How to Build a Strong Self Storage Brand
Branding is a true representation of who you are as a business and how you want to be perceived. Everything that identifies and defines you as a company is your brand identity – it’s your name, logo, mission, and message. Your brand is your company’s personality.
Christina Alvino, Founder and CEO of FineView Marketing, states, “Your brand identity isn’t just about creating something that looks good, but about bringing your brand to life.” Your brand should clearly communicate the who, what, where, when, why, and how your company exists.
All of this being said, it’s challenging to define a clear brand identity that will give your potential customers a clear first impression of who you are and the values that make your company unique. That’s why you need a digital marketing company that has the know-how to work with you to create your self storage brand, maintain it and keep it strong.
Build a Strong Self Storage Brand
1) Imagine Your Brand as a Person
Think of your brand as a relatable person. This person should have a clearly defined personality. Describe this person’s traits, and convey those traits in everything your company does. Your tone, your message, your logo, your color palette, and even the way your employees engage with customers should align with your brand’s personality. Colors, images, and designs should support your brand and bring it to life.
It’s important to define your brand personality explicitly so that it attracts your target audience. Brand personality is more than the promises in your mission statement. It’s the actions you take to keep those promises. If you find that anything from the color of your logo, to the actions of your employees, does not support your brand personality, modify or change it.
2) Determine Your Purpose
The fundamental purpose of every business is to make money, but strong brands have a deeper motivation. According to Templafy, 64% of consumers say they trust a brand more if they share its values. It’s vital that your brand position, values, and mission are clear and communicated coherently.
What is your company’s objective? Do you want to promote your security features and moving supplies or do you want to make your customer’s lives easier by providing problem-free solutions? Spend some time thinking about why you started your company and why it continues to exist. Review your mission statement to help you capture the essence of your company and identify your purpose. Touch on your vision statement to gain some insight into what you hope to achieve in the future.
3) Establish Your Value Proposition
Remember, your value proposition is not a tagline or slogan. These things are important, but they don’t make a customer choose your company over another. Your value proposition dives deep into the problems you want to solve for your customers and what makes you the right company for the task.
A value proposition is a compelling reason as to why a customer should buy a product or service from you rather than from someone else. It should convince your prospective customers that you have solutions to their problems that your competitors don’t. What amenities and business services do you offer that your competitors don’t provide?
Understanding your competitors can help you determine your value proposition. Being aware of their efforts can show you how to enhance your position to be unique in the minds of your prospects.
4) Recognize Your Target Audience
Knowledge of your target audience should go deeper than demographic information. Think about the real people that walk into your store or browse your website. What problems do they want you to solve, and what do they need from you and your company?
Identify people that have a high potential of using your services, and develop your brand around the emotional benefits that appeal to them. To do this, create a list of benefits and determine which ones connect emotionally. For example, the calm they’ll feel with a clutter-free house, or the ease and convenience of storing their college kid’s belongings rather than the effort of moving them all back home. You want them to visualize how much better their life will be with the extra space that you offer.
5) Show Consistency Along with Flexibility
Your brand should be consistent enough to be recognizable, yet flexible enough to remain fresh and relevant. Everything your company does and says is an impression of your brand and should align with who you are as a company.
Once you’ve established the foundation of your brand, continue to remain open with creative campaigns and new ideas that will help to differentiate you from your competitors. Keeping your brand flexible means that visuals, strategies, and tactics can be easily adapted to reflect the evolution of your core values and consumer demands in a perpetually changing market.
Summary
Your brand is a true representation of who you are as a business and should demonstrate consistency and excellence in the minds of your customers. Every aspect of your company should reflect and align with your brand identity and coherently communicate the essence of your business.
