Getting Back to Marketing Basics Works

Many thanks to our guest blogger Sara Cowie, owner and operator at My Self Storage Place in South Williamsport, PA!

Most Operators Feel Like This Economy is Really Tough Right Now

I feel like it’s a strange time in self-storage. You keep expecting things to turn around quickly, thinking, “Any day now, the busy season is coming,” but it might not happen. I don’t want to be pessimistic; I like to stay optimistic, but I also want to be realistic. And on the East Coast, we’ve had a tough winter, so depending on how long it lasts, it might affect the upcoming season.

Digging Into ‘What’s So Different’

Last summer, we noticed some significant changes, particularly during the lease-up season, which felt unusual. It didn’t start as early as usual, and demand wasn’t as high, yet we were still performing well. However, since August, we’ve seen a monthly decline in rental activity.

More people are moving out than moving in, and one major reason is that many people say they can’t afford it anymore. When considering their income, they see storage fees as just another bill that they can eliminate by finding alternative ways to manage their belongings. Unfortunately, we’ve had many clients express their inability to pay. Some have shared heartbreaking stories—like losing their jobs and struggling to provide for their families, leaving them with almost no money to spare. It’s a tough situation, and it feels like there’s a larger issue beyond our control at play.  And, we do want to stay empathetic to their struggles, but it is becoming more common.

Getting Back to Marketing Basics

Last summer, I delved deeply into Google Ads to ensure everything was set up properly. Before getting into storage, I briefly worked at an SEO and paid search agency. During that time, I connected with someone who was willing to offer consulting help. However, I’m now considering hiring someone to manage it full-time. I believe it needs more attention than I can provide, even with a little help.

I regularly update our Google My Business page because I know how crucial Google reviews are for our business. We receive many calls from potential customers who specifically mention our great reviews as the reason they reached out. To encourage this, I’ve tied my manager’s bonus to our performance on Google reviews. If he doesn’t receive at least one Google review each month, his bonus is affected. This incentive motivates him to aim for at least one review every month, which helps us stay relevant in Google’s search results. Additionally, he includes a QR code on his business cards that directs people directly to our review page, making it easier to leave comments.

If someone is moving out and has a great experience, they might recommend it. The best way we’ve discovered to ask for the reviews in person is, “Hey, can you do me a favor?  Could you leave us a Google review?  It actually affects my bonus.” When people hear that, they realize they are helping someone out, which can be impactful.

So, I encourage you to share that perspective and have more empathy regarding these situations. Even if someone is older and may not be able to write a long review, a simple five-star rating would be fantastic. Every rating counts!

Change Up Your Processes If You Can

We’ve made some changes to the checkout process on our website to see if they would improve our conversions. For instance, customers now need to upload a photo of their driver’s license, but they don’t have to provide the license number. This is meant to simplify the process for them. Additionally, we’ve recognized that when people set up an online rental, having to provide an alternate contact can be problematic, especially during difficult times such as a death or divorce. While we always request an alternate contact for in-person rentals, it may be hard for someone to think of one in those situations. So, I decided to eliminate that requirement to see if it helps.

Currently, we are the price leader in our area, and I’ve been wondering whether this is keeping people from moving in or if they are simply price-shopping. As of last week, I began experimenting with web rates to see whether they would generate more reservations and online rentals, as those numbers have been declining. So far this week, we’ve received a lead that turned into a rental reservation and a successful online rental. I consider that a positive sign!

Add a New Ancillary Product or Even a Truck or Two!

These days, we need to put in more effort to capitalize on every rental opportunity. Recently, we decided to add new U-Haul trucks to our property to see if this would help generate more leads. Our location is on a busy street, and given the visibility from passing traffic, we believe we can do well here. People will likely associate the trucks with storage services, which we can then use to attract potential customers and sell them storage units. This is a strategy we haven’t tried before.

The Storage Business is Worth the Fight

I understand that everything goes through phases, and you learn a lot more from difficult times than from good ones. It’s all a learning experience, and we just need to stay positive, knowing we’re in the thick of it. I truly believe things will get better; it’s just a matter of when.

Speaking with other operators and hearing their insights is valuable, as it helps me figure out how we can improve. It allows for some reflection and deep thinking.

I genuinely enjoy the people in the self-storage business, and I’m happy to be involved in storage. It’s a wonderful industry with a great group of people. I used to work in tech, but I never felt like I found my true calling there. And, I learned a lot, but I was always inspired by my dad, who was an entrepreneur. I didn’t want to work for someone else; my ultimate dream was to have my own business. His example motivated me, and I love what I do. When you own your own business, the highs are absolutely amazing.