Self Storage Tips

Renting a self storage space can be a pretty big commitment. Depending on your storage needs, you may use a self storage facility for a very long time. Some people actually store, for the sake of storing—in other words, they store indefinitely. Upon deciding to use self storage always cover the very basic necessities before you choose a facility. Take note of the following tips listed below when looking for a place to store your valued belongings:

• Find adequate insurance

  Many facilities offer insurance, while others have insurance rates built into the unit rate. Sometimes these plans will come at a higher cost. Do some independent research and find an insurance company with a monthly or yearly premium that fits your budget. Ensure that you do not under value your items. In the unfortunate event of an accident, or theft, you will want your items replaced at full cost.

• Make a list of your items to be stored

  This can assist with keeping track of your belongings, especially if you plan on storing a large number of things. If you are storing one or two pieces of large items, such as furniture, a list may not be necessary. However, if you are storing many small items in boxes, take note of the contents in each box before you place them into self storage. This also helps in the event of “foul-play”—so that you can determine if anything is missing.

• Determine the amount of space you need

  When renting online, it might be difficult to estimate how big of a unit you may need. You don’t want to rent too much or too little space. Unit sizes are often listed as 5x5, 10x 10 etc. If you are not sure how much space you will need, call the self storage facility and tell them what you will be storing in order for them to recommend an appropriate size before you reserve a unit online.

• Inquire about the different types of units

  It is good to be aware of the different unit options you may have available. Remember, self storage is not a ‘one size fits all’. You may need a specialized unit based on what you are storing. For example, if you will be storing items that need to be kept at a certain temperature to prevent mold and mildew, you may want to a consider climate controlled storage unit.

• Purchase a high quality lock

  Whether you are storing items worth a couple hundred or a couple thousand dollars, it is a given that you will want to keep them secure. Be sure to use a high-quality lock. Some self storage facilities sell padlocks on the premises, but this convenience may come for a slight bit more.

Overall, you should choose a unit that you are comfortable with. Consider the frequency in which you will use your self storage unit when deciding the proximity of a facility. A reasonable distance from your home and/or office should be ideal if you plan to visit your locker often. Make sure you have all the access and storage options that you will need in order to comfortably store your belongings. To locate a unit that is right for you, use the search option on USSelfStorageLocator.com.

Self Storage Aggregators

Find self storage anywhere anytime – The ability to look for a storage unit online lets you do your research anytime from the comfort of your home or work, without ever waisting time driving around or making phone calls. You can look at unit sizes, prices, amenities, special offers, and much more. Then make you reservation and move-in on the date you selected.

• Find a self storage unit anywhere anytime

  The ability to look for a storage unit online lets you do your research anytime from the comfort of your home or work, without ever wasting time driving around or making phone calls. You can look at unit sizes, prices, amenities, special offers, and much more. Then make you reservation and move-in on the date you selected.

• Making use of the advanced search options

  Self storage facilities often have amenities such as climate controlled, 24-hour access, drive-up access etc. When using a self storage aggregator, you can begin your search by including the amenities you are most interested in so that you can find a deal which is applicable to your needs. You don’t want to find a great rate only to realize that the unit does not have all features you need.

• Comparing facilities before renting

  Some aggregators like USSelfStorageLocator.com have a ‘compare’ feature to see the deals and features of many different facilities all at once. Though many facilities might be offering similar deals, the ‘compare’ feature will help you narrow them down so you can find the best deal in the area closest to you.

• Self Storage Tips and Information

  Good aggregators offer lots of useful self storage information and tips. They have dedicated people working on bringing you the most useful information about storing your valued items on a self storage unit. From packing tips to security precautions and much more. Reviewing these tips will help you have a good self storage experience.

These were just some of the benefits a self storage aggregator can provide you the next time you need to hunt for a self storage unit. Remember, there are many self storage aggregators available. However, the customer centered features offered by USSelfStorageLocator.com can assist in conveniently finding the best self storage deals and facilities in your area.

Self Storage Website

In a world of new and developing technologies, a website is a vital part of any business. It is an easy and convenient way to communicate information about new and existing product offerings, display contact information, and reach new customers. Your self storage business can greatly benefit from incorporating a website into your other marketing initiatives. Websites do not have to be expensive to create and/or maintain. In fact, there are several free options available which will help to you to get started on building your own professional website.

There are many websites that will offer a free trial or free basic features. While it might not be possible to build an entire website with numerous pages completely free, you should be able to set up a few basic pages which you can fill with relevant information about your self storage site. Below is a review of the top sites:

• Webstarts.com – The free basic version of this site offers up to 5 pages and 5GB/month of bandwidth. Pro and Pro+ versions are available which give 15 and unlimited pages respectively. The site has an easy ‘drag and drop’ format and it includes hosting, a web address and design tools. No programming skills are required.

• Ucoz.com – One of the most interesting features about this site is that it gives you unlimited disk space for free. You will start with 400MB of disk space and the longer you use the service, the more disk space you will receive. For the free basic service, you will get access to 250 default templates to create your self, storage website, data backup, and a free domain name.

• Webs.com – This site offers the option of building a mobile site (with advertisements) for free, in addition to a regular website. In the free version, you get 100 MB of bandwidth, 40MB web storage, and up to 30 minutes of video storage which means you can upload videos showcasing your self storage facility.

• Weebly.com – In addition to free website hosting, this website also gives you the option of creating a blog. You can blog about your rent promotions and other relevant information and use this platform to connect with new and existing customers. It offers over 100 free professional themes and free domain hosting.

• DoodleKit.com - This site is perfect for beginners. There is no knowledge of coding required. Full website hosting and domain name registration are included in the free version. You can add photo albums (500 photos max), chose a blog design, layout the page as you wish, and even chose a color theme. Of course, there are paid plans available with more features. However, for a basic website, the free version will be sufficient for building your self storage website.

One site which stands out in particular is Google Sites. All you need to get started is a free Google account. Unlike most sites which leave the best features for the paid versions, there are numerous great features offered by Google Sites for building a free self storage website. Google Site offers 10 GB of storage and you can easily manage sharing settings across your business and publish Google Sites within your company. Google Sites offers the exceptional quality which the Google brand is known for. In addition to the above mentioned features, there is also a single-click page click creation feature, pre-built templates and settings for access and sharing information. There is a Premier version which offers additional storage options. However, for a simple basic website for sharing pictures, videos and the location and information about your self storage business, the free version will more than suffice.

Regardless of the service you choose, the quickest and easiest way of getting a website up and running is to choose a template and customize it with all your facility’s information. Your facility’s name, location, description, pictures, unit sizes/prizes, amenities, and hours of operation are essential elements which you should include on your page. Including links to your various social networking business profiles is also a good idea, if you have any.

Remember that websites do not always have to be expensive. You can even find free options to host your site. Just keep in mind that your domain name will more than likely include the name of the site which is offering the free service e.g. “www.myselfstoragesite.webs.com”. If you would rather have a domain name which features only the name of your self storage site, then a paid option might be a suitable alternative. Whichever option you choose, ensure that you your site is simple and easy to understand. People should be able to easily find the information about where your storage facility is located and information on your rates and discounts.

Don’t Pack Pesky Pests!

Little brothers or sisters are often considered PESTS by older siblings. You know you can’t get rid of him or her until you go off to college, enlist in the armed forces, or runaway to join the circus. Pests are difficult to eliminate. Though you couldn’t stop your mother from having a younger child or more, you can keep pests away from your beloved possessions while in self storage.

Fall is here and for some it feels rather chilly already and it’s time to make room for winter possessions. In putting away summer items, be sure that you’re only storing what you intend to—simply put, don’t store insects and other pests. The following outline of “To Do’s” may appear to be common sense to some, while they may be simple omissions to others.

You should first make sure you’re not storing any multi-leg free-loaders or their eggs, before you transport your items to the self storage facility. Simply check your storage bins, boxes, crates—whatever you place your items in for insects, before placing anything in the containers.

I know “Thou shalt not kill” is a commandment in the Bible, but I’m not sure if it applies to humans killing critters. Since the USSelfStorageLocator.com office is directly across the street from a nice big beautiful church, I think I’ll go ask the nice pastor if it’s OK to kill insects and vermin. I’m back—she said kill-at-will. Alright, I made that up, but please be sure to get rid of or relocate them, if you, for whatever reason can’t kill them.

Before packing items to be stored, be sure to shake, sift, and comb through possessions, to make sure insects aren’t piggy-backing on items that are to be stored. Cleaning any necessary stored items is recommended—especially if it will help not to attract critters/insects.

Don’t store perishable items such as food, sugar, candy, pet food, ketchup, juices, etc. To be safe, we recommend that you not store can foods for extended periods as well .Vermin have such extremely acute senses—particularly sense of smell. This step may very well be the most important; not attracting insects and rodents from the outset may eliminate future aggravation.

After you have made sure that everything is critter-free and bug-proof, and then proceed to seal, wrap, and enclose containers and boxes thoroughly.

Once you have chosen a storage facility, inquire with management about their exterminating efforts to fight and ward-off invaders. Ask do they have a contracted exterminator, the name of the company, and what is their schedule? As a consumer who values your belongings, it’s your right to inquire about the frequency and scheduling of the facility, to keep your things free of all pests.

Self Storage Email Marketing

Email marketing campaigns are an easy and cost-effective way of distributing information about your self storage business. Designing a campaign of this type requires little effort and can reap great rewards in terms of exposure and consumer awareness for your business. There are several free and paid options available for marketing your self storage business in this fashion. In order to start, take note of the following:

• Find an online email marketing service – There are many good online email marketing services available to choose from, like MailChimp.com, ConstantContact.com, or EliteMail.com, etc. Most likely you’ll have to pay a small nominal fee, but by doing so you’ll have access to easy to use email marketing tools that include email templates, email list managing tools, analytics, and more. Many of them offer a free trial that you can use to determine if it is the right fit for you.

• Create an email list – In order to send your messages, you must have a list of emails to send to. You can purchase an email list from an Internet source or use an email list compiled by yourself. Whichever the case may be, ensure that your list targets people, businesses, and organizations in your city or market area. If you have a website, it’s a good idea to place a form in your home page requesting people for their email address to receive special discounts over email.

• Email content – Have sufficient text and a suitable message about your facility and special offers in your email. Choose a simple email template that will look professional or appropriate for the occasion. Use a couple of pictures but do not simply fill your email with them. Having too many pictures and little text could be considered as spam. Using too many words like “cheap”, “discount”, “act now”, etc... can get your email labeled as spam as well. Keep in mind that there are programs that will filter your emails for spam content. Always make sure you include your phone number, email address, and the name of a contact person in a noticeable section of the email to make it easier for customers to contact your facility.

• Choose a short but catchy subject message – The subject line could be the most important part of your email—if it’s not interesting or catchy enough, readers possibly will not bother to open your email. Choose your subject message carefully. It should clearly and concisely summarize the content of your email; think of it as a news headline. It is also helpful to use labels on your email subject lines. For example, if the email is about a new seasonal discount, you could have [Summer Sale] at the beginning of your subject line. Remember to stay away from using more than one exclamation point, writing in all CAPS, and using too many spam words to avoid being labeled as unwanted junk mail. Many reputable email services provide spam checking tools as part of their service, so make sure you test your subject line before sending your email.

• Opt-out option – Ensure that you give your recipients the option to opt out of your email list. Not everyone will be receptive of your email marketing efforts, especially if they feel they are being forced into it. As much as you will want to spread the word about your self storage facility, there are people who may not be willing to receive your emails. Most email marketing services will give you the option to add an opt-out link in your email templates, make sure you use this feature and that you remove any emails of people that have unsubscribe from the list before sending another email.

• Follow up on leads – Make sure you follow up on every lead and that you ask how they heard about your facility. It’s important to know if your email marketing efforts are being effective or not so that you evaluate how much resources you will devote to it. You can choose to include a discount code on your email, this might help keep track of which sales were a result of your email marketing campaigns.

• Be persistent, but do not spam – It might take more than one email to get a response, so keep at it and remember that marketing of this sort could take some time to see the results. Do not flood your potential consumers’ inboxes everyday. In general you should not send more than one email a week, sending more could result in people loosing interest and even labeling them as spam. Some people may unsubscribe or opt out of your email list.

There are many options available and it is up to you as the self storage business owner to choose one which you feel will work for you. Keep in mind that you can send your newsletter, link to your blog and website, and other pertinent information in your email marketing campaign. The key to success in this arena is not to overload your potential and existing customers with too much information. Consider doing an email marketing campaign when you have a special message to send out such as the launch of a new type of self storage initiative or a seasonal promotion.

Blogging About Self Storage

Blogging is an essential part of online marketing. It provides a platform where you can speak to your potential audience in an informal and conversational manner. As a self storage business owner, you can start your own blog to educate potential customers about the benefits of choosing your facility versus the competition. Before getting started, you should take note of the essential elements that make a good blog:

• Content - This is perhaps the most crucial element. The content you create is what drives visitors to your blog. Ensure that it is not only relevant to your business, but is also engaging to those who read it. Practice makes perfect so the more content you create, the better you will become at it. You can start out by providing general information about your facility. Then, you can add topics relating to self storage, introduce your employees, and post any information about your facility which you deem relevant.

• Design – Simplicity is key. Do not distract readers from the most important part of your blog – the content. Keep your design uncomplicated to ensure that what you write will be easy to read. Avoid making your page too busy or colorful.

• Hosting – You can decide whether you want to host your blog yourself or use a free blogging service. If you do not have a website for your self storage business, sites such as Blogger, Wordpress, Weebly, Tumblr, and LiveJournal provide free hosting services. However, your domain name will include the name of the free service you choose e.g. myblog.blogger.com. The free services often have blog templates, which will help you choose a design. Some of these free services, such as Wordpress, offer paid options where you can get more features. The advantages of using free hosting sites include the simplicity it offers (you do not have to know HTML), the design is already laid out, and it saves money. However, there is limited customer support and very low bandwidth with free services. Paid services offer additional features such as more design themes, assistance from customer support, the ability to add advertisements to your blog to make money, and of course, a personalized domain name. There is still some work involved with paid hosting services, e.g. WordPress’s visual editor requires some understanding of HTML. TearPad, iPage, JustHost, and BlueHost are all paid services which you can explore if you choose to go this route.

• Interaction – Consider allowing comments on your blog to interact with your readers. This way, you can get an idea of which topics work and the ones that do not. This also provides an opportunity for customers to ask questions if they need clarification on what you post. You can link your social media account to your blog so that when persons comment, it will also display in their respective social media profiles. This increases the visibility of your blog. For example, if you integrate Facebook with your blog, when persons are logged into their Facebook accounts and comment on a post it will be displayed as a story on their wall. You can include links to other social networking sites which will allow your readers to share your post across those platforms as well.

If your blog has the key elements listed above, then you should be able to build a substantial following of people who will read it on a regular basis. A blog is simple enough to start and manage. You can ask your employees for help in creating content. For even more variety, update your blog with videos and make a short post describing the content of the video. You can also post pictures e.g. of promotional events, your facility, and employees.

Feel free to go in whichever direction you are most comfortable with, which will help you get your point across to self storage customers. Some people prefer a more casual style of writing while others may want to keep it strictly professional. You will just need to find your niche. Just remember that you aim is to promote your self storage facility. Therefore, the majority of the information you post should be pertinent to your business.

Our USSelfStorageLocator.com team is always working in informing you of the latest and most effective ways you can market your self storage facility. Feel free to contact us anytime at 888-222-0225 for more self storage online marketing information or to sign up to our online self storage directory.

LinkedIn for Self Storage

LinkedIn, which surfaced nearly a decade ago, distinguishes itself in the social media arena by mainly targeting businesses and professional associations. Your self storage business will benefit from properly utilizing LinkedIn’s networking features which can help you get more business as well as connect with industry professionals. Our social media experts here at USSelfStorageLocator.com have prepared a short LinkedIn guide to help you get started on broadening your self storage facility’s online network and presence.

Basics of LinkedIn

To get started with LinkedIn you must first create a personal account. A Basic personal account is free and will let you create a personal profile for you, as well as a business profile for your self storage facility. However, LinkedIn offers various levels of paid memberships that give you access to extra features.

Once you create a personal account, fill it out with as much relevant information as possible. Your main focus should be informing potential self storage customers about your business. You can adjust your account settings by using the option in the upper right hand corner. For example, an important setting you can set up is whether or not you want others to see that you have viewed their profile. Enabling this setting will allow you to see who has visited your profile as well. This is very useful, as you could contact and research your profile viewers, and potentially generate leads. You can also use the account settings section to edit your profile details and manage your email notification preferences.

After completing your personal profile you will have to create a company page. Create it by visiting the Companies section and selecting ‘add a company’. You will need to fill in your company name and email address. You must prove that you are a current employee of the company by using your company email. Once you have done this, you will receive an email when your page is ready for editing. You can set up your company page so that other employees with a LinkedIn account can edit it.

Once you have set up both your personal profile and your company page, you can then start connecting with people. Remember that LinkedIn is used mostly by professionals so it is not encouraged that you add random people, which is a common practice on other social media networks. Before you can send an invitation to connect, you must first explain how you know the person. You will be presented with options such as colleague, classmate, friend, other etc. If you chose ‘other’, you will have to enter the person’s email address to send an invitation. A good way to get started is to search for people in the self storage industry such as vendors and self storage association officials. By doing so, you are aligning yourself and your business to those who could provide you with important industry information.

Business-to-business Interaction

In LinkedIn you can follow companies that have established a profile page. With this feature, you can follow local businesses and companies in your community and stay informed every time they update information on the site. Connecting with them may bring you more business leads, as many businesses need self storage services as well. You can also follow self storage companies similar to your own to get an idea of what they may be doing. Keeping up with your competition is an important part of potentially exceeding them.

Business-to-customer Interaction

The creation of a business page allows you to target potential self storage customers. This is a good way to increase the visibility of your self storage company. In your company page, you can list an overview of your facility details, current special offers, as well as any employment opportunities you might have. Ensure that you include as much quality information as you can – address, telephone, person of contact. You can include a picture of your facility or logo under the products and services section.

There is an Analytics feature that shows you how many people have viewed your page and the section with the most frequent visits. If you decide to execute a marketing/advertising promotion, this page is helpful for the evaluation of its success. For example, if four weeks into your promotion the number of visits to the promotional section has not increased at a satisfactory rate, then you can choose to improve upon what you are doing.

Lead Generation

As a self storage business owner, the primary purpose behind your use of LinkedIn will be to generate leads and create as much new business as possible. LinkedIn offers many features, but here’s a list of the features which could benefit your self storage business the most:

• LinkedIn Answers – In this section, people ask questions about various topics to get advice. A quick search will show you the questions that people are asking concerning self storage. By providing helpful responses on a regular basis, you are likely to find potential customers.

• LinkedIn Applications – You can add a link to your self storage blog, your Twitter account, Facebook account etc. This gives customers more access to your business by enabling them to connect with you on a variety of platforms. In order to connect your LinkedIn account to Facebook, you will have to allow access and permission from your Facebook account. You can visit the ‘My LinkedIn Profile’ page on Facebook and add the application to your Facebook profile.

• LinkedIn Groups – You can join industry-related groups to connect with people in your field. However, you should join groups outside of your industry to connect with an even wider range of people. Try finding groups of businesses in your city or state.

• LinkedIn People – Search for personal profiles using the box located in the upper right hand corner. When you find people you wish to connect with, you can ask your friends (if possible) for an introduction via LinkedIn. You can also search for people in specific companies to tailor your marketing efforts more precisely.

• LinkedIn Direct Ads – This works in a similar way to the paid search results on Google. You create your advertisement and then bid on how much you will pay every time someone clicks on your ad. For example, if you pay $1 per click and it takes 25 clicks to convert a potential self storage customer, you would have spent $25 for one customer. If that customer rents a unit for 6 months at $60 per month, then a $25 investment which yields $360 would have been a smart choice.

• LinkedIn Mobile – This is best utilized at trade shows or other industry events for making one-to-one contact. If you meet someone you want to connect with, you can transfer contact information via Bluetooth easily. This is a great way to follow up on a lead – no typing, no misspelled contact information.

Connecting Other Social Media Accounts

As mentioned earlier, you can choose to connect your Facebook account to LinkedIn. You can do the same for Twitter by using the “add application” feature. Your tweets will display in real-time on your LinkedIn account. This serves to add further visibility for your self storage business. You can also add polls, WordPress, Google Presentation, Huddle Workspaces, to name a few.

Marketing via LinkedIn

By now, you will have understood the basics of creating and maintaining your personal profile and company page on LinkedIn. By keeping this page constantly updated with useful and accurate information about your business, and connecting with people, businesses and organizations, you are potentially driving new business to your self storage facility.

You should also encourage your employees (managers at least) to create a LinkedIn profile and make sure they appear as employees of your company in LinkedIn. While you may only have one business page, every employee is free to create his or her own personal profile. This increases the number of mentions of your self storage business on the site. You can have your employees include the details of the business and location in their profiles. You may also designate people to search for self storage related questions on LinkedIn, answer them, and reach out to the person who is asking.

LinkedIn continues to expand its features and add useful new tools on a regular basis. These new tools enhance the site’s capabilities and adds to your ability to market your self-storage facility effectively. By using LinkedIn, you will be able to create engaging promotional campaigns and capitalize on the leads you generate.

Our USSelfStorageLocator.com team is always working in informing you of the latest and most effective ways you can market your self storage facility. Feel free to contact us anytime at 888-222-0225 for more self storage online marketing information or to sign up to our online self storage directory.

Twitter for Self Storage

With so many social networking options available it might be difficult to choose the one which is right for your self storage business. On the surface, all these services seem similar. However, if you take a closer look, you will see the rich marketing value they hold, especially Twitter.

Here are some helpful tips for using Twitter to promote your self storage business:

• Ensure that your tweets are informative and relevant.

  As the business owner, your tweets will always be relevant to you. But the real challenge is getting others to care about what you are tweeting. Shameless self promotion has its time and place however it won’t get you very far in the “twitterverse.” For example, you can tweet about your self storage business but also include information about general self storage news to keep your followers interested.

• Pay attention to the character limit.

  Twitter limits the amount of characters on a tweet to 140. Although there are many third party programs which will allow you to post beyond the standard limit, the average Twitter user will not be willing to read a one paragraph tweet. Try to get essential information out to your current and potential followers in the least amount of characters possible. Remember, you can say a little and still manage to communicate a lot.

• Do not spam other Twitter users.

  In your overzealousness to communicate information about your self storage business, you might find yourself responding to tweets where others might not even be mentioning self storage. Users often find this annoying and will not be hesitant to report you as spam. Once this is done, your account may be suspended and permanently closed.

• Read and respond to mentions.

  Whenever another twitter uses the ‘@’ symbol and then writes you name, this is known as a mention. You can use mentions to see when people are writing tweets about your business or twitter accounts. Responding to these mentions will show your customers that you are interested in what they have to say and will assist in building a better business-consumer relationship.

• Designate a real person to write your tweets.

  While automated Twitter programs might be helpful for tweeting messages about promotions, specials offers and standard information, you will want to avoid sounding like a robot. Twitter works best when you are able to create a dialogue. Who wants to talk to a computer? You will have to check your mentions frequently to see what others are saying about your business and respond to them in a timely fashion.

• Link your Twitter account to your mobile device.

  Whether it’s your tablet, or mobile phone, there is a Twitter app for just about every device. Having access to Twitter on-the-go gives you more flexibility in creating and maintaining your various Twitter campaigns. You also get alerted whenever you have a new mention therefore you can respond accordingly without having to manually check it.

Now that you have an idea of which direction to follow when promoting your self storage facility on Twitter, here are a few helpful applications which you can link to your Twitter account to enhance your profile even more:

• TwitVid and TwitPic

  With these applications you can post videos and pictures of your facility. For example, you can make videos of the various unit sizes you have so that potential customers can have a better idea of what is offered. You can use these videos or pictures to give a tour of your facility. Be sure to consult with Twitter’s Terms of Service to ensure that your postings are not in violation.

• Who.unfollowed.me

  This application gives you a detailed account of everyone who has unfollowed you. There is a free account which gives you access to your unfollower history for up to seven days and a premium account which allows you to search beyond that. You can even choose to unfollow those who are not following you back or those who have recently unfollowed you. This is helpful because you don’t want to follow people who will not reciprocate your follow and actively contribute to the discussions you might decide to post. Remember that every twitter user can freely follow up to 2000 people. After you reach that 2000 mark, Twitter limits the amount of additional persons you can follow. The limit varies by user and is based on the individual’s ratio of followers to following. Twitter will inform you of your daily or total limit once you have reached it.

• Bit.ly

  This URL shortener is useful if you want to include a link in your tweet but do not want to use your entire 140 limit on the link. While the ‘new’ Twitter now shortens URLs automatically, it does not shorten them to the length which bit.ly can—which will end up saving your valuable characters.

• Twitter for (mobile device)

  As previously mentioned, there are several Twitter mobile applications. However, you need to link the mobile application to your Twitter account before you are able to fully access the various features. When using these third party applications, keep in mind that Twitter imposes a rate limit; a restriction on how many times you can request data from its services in an hour. The current limit is 150 times per hour - this includes all searches, tweets, and following/unfollowing actions.

So, you have your apps and a plan in mind on how you’re going to target potential customers, you just need to brush up on your Twitter etiquette. Following these best practices for Twitter will ensure that you reach your audience while adhering to the rules and regulations of the service:

• Do not copy Tweets.

  While Twitter states that it does not intervene in personal disputes between members; it is generally frowned upon to copy a tweet without giving credit to the original poster of the tweet. If you see a helpful self storage hint or advice for self storage, do not copy the tweet and post it as your own. If you wish to share it with your followers, you can ‘Retweet’ the original poster. There is a retweet button conveniently located at the top of your Twitter profile so that you can share the tweets of others with your followers.

• Use hashtags appropriately.

  Hashtags are denoted by the ‘#’ symbol and used to mark keywords in a tweet. Do not use hashtags which are unrelated to your post simply to have your business or topic recognized. For example, if you are posting about self storage and #FacebookMessenger happens to be a trending topic, do not include this hashtag in your post just because everyone is talking about it at the time. If you are posting about Facebook Messenger, then that is permitted. However, a tweet such as “Check out our awesome self storage facility #FacebookMessenger” would be considered spam according to Twitter’s terms of service.

• Do not harass others about following you.

  It is perfectly fine to send a tweet asking someone you follow for a follow back. However, the use of automated bots to message and invite other users is strictly prohibited. There is no guaranteed way to get others to follow you because unlike other services such as Facebook, you are not automatically “friended” simply because you choose to follow someone. Consider posting relevant and valuable information about the self storage industry and others in the industry and even those who are not, will possibly follow.

• Do not post copyrighted content.

  Remember to always include a link which gives credit to the original author of whatever you are posting. Never pass copyrighted content off as your own as this has legal implications.

At this point in time, you are almost a Twitter pro. You have been briefed on the marketing aspect and are aware of the do’s and don’ts. Now, after you follow this guide, how will you know if it works? Most advertising professionals will tell you that it is impossible to measure the ‘effect’ of advertising; we can only measure the effect of our communication efforts. With that in mind, we can take a look at the key elements to consider when evalutating your success on Twitter.

Your follower count is not reliable to evaluate whether or not your communication efforts are successful. While it would be ideal to have thousands of followers, it is better to streamline your efforts. Instead of looking at your follower count, you can instead look at how many people are actually responding to your tweets. If you have 1,500 followers, yet less than 10 are replying daily, then you can tell that the accounts following you are either inactive, spam or run by people who simply wanted a ‘follow back’.

The number of retweets you get is also another useful way of evaluating your efforts. If you are posting helpful self storage information then others may want to share it. If you notice that no one is retweeting your information, then you might want to consider revising your strategy. Do not simply post information about how great you business is. Ask the question: Why should others be interested in this? If you cannot answer this easily, then consider posting something else.

Tweeting about special discounts and promotions is an excellent start. You can use Twitter as a platform for informing potential and existing customers about the groups you may offer discounts to - college students, military members and which days these discounts apply. Also consider asking customers for they Twitter handle, if they have one, when they sign up for a storage unit so that you can find and connect with them.

Twitter is a great service for business promotion. However, if it is not used in the correct manner it might end up doing more harm than good. Your self storage business has a lot to gain from having a Twitter account as it is a great way to connect to others in the industry and even to keep an eye on your competition. If you follow the tips and recommendations we have shared, then you are well on your way to designing a Twitter campaign that should adequately complement your other marketing and advertising efforts.

We’ve been posting self storage and moving tips daily on Twitter to assist persons who may be in the process of looking for self storage or moving. These tips are also helpful in general because just about every one might need to move or seek self storage at some point in time. Thanks to everyone who has retweeted our tips so far and we hope you have found them useful. We’ll continue to post these tips daily. In case you missed any, here’s a list of our tips for this month so far:

Self Storage Tips

1. Check with your facility about the specifics of their policies before you store your vehicle.

2. Climate controlled units cost more than regular units so consider the value of your items before making a decision.

3. When possible, choose a facility that is completely fenced in with controlled gate access.

4. Although canned food items may be stored, remember that perishable items, such as produce or meat, are not allowed.

5. If you're a business owner, keep an ongoing detailed inventory of everything business-related you will be storing.

6. If you will be expecting deliveries, as questions like "Can the facility accept deliveries on your behalf?"

7. National trade associations such as the US Self Storage Association can be useful sources of information.

8. Keep boxes in uniform sizes as they are much easier to stack.

9. Place your items on boards or pallets to protect from dampness. Any concrete floor may become cold or damp.

10. Store drapes, curtains, and clothing on hangers. If not, these items should be carefully folded.

Moving Tips

1. Moving Tip of the Day: Get referrals for moving companies from local real estate agents and friends who have moved recently.

2. Only consider moves who are licensed, bonded and insured.

3. Form two lists - one for your current place and one for your new place to help you manage where everything will go.

4. If you're moving with family members, assign a task to each person with an estimated time of completion.

5. Assemble a kit of basic cleaning supplies in order to clean both your old and new place.

6. Use see through garbage bags so that you will not have to reopen bags to see if it is garbage or something you packed.

7. Pack books flat in order to protect their spines.

8. Label ALL boxes for easy identification.

Self Storage Online Marketing

The ability to plan and execute a successful online marketing campaign will make a big difference for your self storage business. Online marketing has quickly grown from simply having a company website to expanding into several new areas like social networking, online aggregators/directories, referral websites, and more. It is highly recommended that you start implementing at least one or two of these techniques in your next marketing campaign. To help you get started we have gathered information on the most popular and effective ways to market your self storage online which will enhance your existing self storage facility’s marketing strategies and help keep those storage units filled:

• Company website – Having a website has now become the norm for any type of business and it’s the starting point for basic online presence. There are many options available for creating company websites like do-it-yourself website builders (Google Sites, Webs, Yola) to full-blown custom websites. A basic website with details about your self storage facility and services should not break the bank. The most important pieces of information you should have on your company website are: facility description, unit types, sizes, prices, amenities, and pictures. If your budget allows for a custom build website, be sure to hire a reputable design firm and ask for previous work samples and references. A company website will be an investment that in the long run will pay itself and will have a positive impact on your business.

• Self Storage Aggregators/Directories – An online self storage aggregator/directory is an excellent option that will increase your facility’s online exposure. There are several advantages to listing your self storage business in this manner. They’re primary purpose is to provide you with customer leads. They are also cost and time efficient – many small businesses may not be able to afford to create and maintain a website so this is a viable alternative. Self storage aggregators will take care of listing the facility’s specials, units, prices, and specific information. One important feature of online aggregators is the ability to synchronize your facility’s inventory with its online profile -- this helps to keep the information always accurate and reduces the amount of time needed to set-up and maintain the facility’s profile. USSelfStorageLocator.com is one of the newest and fastest growing self storage aggregators available. They offer features such as online unit rentals, call tracking and recording, enhanced facility profile, email notifications, and activity tracking and reporting. There are other self storage aggregators available.

• Online Business Directories – These list businesses according to their specific categories. Your self storage listing would be listed along with other self storage businesses either in your state or town. Services such as Yahoo Local, Bing Local Business Portal and Google Places For Business are great to start with. Listing your self storage facility in this manner will help increase your online exposure and search engine visibility as you are getting the name of your business out there in an organic manner. One very important thing to remember when listing your self storage in online business directories is to make sure all your information is accurate and uniform across all directories. For example, you can list your business on Google Places, it can be found using Google Earth. In order to list your self storage facility, you must have a Google account. Once you have a Google account, visit Google Places and enter the information for your business. It is completely free of cost and very beneficial to your business.

• Social Media – This is perhaps the most cost effective online marketing strategy currently available. Many of the features that are offered by the various social media platforms – Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn – are completely free of cost. Social networking is extremely popular. Facebook alone has over 100 million users. Therefore, you can reach a large number of people with very little effort. The establishment of a Facebook or Twitter page will only begin to scratch the surface of what you can accomplish marketing via social media. You have to be interactive. Remember, people prefer to interact with self storage businesses which are represented by real people – not automated bots which routinely post status updates forcing a product on the consumer. Try to answer the questions which your website did not (if you have one) on your social networking pages and take careful note of what users are saying about your business. Using Twitter, it is easy to search in real time what every user (with unprotected tweets) is saying about any topic. You can use this feature to find out what people are saying about self storage and target your marketing efforts more efficiently. You can use Youtube to show videos of your self storage facility. This is helpful if you want to give users who rent online an idea of what to expect from your facility before they commit to rent. Adding your videos to Youtube is easy. You first need a valid email address to create an account. Then, choose ‘upload’ from the upper right hand corner. You can record a video from your webcam or navigate to a video file on your computer. Videos can be up to 15 minutes in length, HD, and in a variety of formats. When you’re done, you can auto share your video across different social media platforms such as Facebook or Twitter. It’s that simple.

• Referral Services – These rely on the recommendations of online users who are familiar with your services. These recommendations can come from customers, friends, family members, or business peers. Services such as Stik.com allow people to connect to goods and services based on the recommendations of friends on Facebook. You can use your Facebook page to create more exposure about your self storage business and have people who ‘like’ your page recommend you on Stik.com. Yelp.com is another useful referral website. On this site, persons who are familiar with a company can provide reviews and recommendations to others detailing their experience. Listing your self storage company on Yelp and encouraging your satisfied customers to leave positive review is an excellent way to create interest in your business. You can also encourage your customers to leave reviews on Kudzu.com, which is similar in functionality to Yelp. All these services are free of charge.

• Email Marketing – This creates a direct link to the consumer as you are able to tell them exactly what sets your business apart from others in the form of an email. There is however a method to sending email blasts however. You have to ensure that the content of your email is not labeled as spam and sent directly to the recipient’s junk or spam folder. You can ensure this by having a reasonable word to picture ratio – if you include images, ensure that there is more text than pictures in your email blast. You can run your email blast through a free spam checker such as SpamCheck.com before sending. This service gives your email blast a score and will tell you the likelihood of your email blast making it past the popular spam filters for most email services. Popular email blast systems such as Constant Contact and Mail Chimp provide affordable email marketing services. For upwards of $15 a month, you gain access to email templates, one click editing and customer support to assist you with constructing email blasts that will help you get more targeted results.

The marketing possibilities which you can employ online are practically endless. As you can see, a few of those listed are interconnected (E.g. Stik.com and Facebook) so when designing your marketing strategy you should keep this in mind. You can use your existing self storage company website to link to your various social networking profiles to create even more exposure for your self storage business. Whether you choose to use one or a combination of the online marketing strategies listed, you can be confident that your self storage facility will benefit greatly from it.