BRISBANE – R6 Digital™ the leader in Self Storage marketing have released the first Storage Marketing Index (SMI) for use by Self Storage professionals in Australia.

Storage Marketing Index Released

Released during the Self Storage Association of Australasia’ recent online learning event, the SMI outlines the growth of digital marketing in Australia and it provides trends and provides real insight into how digital marketing for Self Storage is developing. 

The index shows how COVID has impacted the way in which the message of Self Storage is delivered to potential customers. 

Michael Dogger, CEO of R6 Digital commented that in recent years, 80% of potential Self Storage customers used the internet to research Self Storage but only 44% of Self Storage facilities were using any form of online advertising to attract these searchers.

“We created the R6 SMI to share our online Self Storage marketing insights with the industry so operators could benchmark their marketing performance”, he said. Self Storage Marketing Index

With one of the larger Self Storage marketing datasets, the information contained in the SMI is useful for small and medium-sized operators. 

2019 data is included for comparison and it will be interesting to see year on year trends emerging as the data is reviewed over time. 

The SMI covers:

  • Search trends
  • Device trends
  • Cost per click (CPC)
  • Cost per move in
  • Conversion trends

What were some of the essential Takeaways?

One of the biggest changes the Self Storage industry has seen in recent years is the growth of a strong digital presence, a user-friendly website, and high rankings in search results for your local area.

The demand for Self Storage is highest among younger people and declines with age, so think about what you’re doing in your business to appeal to the Self Storage customer of the future.

Online Move-Ins were embraced by customers in 2020 far faster than most operators understood.

Whilst online move in technology had been in the marketplace for operators for more than 10 years, many had not adopted the technology and were somewhat caught out by lockdowns preventing store sign-ups.

Your Self Storage brand experience needs to be effective on mobile devices, with significant search volumes for Self Storage on mobile devices. customers are searching for Self Storage on mobile devices more than ever. 

Given recent Google and Facebook issues, having your online strategy reviewed and tuned to the new reality of online advertising is essential to capture one of those eight out ten online searchers that are ready to buy.

We know from general consumer research that when people complain about the price, what they are really saying is they don’t see value for money. The price tag isn’t worth what they are getting in return.

We know that people who have used Self Storage see benefits in reducing clutter, being able to own things they like but don’t have room for, and also benefits related to their business.

But we also know that people who are likely to need Self Storage in the near future don’t fully recognise or appreciate these benefits. Because they see less value in the offer, they are more sensitive to price. To overcome this price barrier, it’s critical to promote the wide-ranging benefits of storage and promote the offer as being strong value for money, to remove some of the focus on the price tag itself.

So when you’re thinking about pricing in your marketing, get creative and reframe the value of Self Storage. 

How to use the R6 SMI in your Self Storage business

Take some time to understand your own marketing processes and how they are performing. Ensure that you capture your own data the same way each year monthly so you can see if there are any trends.

Have a think about your marketing efforts:

  • Do you talk about why or when people might need storage?
  • Do you highlight the benefits of Storage or just the features of your facility?
  • Do you showcase customer stories that might help people identify a need for storage in their own lives?
  • Are you taking every opportunity to raise awareness of storage amongst your local community and your local business networks?

Once a consumer identifies a need for Self Storage they begin to consider their options. It’s here that we really need to address their core needs and signpost the reasons for them to choose Self Storage (understand there are other choices) and then choose your facility.

Use the data gained to ensure your website is optimised to capture potential storers. Ensure customers can pay and rent a space online.

Compare your results to the R6 SMI index and see how you compare.   

How can I get a copy of the R6 Storage Marketing Index?

Download your copy here:  R6 Digital Storage Marketing Index