Awareness of self storage services is still low in the UK. According to the SSAUK annual report, 52% of the public have low awareness of the self storage industry. And when it comes to the drivers of recognition, a huge 69% said they were only aware of self storage because they had seen a storage facility that is visible from the road.
But what if you don’t have a roadside location? Or what if you want to expand your reach to beyond those who see you on the side of the road?
Increasing visibility is not a unique challenge for the self storage industry, but there are some industry-specific steps you can take to address the issue.
In this guide, we will look at the steps you can take to increase your visibility without a roadside location, starting with…
Be active where your customers are active
There’s not much sense in investing in a TikTok strategy if none of your customers are using TikTok. Likewise, it would be foolish to rule out a site like Pinterest just because you think it can’t work for you because this is where the interiors-obsessed spend most of their time.
Being active on the platforms your customers are active on may take some trial and error, but it’s worth taking the time to get this right. It’s common for companies to set up a Facebook and Twitter account as a bare minimum, but there are other platforms out there to explore. For example, Houzz could be a treasure trove of warm leads.
Don’t be afraid to go against the grain to increase your visibility and connect with customers on the platforms they use the most.
Create a powerful content strategy
Search marketing is your friend. Unlike PPC, you have to invest time rather than money, but the results can be incredible. A good content strategy can help you to tap into customer pain points and provide a solution they didn’t even know they were looking for. Why spend a fortune converting the attic for more storage space if you could simply put excess items into storage?
A good content strategy is all about working smarter rather than working harder. This means that each piece of content can serve multiple purposes with just a little bit of tinkering. Blogs can be broken down into bite-size content for social media and emails.
You could create free downloads and printables to help grow your mailing list. Or you could help to increase your reach by interviewing local business owners who use self storage for a podcast. Once you have created one piece of content, think about how you can spin this into more content that is suitable for multiple platforms.
Invest in PPC
If you want to guarantee visibility in the SERP, PPC is the best way to achieve this. When a potential customer searches for self storage in their area, you can use PPC to make sure you’re appearing at the very top of the search, before the organic results.
But if you really want to increase visibility, you have to make sure you’re making the most of the real estate. Using ad extensions can enhance your advert and build trust before the user has even landed on your website. You could include your star rating, quick links to specific pages or even a click to call number on mobile.
Increase conversions with retargeting
To increase visibility for warm leads, you need to explore retargeting. This type of marketing serves ads to users who have already been on your site. If a prospect is researching multiple storage facilities, you can use this type of marketing to stay fresh in their mind.
This type of marketing works best if you take the time to segment your audience and serve them the right message. Targeting someone who looked at the business storage section of your site with ads for personal storage won’t have the best outcome.
You should also think about user motivation. If a customer has landed on your site and only looked at pricing, these are the customers that are looking for the best deal. Consider serving them a special ad that offers a discounted introductory price.
These are just some of the ways you can increase your visibility without a roadside location. If you’re interested in learning how Auburn can help you to reach more customers, get in touch today.