Offline Marketing for Self Storage Business

Recent years have shown a sharp increase in the number of self storage companies, meaning that if you want your business to get noticed, not only does your service have to be great, but you need effective ways to get the word out about your company.

The Classic Offline Approach

Know Your Customer Base

It might seem like simple advice, but it cannot be overstated how important it is to know who uses your product the most. It might be students needing a space to store belongings for the summer, or businesses running out of office space. When you know your consumers, you can then decide what marketing strategies or platforms you should use to either strengthen your existing customers or get new ones. Whatever the method or platform, if you know your audience, you can target your marketing to meet their needs, fostering a stronger relationship between your business and your consumers.

Tailored Pricing

Another benefit of knowing your consumers is being able to tailor specific price packages for each group you know uses your storage services. Taking the example of students again, offering special pricing bundles at the start and end of the school year is always guaranteed to drive interest, especially if you include other services such as providing boxes or covering pickup and delivery of their items. Other packages to consider could be to offer businesses special deals for moving offices or providing moving services.

Gifts and Referral Incentives

Who doesn’t like a good gift? While it might seem trite, handing out small gifts with branding can be very effective, and also quite inexpensive to carry out. Things like mugs, mousepads, or seasonal decorations (e.g Christmas ornaments) are a great low-cost and easy way to get your company name out there. Gifts can also be a good way to reward returning customers, either through contests online or through a loyalty programme. Creating loyalty among your customers goes a long way.

Another good inexpensive idea is to use referral incentives. This method is sure to drive word-of-mouth about your business, and the key is to strike the balance between making the incentives appealing enough to increase inquiries, but not so favorable to the renter you hardly see any benefit. An example is to offer a customer a free month of storage if they refer friends, who then will rent for a set period of time. This not only beneficial in providing incentives to customers, but also can help foster a stronger relationship with your consumer base.

Billboards and Traditional Media

While social media and technology have been a major advance in marketing, good old-fashioned marketing techniques with physical marketing are still underrated and can still be extremely effective, when used correctly. In a 2018 study, Arbitron found that 71% of people looked at messages on billboards, and 26% of people visited a store or used a service after seeing the billboard. Billboards are also on average 80% cheaper than TV or other in-home advertising. Similar to using social media, billboards are extremely effective if you know your consumer base. In addition to billboards, other traditional media like flyers or posters can function well in the same way.

Marketing on the Move

The section above explored billboards and another similar idea would be to create eye-catching branded designs on company vans. If your business has vans for moving in customers or for valet storage services, consider an upgrade from the plain text of your company name and phone number to something more attention-grabbing. It’s been proven people stop and take in billboard advertising, so it’s a no-brainer to essentially have a billboard on wheels. Not only will it be effective for marketing, but it could potentially replace your other physical media advertising costs, making your business more cost-efficient.

Partners and the Local Community

Self storage companies don’t exist in a vacuum and operate alongside other businesses in a community. Many local businesses often lend their name to sponsored events, sports teams, or initiatives. On a smaller, local level, this can work wonders. Working with schools tends to go over especially well, and you’re also able to reach families that could be potential customers. On top of just being a good thing to do, being involved in the local community means that your business will be the first one people think of when they need your services.

Providing great service can only go so far in growing your business, and marketing goes hand in hand when it comes to your company’s success. While the shift towards technology has made digital marketing methods extremely effective, offline marketing methods should not be underestimated. When used correctly, they can directly rival more modern marketing platforms, and can sometimes be more effective in certain situations. Be sure to incorporate both online and offline strategies when trying to promote your business to ensure you’re getting the most exposure you can get!

Related Article: How to Increase the Conversion Rate in Your Self Storage Business

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