Short answer: Track which channels produce move-ins, review results at least weekly with whoever runs the marketing, test copy, images and layouts, and only scale what works. Pair online marketing with offline work: referrals from nearby facilities, local business relationships, business associations and on-site events.^[1]

Online: measure, test, scale #

• Tracking. Set up tracking with your vendor or staff so you know which parts of each campaign are working. If you don’t track it, you can’t improve it.^[1]
• Weekly reviews. Review performance at least weekly and agree on adjustments.^[1]
• A/B testing. Test ad copy, images and page layouts. Spend cautiously until something produces move-ins, then put more behind it.^[1]
• Stay involved. Even if you don’t do the work, stay plugged into performance, metrics and decisions.^[1]

Offline: be part of the trade area #

• Call on other facilities and set up referrals for customers they can’t accommodate.^[1]
• Build relationships with other local businesses and join business associations.^[1]
• Host events at the facility.^[1]
• Send your customers to local businesses too; Mark finds it comes back as move-ins.^[1]

What works varies from property to property, even in the same city. Nothing is guaranteed, but Mark believes owner involvement and steady testing give a lease-up its best chance.^[1]

Related answers #

• How should you set goals and a budget for lease-up marketing?
• What should you focus on when opening a new self-storage facility?
• How should self-storage operators choose and vet vendors?

Sources #

Each numbered note above links to the post of Mark’s it comes from.

1. Lease-up Marketing: A Strategy for Smarter Spending That Can Produce Real Results, Mark Helm, August 1, 2025