Self storage’s social media profile
To paraphrase a well-known proverb: “As they write us, so they see us”! A well-maintained social media profile is a chance to gain new customers and keep existing ones happy. How to be active on the Internet without going crazy? Read on!
How to start the social media adventure?
Social media profiles are a ‘must-have’ for almost every business. By creating an attractive online image, you will build brand trust, promote your services and multiply your profits.
Start your social media adventure by developing a strategy, i.e. an action plan. When creating such a plan, answer the questions:
1. What goals do you want to achieve by running a social media profile (the fewer goals, the better)?
2. Who are your customers and what do they need?
3. Where (on which platforms) do your customers visit most often?
4. What information are self storage users looking for and what will attract them to your profile?
5. How often will you post (the more often, the better)?
6. How will you analyse the results of your activities?
When creating a strategy, don’t rely on what you think, but on facts and figures. You can find the answers to these questions by doing research on the web, reading industry reports, using tools such as SoTrender, Brand24 or PeopleAsk, and observing your competitors’ actions (and results).
Define your goals
Determining the purpose of your social media profile(s) will determine the nature and tone of any messages you broadcast. Your goal may be, for example, to promote the storage to potential customers in the local market or to establish yourself as an expert in the world of self storage. Don’t rush to define your individual business goal. It will serve as a guideline for further action.
Define your personae
Defining your target audience, i.e. the group of customers you want your social media activities to reach, will be the basis for determining what you will write about and how. You may be tempted to create a persona, i.e. a hypothetical silhouette of a typical customer for your storage.
What age are your customers (or the customers you would like to reach), what do they store, privately or for business? Try to describe the customer persona as accurately as possible.
Also find out what platform your customers visit more often. Facebook, LinkedIN or maybe TikTok? Be where they are! At the beginning of your social media adventure, choose one platform and develop your profile systematically. When you feel you are ready to expand further, create a profile on the next platform.
Create a content schedule
You already know where you will be posting and to whom, it’s time to figure out what your posts will be about. Don’t waste time creating content that no one will read! Get information on what your target audience is looking for online. The answers to your potential customers’ questions and concerns will be the basis for future posts.
In addition to expert content, plan posts related to your storage (e.g. opening hours and regulations), prices and promotions, dispelling customer objections and highlighting the benefits of using your services. Don’t forget the goals you want to achieve and tailor your messages to them.
The posting schedule should include specific publication dates. Stick to them so you don’t find that sometimes you publish every day and sometimes once every three weeks.
Take care of the graphic design
Interesting posts are half the battle. Your social media profile should also have an aesthetically pleasing and consistent design.
Your task is to create a profile picture, cover photo and post template. You can do this yourself using free tools available online (e.g. Canva). You will also find it useful to have images licensed for commercial use for free. You can find them on pexel.com or pixabay.com, among others.
If you don’t have an aesthetic sense, you can outsource graphics to freelancers at a small price.
Analyse and optimise
Don’t fall into the trap of publishing posts without measuring their effectiveness! Regularly monitor and optimise your efforts. For analytics, use the tools of the individual communication platforms (e.g. Meta Business Suite) or external tools (e.g. Brand24).
Set a few key indicators (KPIs) to measure your activities. Don’t just focus on the number of reactions under posts, but go deeper into analytics.
Your goal is to make more sales? Measure the number of transactions made through your profile.
You want to be an expert and build a community around your profile? Pay attention to the monthly growth of fans and discussions started.
Based on KPIs, set (realistic!) goals and try to achieve them.
Just get started
Once you complete these few simple steps, your self storage’s social media profile is ready! Now you just need some time, work and patience to see tangible results from your actions. Need some inspiration? Take a look at LinkedIn and see what our profile looks like! You can find us here: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/sprytki.pl
