Attracting and retaining the right renters starts with a well-developed self storage brand. Anytime you interact with potential customers, be it online or off, your brand matters. Expand your business, increase sales, and establish your company as a credible resource in the community by creating a brand customers can identify with. Self storage supply continues to increase and in order to compete with real estate investment trusts (REITs), your business needs to stand out. Differentiate yourself by creating a memorable brand.  

Why Branding is Important to Self Storage Companies

Branding includes more than a business name, logo, and tagline. It brings together elements that influence the perception of your company. REITs boast an advantage over smaller self storage operators through their nationally recognized brands. As a self storage operator, branding becomes increasingly important in order to compete with REITs and increase your brand awareness. If you establish your brand as the best solution for your target customer, this breeds the opportunity to define your place in the local market.

Find Your Niche

Branding helps you find your niche and renters that stay loyal to your company long-term. Creating a great self storage brand conjures emotion, drives your messaging, and communicates your unique value proposition within the local market. When establishing your brand, ask what value does your facility offer renters? Who is your target demographic and what’s your most important message? Answering these questions will help you create a brand that resonates within your niche and differentiates you from your competitors.

Home of the Red, White, and Blue

Let’s acknowledge the big red, white, and blue elephant in the room. Many self storage companies have embraced this patriotic color scheme, which leaves everyone looking the same. By differentiating yourself from the pack, you open the door to new opportunities and new clients who connect with your messaging and unique value proposition.

All of your facility’s marketing materials — website, signage, brochures, paid advertising — should be presented consistently in order to create brand awareness, interest, and to positively impact the renter’s journey. Establishing a brand that breaks the red, white, and blue mold will help your company effectively reach and convert leads.

Stand Out with Your Self Storage Brand

Create a reputable and trusted brand that generates better leads and more leases. Diversifying your brand within the self storage industry will help you develop messaging that sticks with your target market and solidifies you as the best option for a customer’s needs.

Start by identifying your unique value proposition — Describe the benefit you offer, how your company solves customer needs, and what distinguishes you from the competition. In other words — why should a customer choose you? Your unique value proposition tells prospective renters why they should be in business with you over one of your competitors.

Develop your personas — Part of developing your brand comes in identifying and cultivating your target audience. Persona development includes demographics such as location, as well as psychographics including interests, values, and activities. These fictionalized definitions of your target audience allows you to accurately relate and market to them.

Perform a SWOT analysis of your competitors — SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. This powerful tool can help you best your competition. Use SWOT to evaluate their business with regard to internal and external factors. Learn ways to deal with their strengths and capitalize on their weaknesses. A SWOT analysis of your competition helps your company prepare for the threats they pose and take advantage of the opportunities they create.

Establish a clear brand identity through design — Your website, advertising, signage, and marketing materials should all be consistent and capture your prospect’s attention. Communicate your brand’s unique value proposition clearly on your website, above the fold before users have to scroll. Choosing colors and design elements that speak to your niche establishes your brand identity and helps you effectively reach and convert leads.

Diversify Your Brand

Apply the findings from your research and analysis to your self storage brand strategy in order to stand out among the sea of red, white, and blue. Diversifying your brand within the self storage industry will help solidify your company as a credible resource in the industry, increase sales, expand your business, and help your company compete against REITs.

Schedule a demo and see how G5 can help you create your self storage brand.