Boost Your Self-Storage Rentals: 5 Online Marketing Hacks to Fill Your Units Fast

by Sarah
March 25, 2024
Self Storage
0

Introduction

The self-storage industry has experienced tremendous growth over the past decade. In fact, the number of self-storage facilities in the United States has increased by over 50% since 2010, with over 50,000 facilities in operation today. With so many new facilities coming online, competition is fierce when it comes to attracting renters and filling units. This makes having an effective online marketing strategy essential for any self-storage business looking to stand out and maximize occupancy. Facilities will need to boost self-storage rentals

In this post, we’ll explore the top 5 most effective ways for self-storage facilities to market their available units online. From optimizing your website to running paid ads, implementing these digital marketing tactics can help drive site traffic, generate leads, and increase rentals. Read on to learn how to promote your storage units online and capitalize on the continued growth of the self-storage sector.

Have an Optimized Website for Self-Storage Rentals

An optimized website is crucial for marketing self-storage units online. Here are some tips for optimizing your website:

Make your website mobile-friendly. Over 50% of online traffic now comes from mobile devices. Your website needs to be responsive so it displays properly on all devices. Use a mobile-friendly design and template.
Speed up your site loading times. Sites that load slowly lead to high bounce rates. Use image compression, minify CSS/JS files, and leverage browser caching. Test site speed and aim for load times under 2 seconds.
Include clear calls-to-action (CTAs). CTAs encourage visitors to take action, like calling for pricing, reserving a unit online, or scheduling a tour. Make your CTAs visible with contrasting colors. Place them above the fold and near forms.
Simplify site navigation. Make it easy for visitors to find what they need quickly. Use dropdown menus, breadcrumb trails, and include a visible search bar.
Provide an online reservation form. Allowing customers to check rates, view unit sizes, and reserve online makes things convenient. Build this functionality or integrate with a storage software provider. Using online marketplace like PeerStorage can help boost your SEO, reach to new renters, and can help provide the online rentals at no cost to your facility operations.

With an optimized website built for conversions, you can effectively promote available storage units online and drive more reservations.

Leverage SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) is critical for self-storage facilities to get their units found online. Here are some key SEO tactics to implement:

Target Relevant Keywords

Research keywords related to self-storage and your specific location. Terms like “self storage near me” and “climate controlled storage [city]” are great to target.
Optimize pages and content for your most important keywords, focusing on ones with good search volume that align with your offerings. You can find search volume on Google by going to Google Trends and searching for the keywords searched on Google in any given area.
Include keywords naturally in page titles, headers, content, image names, alt text, meta descriptions, etc. Don’t over-optimize.

Create Location and Unit Type Landing Pages

Create dedicated pages targeting searches for different unit types like climate controlled, vehicle storage, boat storage, RV parking, etc.
Have location pages optimized for searches including surrounding cities and neighborhoods.
Create a Google Business page that shows up on Google Maps. Your customers can add reviews and photos that will boost your company page. The more reviews, the more trusted the facility is to people looking to rent self-storage.

Update Metadata

Craft compelling meta descriptions of 155-160 characters that use keywords and encourage clicks.
Add schema markup to enable rich snippets in SERPs like address, hours, images, reviews, FAQs, etc.
Update XML sitemap and submit to search engines regularly.
Add alt text to properly describe images.

By focusing on important SEO fundamentals, self-storage sites can improve visibility and drive more qualified traffic to their available unit listings.

Run PPC Ads to Boost Self-Storage Rentals

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is a great way for self-storage facilities to get their units in front of motivated buyers searching online. With PPC ads, self-storage owners can target local searches and only pay when someone clicks their ad.

Some tips for running effective PPC ads:

GEO target your ads. Make sure to set your location targeting to show your ads to searchers in your local area. Only show your ads to people looking for self-storage near your facilities.
Set up conversions. In your PPC account, set up conversion tracking to see when your ads result in contact form submissions, phone calls, or online rentals. This helps you optimize for the most valuable actions.
Test different ad formats. Try out text ads, responsive search ads, image ads, and video ads to see which perform best. Image and video ads tend to have higher CTRs.
Test your keywords. See which keywords have the highest conversion rates and focus your budget on those terms. Keyword research is key for PPC success.
Create ad variations. Test different headlines, descriptions, and landing pages to improve your ad CTR and conversion rates. A/B test for better performance.
Use negative keywords. Add negative keywords to avoid your ads showing for irrelevant searches. This improves your click quality.
Monitor and optimize. Check your PPC metrics regularly and optimize for lower CPCs and higher conversion rates. PPC takes ongoing management for the best ROI.

With strategic PPC campaigns targeted locally, self-storage facilities can generate more online bookings and fill their empty units faster.

Promote on Social Media

Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter provide excellent opportunities for self-storage facilities to promote available units. Here are some of the top ways to leverage social media:

Share Photos: Posting high-quality photos of your storage units is a great way to give potential customers a visual tour. Show off different unit sizes, features like climate control, and amenities like moving carts. Make sure photos are well-lit and showcase the space.
Create Video Tours: In addition to photos, short video walkthroughs of units can really bring them to life for social media users. Capture different angles, room features, and show scale. Videos perform very well on platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
Run Paid Ads: All major social platforms offer paid advertising options to reach targeted audiences. Create ads with impactful visuals that promote available unit specials or site features. Geo-target ads to users near your facility’s location. Start with a small daily budget and optimize based on performance.

Leveraging social media with visual content and paid promotion is a highly effective way for storage facilities to connect with local customers searching for storage options. Match social strategies to platforms where your ideal renters are most active.

Partner with Aggregators

Partnering with online self-storage aggregators and listing services can be a great way to get your facility in front of more potential customers. Popular aggregators like SpareFoot, SelfStorage.com, PeerStorage, and Storage.com allow you to create a listing for your facility that will show up in consumer searches.

The key benefits of getting listed on these sites include:

Increased visibility – By having your facility listed, you’ll gain exposure to consumers searching for self-storage in your area. This can help drive more traffic to your website.
Credibility – Being listed on an aggregator lends credibility to your facility, especially if you have reviews. Consumers often check these sites when researching options.
Competitive pricing data – Most aggregators show pricing info and unit sizes for facilities. This allows consumers to compare your prices to competitors.
Online rentals – Online marketplaces is a great way to fulfill online rentals for every unit available at your facility. Aggregators specialize in SEO, and driving traffic to their website so more people can find your facility.

To get listed, you’ll need to create an account and provide details like your address, unit sizes/pricing, features, photos, etc. Make sure your listing is complete and portrays your facility accurately. Also be diligent about keeping your listing info updated.