Chances are, the majority of your customers are either new or established members of your community, rather than transients just passing through the area with a need to store their belongings somewhere, anywhere. As both supply and demand for self storage increases, now is the time to differentiate your company from competitors, like the local REITs, promote your brand, and establish yourself as a valued community partner.

One way to do this is to get more involved with your local community and look for ways to partner with local leaders, volunteer, and give back. How does this differentiate your company from the rest? Think of it this way — who would you trust more with your belongings — a sterile facility with little to no ties to their greater community, or one that is well-known in the community as a partner, volunteer, and supporter? You are asking customers to trust you, plain and simple. Earning their trust, and keeping it, is more likely when customers know how much your business is immersed in the community.

Getting Started with Community Organizations and Events  

Does this sound promising, but you aren’t sure where to start? What interests you most? What causes or groups do you already support? You’ll make much more of an impact, as well as glean the most from such a positive experience, if you make it personal. If you aren’t already part of your community’s Chamber of Commerce, that’s a good place to start, especially for networking. Here are a few opportunities to consider:

  • Sponsor a local charity: Your sponsorship could be anything from offering free or discounted units to a local non-profit and volunteering at charity events to making a monetary donation to a charity in need. Maybe the local food bank is in need of extra storage space for dry goods, or a local group needs a place to host a car wash? You could be the partner they need.
  • Volunteer: Pick several local organizations that align with your company’s values and promote staff to participate in a company-wide volunteer day that occurs monthly or quarterly.
  • Sponsor a sporting event or local sport club: Every sport club from youth soccer to farm team baseball is looking for sponsors. Your name might be promoted on the team’s jerseys, on the field, during a game, or on the programs.
  • Host your own community event: are you opening a new location? Introduce yourself to the neighborhood by hosting a community barbeque, complete with live music, family-friendly activities, giveways, and more. Be sure to spread the word!

Now, Get the Word Out

Now that you’ve made the first steps to getting more involved in the community, and establishing your self storage facility as a valued local partner, it’s time to get the word out. This is where your online presence, especially social media accounts, will give you a chance to further promote your brand and the good work you do for your community.

Be sure to follow fellow community leaders, charities, sports teams, and businesses on social media. Upload photos and videos of your staff in action on volunteer day, meeting with local charity representatives, hosting an event, or at the ballpark. Your website can host blogs about how you give back and highlight the organizations that matter to your facility and staff.

Make it Happen with G5

Being a community leader is all about partnerships. One of the best partnerships you can form is with G5, the proven leader in real estate marketing. Our Intelligent Marketing Cloud, which includes website design and social media management, outperforms other marketing solutions by 2.5 times. What’s more, we are actively engaged in our own community here in Bend, Oregon, and know just what it takes to promote community involvement and stewardship.

Ready to promote your brand and become a community leader? Schedule a demo today.