The holiday season isn’t the busiest time of year for those in the self storage industry. People are occupied with decorating, shopping, and baking, and self storage is not a hot topic of conversation. If you want to make your presence known, start getting creative and thinking outside the box. 

Here at FineView Marketing, we have some bright ideas that will keep your customers top of mind even during this busy time of year. 

Self Storage Holiday Marketing Ideas That Will Get You Noticed

Gain Goodwill by Becoming a Donation Drop-Off Location

People usually feel extra charitable during the holidays, so it’s a great idea to make your self storage facility a drop-off location for donations. A whopping 85% of consumers say that they prefer brands that support a charity they care about. If you’re looking to stand out in the crowd, supporting a nonprofit might move customers in your direction. 

This is especially true during the Christmas season. Reach out to Toys for Tots, a community food bank, or another local organization, and let them know that you’re willing to be a drop-off location. If you have vacant units, you can offer to store the donated items and then use your rental trucks to deliver them to the charity’s site. This is a great way to bring more foot traffic to your facility and make some retail sales while people are dropping off their donations. 

Target Seasonal Businesses

Depending on your location, there may be some local businesses that could use seasonal storage space. During the winter months, landscapers need a place to store their large mowers, trimmers, and other landscaping gear. If they transition to snow removal during the cold months, their snowblowers, shovels, and plows will need a home during the summer. In that case, you have a year-round tenant. 

Don’t forget about the Christmas pop-up shops. These businesses carry vast amounts of ornaments, decorations, and artificial Christmas trees. After the New Year’s sales, they need storage until they’re ready to “pop up” again next year. 

Decorate Your Facility

If you want your facility to stand out in the crowd, decorate for the season. You don’t have to be Clark Griswold, but you can go a little above and beyond to capture attention. Many families have a holiday tradition of driving around their local area to check out the Christmas lights. Make your facility memorable so that they think of you the next time they need storage. Get some free advertising by entering a local Christmas light competition. If it’s in your budget, hire a professional to hang your lights. If not, it can still be breathtaking. Get some inspiration from Dazzling Christmas Light Displays to Visit in All 50 States. 

Invite Your Tenants to Have a Self Storage Unit Decorating Contest

A self storage unit decorating contest is a fun and unique way to market your facility. Tenants will love the opportunity to get creative with the outside of their units. Attract more participation by offering a prize. The winners could receive something like six months of free rent or enrollment in a tenant protection plan for a year. Set a completion date for the contest, and promote a holiday display drive-through. 

Families can cruise through the grounds and vote for their favorite unit. Contact a TV station that may be looking for local news and holiday events to counteract the endless stream of “dreary” news. You’ll be top of mind when people have a need for self storage.

Boost Business With a “12 Days of Christmas” Promotion

People are excited by “what’s coming next” promotions. For this one, you’re going to need 12 custom banners, advertising various specials. Examples are several months of free rent or 50% off, free or discounted packing and moving supplies, and a free unit to hide Christmas gifts for the month of December. For current customers, you could offer a free upgrade to climate control or a larger unit. Don’t worry too much about the cost of the banners – you can use them every year.

Create a Christmas Present Wrapping Station

Turn a large vacant unit into a “Wrapping Station.” Set up long tables and stock them with tape, scissors, wrapping paper, and ribbon. To cover the cost of supplies, you could offer free wrapping for the first gift and a small amount for each subsequent gift. For a small fee, a staff member could be available for those that prefer to have an “expert” wrap their gifts. To drive interest and foot traffic to your facility, this event can be marketed to tenants and non-tenants.

Nothing Says “Christmas” Like Moving Boxes

If you sell retail items, this one is for you. Build a Christmas tree or an adorable snow family using moving boxes. Display these cuties in front of your store with a sign or banner touting your facility as “Holiday Storage Headquarters.” Stock and promote holiday storage bins, ornament storage boxes, and Christmas tree storage bags. Don’t forget to let everyone know that self storage is a “Santa approved” place to hide Christmas gifts.

Holiday Cards: An Oldie but a Goodie

With so much digital communication, it’s nice to get an old-fashioned Christmas card in the mail. Send them to current customers to show your appreciation for their business, and to past customers inviting them to come back with a “first month free” offer. It’s equally important to send holiday wishes to potential customers with a discount offer for storage in the New Year.

Final Thoughts

This time of year may be typically slow for the self storage industry, but with a little imagination and creativity, you can attract more business and have tons of fun in the process. Merry Christmas!