profile.
In other words, the more photos used in a GBP, the more website visits, direction requests, and phone calls it gets. And customer engagement increases dramatically when the number of photos goes over 100.
Google Business Profile lets you post photos of your exterior, interior, and staff. Pictures of your products–dollies, moving truck, boxes, and other products–also help customers know what you’re selling. Take your game to the next level with a logo and cover photo. And if your customer experience is top notch, you can even get happy customers to share their own photos.
To help get your Google Business Profile to that 101+ photos goal, try adding at least one photo each week. Another way to meet this goal is to use multiple photos for each feature. If you’re showcasing your facility’s moving truck, photograph the truck from various angles and show the interior and exterior.
Want to learn more about getting your facility ready for photos? We talk all about it in our Gabfocus Session, Elevating Your Marketing Through Curb Appeal.
First and foremost, your photographs and videos must be high-quality. Just having photos isn’t enough. Make sure they are good photos. Blurry or poorly lit photos will be as harmful as good photos are helpful.
Obtaining high-quality photos may mean investing in the services of a professional photographer or videographer. It’s okay to shop around and compare prices–you might even ask some of your neighboring businesses where they got theirs. You can even partner with a local tech club for drone photography!
You can also take high-quality photos with most modern smartphones! Take a few on a nice sunny day and see how they turned out - if you feel like you need an upgrade, consider a professional then.
For high-quality photos, here’s a quick checklist of what you’re looking for:
Remember that your goal is to show off what makes your facility stand out. Before taking photos, make sure you have a list of all the features and amenities you want to highlight. And–we can’t say it enough–be sure to shoot from multiple angles.
You don’t have to just take pictures of amenities, though! People love looking at photos with people in them. Customers feel more comfortable when they see smiling faces in the photos. And when you include staff members in the photos, potential renters get to know the people behind the business.
People also love dogs. Feature subjects in your photos that people associate with happiness. Just make sure the photo’s relevant to your business, too.
Prepare before the photoshoot to ensure that your facility is shown in the best light. This might mean refreshing your landscaping, touching up paint, or washing the moving truck.
To get you started, here is a list of amenities and features to photograph at your facility.
Seeing how other self-storage facilities have incorporated photos and videos into their websites can give you ideas for your facility. Check out our list of StoragePug clients who took high-quality photography and videography to the next level on their websites.
Letting high-quality photos and videos shine on your website, Google Business Profile, and social media posts grows your self-storage facility.
StoragePug helps you capture the magic of photography and videography. We can help with placing photos on your Google Business Profile.
StoragePug also offers e-books, workshops, and videos on demand to help you with all aspects of running your self storage business. Our blog has self storage resources for free. You can learn more about getting breathtaking drone shots for your storage facility in our Steal the Spotlight with Drone Photography article!
Ready to snap some pictures? Get out there and make your website awesome!
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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.
