Many of us are building new self storage facilities (instead of Additions or Conversions) as the way to start or grow our self storage business.
As more square footage hits the market, marketing has never been more important.
In this episode, I’ll share what your marketing calendar should look like and when you should start.
My partners and I have made the mistake of waiting until the facility is almost built to begin focusing on marketing. We were behind from the start.
Don’t do that.
It is almost never too early to start. Start marketing as early as possible so that you give the organic search time to grow.
Below is an outline of a marketing calendar/plan for a self storage under construction.
6-9 Months Before Opening
- Marke sure you have purchased the domain name for the website.
- Launch a Landing Page under the domain name you have purchased.
- Put up photos of the current project under construction as well as a rendering of the completed project.
- Create a contact page, an email contact, and offer a special for early reservations (this won’t get much traction, but sets the tone).
3- 6 Months Before Opening
- Make sure your web copy is written and you have selected your website provider. You want them working on the final site now. My experience is it can take up to three months to have the website ready to go.
- Change or add photos to your photo gallery on the landing page showing construction progress.
Designed to create some buzz and excitement around the facility.
2 – 3 Months Before Opening
- Have the website copy completed and site ready to go.
- Create the unit mix and initial pricing in your operating system.
- Once this is complete, connect unit mix with reservations/leasing portion of the website.
- Verify your location on all search engines (Google, Bing, etc.).
- Create a Yelp profile for your facility.
1 – 2 Months Before Opening
- Launch website.
- Make sure you have the capability to take reservations online.
- Have the manager, or yourself, start calling on local businesses, apartment complexes and even other storage facilities. Let them know that you are offering a referral fee for new leases (we pay a $25 referral fee).
- At other facilities, focus on the Managers, not the Owners. Let them know that if they get a potential customer and don’t have what they are looking for that if they refer your facility they will get a referral fee in cash that day.
Other than past customers, our number two referral source is other self storage facilities.
1 Month Before Opening:
- Write a “Grand Opening” article/blog post
- Put out a “Grand Opening” Press Release.
- Create a content schedule for articles/blog posts
- Calculate an advertising budget and create a schedule.
- Set up a Facebook Company Page.
- Start online advertising.
- Google AdWords and Banner ads.
- Facebook Ads.
Hints for Marketing and Articles/Blog Posts
- Make sure the Landing Pages and the Website are designed for mobile first. The majority of people today that search for self storage are on mobile devices so make sure your site shows up great there.
- For articles or even a section of the website, be very local. Very specific.
- Create information about the area such as restaurants, schools, things to do in the area.
- Have your facility become part of the community fast.
- You could even do reviews (make them positive) about area businesses.
- Let the businesses know what you are doing. Leave them flyers and information about your facility “if they choose to share them with their customers”.
Track Everything From the Start
- Where are you getting leads?
- Where are new leases coming from?
- Which advertising is working?
- How high are your conversions on landing pages?
- Decide who will nurture these leads and turn them into website visits (which will convert to customers).
As self storage owners, if we follow a strategy close to this, we will have some momentum and traction as our facility opens.
If you are doing an expansion you can use some of the strategies for creating a buzz. Create a photo gallery and use the local angle in the article/blog section of the website.
Use real pictures on the website and in the advertising rather than stock photos as much as possible
You or your Manager need to write the articles about the area since you are the most familiar with the area. This may not always be possible depending on the skill sets of everyone, but start there. You can always have someone else proof and edit.
Successful self storage facilities are part of the community. This strategy will make sure you have your project becomes known and part of the local community as fast as possible. This is critical because your customers, or at least around 85% of them (our average), come from the immediate area.
You have to earn the right to be their self storage provider and once you have a customer, you have to earn the right to keep them as a customer. Approach your facility with this mindset and you will be successful.
