The Ultimate Social Media Playbook - storEDGE · Social media marketing is the act of using a free...
Transcript of The Ultimate Social Media Playbook - storEDGE · Social media marketing is the act of using a free...
7 Ways for Self StorageManagers to Master Their Brand
The Ultimate Social Media Playbook
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What the heck is a social media playbook and why do I need one?
Before you get started using this ebook, let me share a secret with you: most storage owners don’t need to
be social media experts to use social platforms effectively. The purpose of this ebook isn’t to make all storage
owners and managers expert social media marketers - it’s to provide storage brands with the basic social media
tools they need to thrive online, and most importantly, translate social media capital into earned dollars for
your business.
If you’re looking for a guide that can help you set up your storage facility’s social media accounts in an easy-
to-manage way, you’re in the right place. This ebook is catered to the unique needs of storage brands and
written for managers and owners who want to maximize social media results with minimal effort. Even if
your storage brand has a marketing team, the insider tricks in this ebook will help you run your social media
accounts smoothly.
Why use this playbook?
This playbook will give you all the tools you need to get your storage business going on social media, with no
BS. The information in this playbook will help you engage and interact more effectively online, by showing you
how to:
• Set up your storage brand’s social media accounts the right way the first time
• Post content that leads and customers care about - easily and efficiently - without buying camera
equipment or learning how to use Photoshop
• Use social media reports to see the real impact your social media presence is making on your storage
business’s bottom line
Who is this playbook for?
Do you own, manage, or work at a storage facility? Do you want to bring in more quality leads? If the answer to
both of these questions is yes, this playbook is for you.
How do I use this playbook?
There’s no right or wrong way to use this playbook - skip the basics and get right into the meat of the matter,
or start from square one and set up your social media account as you go. To jump to the section you’re most
interested in, check out the table of contents below.
1. Warm-Up: Learn Social Media Marketing Basics ................................................................................................................. 3
2. Kickoff: How to Create & Set Up Your Social Media Accounts ........................................................................................ 7
3. Go-To Plays: Weekly Post Ideas & Tools ............................................................................................................................... 10
4. Pro Moves: 50 Out-of-the-Box Social Media Post Ideas .................................................................................................. 15
5. Performance Data: How to Use Reports & Analytics ........................................................................................................ 21
6. Future Game Changers: Predictions for 2017 and Beyond ............................................................................................ 26
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Whether you’ve successfully avoided social media for the last fifteen years, or you’re just curious what the latest
stats are for social media and self storage, this chapter will give you all the information you need to know before
you get started.
What is social media marketing?
Social media marketing is the act of using a free social media site - like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter - to
generate leads, boost revenue, and build brand awareness in your community.
Why should my storage business give a darn?
Because it’s huge for lead generation: people use social media to find new businesses and products in their
community - like self storage - and share them with their friends online.
Who uses social media?
In short, nearly everyone. User demographics like age, gender, household income, and interests vary across
platforms - Facebook’s user population, for example, is so large that its American user demographics are nearly
reflective of America’s societal demographics as a whole. Younger platforms like Instagram and Snapchat are still
growing rapidly and used mostly by digital-savvy students, young adults, and growing families. One of the most
important demographics? Income. Check out the charts below for demographics on the big three - Facebook,
Instagram, and Twitter - while keeping your ideal storage lead in mind.
Tweet this chart
The Ultimate Social Media Playbook: 7 Ways for Self Storage Managers to Master Their Brand | 5
Tweet this chart
Tweet this chart
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While the majority of social media platforms were created for desktop use (on a traditional computer or laptop),
now most users access social media through their mobile device or smartphone. If you see someone using a
smartphone, chances are they use it for social media. This is important to keep in mind when you’re creating and
sharing content online - everything you post should be easily viewable on mobile devices.
How much do I have to pay for this stuff?
Nothing - it’s free! Creating a social media account, following other users, and sharing content (like images,
videos, and online coupons) is completely free, forever. There are many businesses (like storEDGE!) who use
social media, but avoid social media advertising by simply using organic content (unpaid posts) to successfully
grow their audience.
Advertising on social media, however, is not free. Social media advertising is based on an auction system
(businesses bid against other businesses with similar audiences for ad placement) and can cost businesses
anywhere from $1 per day to hundreds of dollars per day, depending on your industry (businesses in saturated
markets pay way more than businesses in niche markets like storage). Some storage businesses use paid social
media advertising for a short time (think: a week or less) to promote the launch of their new social media page or
a major event happening at their business (like a grand opening or renovation).
How mobile are social media platforms?
DesktopMobile
Tweet this chart
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Ready to get going? It only takes a few minutes to set up your business on social media. But before you get
started, you’ll need to gather a few things.
Laptop or computer
Smartphone
Internet access
Notebook (or the “Notes” app on your phone)
High-quality, digital images of your business
Digital file of your brand’s logo
You’ll need these things to access the website, set up your page, and preview it as others will be able to see it.
Should I create separate social media accounts
for all my facilities or just one account for all of my
brand’s locations?
Good question. While it may seem nice or more
personalized to have individual accounts for all of your
facilities, it can get really difficult to manage all these
accounts as your business grows. Facebook actually
has a fantastic feature for managing multiple locations-
it allows you to list and manage all your locations on
Facebook from one main account, so that everyone
can find you in Facebook search or find the store
closest to them when they land on your main page. On
Instagram, it’s easy to add location information to your
photos with geotags (an electronic tag that assigns
a geographical, mapped location to a photograph
or video posted on a social media website) so that
everyone knows where your facilities are located. On
Twitter, you can create just one account and share
facility location information and photos in your tweets.
What if I buy a facility and it already has it’s own social media page?
You have a couple of options in this situation:
• Option #1: Mark the social media page as “closed” and redirect them to the new page. This way,
whenever clients are searching for your business’s page or social media account, they’ll know it’s not the
same business and they’ll be redirected to your page.
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• Option #2: Take over the old social media page. A large social media following and a long history of
positive online engagement can be an asset to the business. In these situations, taking over the account
can help you maintain a consistent online appearance and give you instant access to lead information.
Usually, the page and its content are of very little use to the previous owner, so the social media account
assets can be transferred to the new owner (you) fairly easily. However, the previous owner may want
to keep control of the page and it’s content to keep a database of contacts and lead information. If you
want to take over the old social media page and it’s assets, make sure to write it into the contract of the
sale. This protects you from any negative action the previous business owner may take, such as dumping
accounts and passwords that are needed to get the social media account transferred over. When you
get control of the old social media page, make it clear to the business’s previous followers that it’s a new
business with a new owner. Transparency is key here - if the business previously had negative reviews on
the site, you can use this power to bring some of those contacts back to your business.
When it comes to Instagram or Twitter, all you’ll need to do is obtain the previous owner’s login information.
Then, you’ll simply change that information to your new email and password, and update the previous business
information with your new website and business information.
When it comes to transferring facility ownership from a multi-facility brand on Facebook, the previous owner
will need to add you as an admin to the facility page. Then, you can disconnect the facility location from the
previous owner’s account and make any edits or changes you need to reflect your new ownership. This transfer
of ownership is done frequently using Facebook Business Manager tools.
What you choose to do with the old social media account depends largely on how valuable the account is as
an asset to your business, as well as how cooperative the previous owner is in coordinating the account transfer
with you.
Getting Started
Click the graphic below to learn how to create and set up social media accounts for your storage business
across the big three platforms for lead generation - Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter - to get started fast.
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Your social media accounts are activated and you’re ready to start sharing content. But what to post? If you’re
drawing a blank or just overwhelmed by the process, check out these tips and tools. After you’ve gathered some
ideas, don’t forget to set a notification in your phone or work calendar to remind you to post.
What should my storage brand post on social media?
Just because you’re a storage brand doesn’t mean you can only post about self storage tips on social media.
Think about what things your ideal lead is interested in, and try to work that into your brand’s social media
content. For even more inspiration, follow other customer-focused storage brands (like Sparefoot or Extra
Space) to get a feel for what others are posting. Here are some great post ideas that you can easily re-use week
after week:
When should I post on social media?
You’ll maximize engagement by posting on
Wednesdays and Fridays, specifically during
afternoons and evenings. Try to aim for the time of
the day when your ideal lead is commuting, on a
break, or lounging at home.
How often should I post on social media?
Posting anywhere from 1-3 times per week is ideal for
most storage brands. Create a habit where whenever
you update anything on your website (like your images
or content), you also share the update on social media.
Community events
Is your hometown team going
all the way this year? Go ahead
and show your support. Posting
about community events and local
happenings is a great way to stay
connected to the community and
show your support.
Home organization tips
This can be anything from
organizing your closet to goal
setting for the new year. The
organization topic is relevant to
storage, and you’ll be able to
interest a wide variety of people.
Moving tips
Posting moving tips positions you
as an expert in self storage, which
helps the community trust you as
an authority on the topic. Anything
from how to rent a moving truck to
the most common mistakes made
by first-time home owners is right
on track.
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Related news
Did you see something on the
evening news about a baby
product that’s being recalled? Or
how the latest weight loss trend
is all about minimalism? These
are related news topics that are
relevant to self storage.
Behind the scenes
Show all the hard work that goes
into your storage business by
snapping and sharing behind the
scenes photos. This kind of content
can help humanize your business
and help you stand out from the
competition. Today’s social media
users appreciate transparency,
and these kinds of posts typically
see high engagement (lots of likes
and shares).
Seasonal topics
Anything from getting your car
ready for winter to summer
gardening tips - it’s all fair game.
Since self storage is so seasonal,
posting about any and all seasonal
activities is relevant.
Company awards + news
Did you win a chamber of
commerce award this year? Make
sure to post about it! Whenever you
get awards or recognition, share
about it - your business’s social
media page is the perfect place
for a humble brag. Small business
awards matter - they help you build
credibility and show that you’re
consistently providing excellent
service year after year.
National holidays
Definitely acknowledge major
holidays, like Veteran’s Day and
Mother’s Day. But you can also
post about fun, offbeat holidays
when you’re all out of post ideas.
There is a national day for almost
everything, including ice cream and
chicken dancing.
Customer testimonials
When you get a review that tells
a great story, ask the poster if you
can share it on social media! Maybe
you went above and beyond and
helped them out in a time of crisis,
or you helped them move heavy
furniture on a hot summer day.
Again, this is about humanizing
your business and highlighting
the fantastic customer stories that
stand out from the rest.
What NOT to post:
Before you post a photo, double check that you have the right to share it legally. It’s illegal to
copy and paste images from Google or other websites onto your social media feed or website
without proper attribution or permission from the original person who took the photo. Using
copyrighted images can get you into legal trouble and cause you unnecessary trouble. If you’re
looking for images that are free from copyright restrictions (non-copyrighted images), check out
stock images like these.
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Where can I find good content to post on social media?
All over the place! You can find great content to share on Pinterest, national news sites, and local news sites. The
key is bookmarking articles you want to share on social media in the future and organizing your post ideas. Here
are some tricks to find and organize great content to share on social media:
How can I make posting on social media easier?
There are dozens of tools to automate social posts
across all your accounts, but IFTTT (shorthand for “if
this, then that”) is our favorite easy and free tool. This
free service makes it easy to share content across all
your social media channels with just one post.
Here’s how it works: IFTTT uses “recipes” in applets
that create a cause and effect action among various
services, like Facebook, Gmail, Dropbox, Twitter, and
even smart home products like your oven or washing
machine. Users authorize IFTTT to connect their
services and select the applets they would like to use.
When a specified trigger takes place in one channel,
an action takes place in the other.
Set up a Google alert. Want to know whenever someone shares information online
about a certain thing? Sign up for keyword alerts from Google and you’ll get an
email roundup of everything that’s new for your keyword. To start, we suggest
setting up alerts for your name, your business’s name, your city’s name + self
storage, and your city’s name + storage units.
Use the Pocket browser extension. When you come across something you want
to remember for later, like an article, image, or video, save it in Pocket. Pocket
bookmarks things quickly and easily and helps you sort them into categories.
With Pocket, you’re able to bookmark articles and post ideas and save them for
later. Eventually, you’ll have enough articles and post ideas saved that you can
simply browse through your list of ideas whenever you’re unsure what to post on
social media.
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Recommended applets for storage businesses:
Auto Post from Facebook Page to Twitter
• Automatically cross-posts content you share on
your Facebook Page to your Twitter account.
Auto Post from Facebook Page to LinkedIn
• Automatically cross-posts content you share on
your Facebook Page to your LinkedIn account.
Auto Post Facebook Page Photos to Google+
• Automatically cross-posts images you share on
your Facebook Page to your Google+ page.
Auto Post Facebook Page Statuses to Google+
• Automatically cross-posts status updates
you share on your Facebook Page to your
Google+ page.
Auto Post from Instagram to Facebook Page
• Automatically cross-posts content you share on
your Instagram to your Facebook Page.
Auto Post from Instagram to Twitter
• Automatically cross-posts content you share
on Instagram on Twitter. Tweets your Instagram
images as an inline image, rather than a link to
an image.
Auto Post from Instagram to LinkedIn
• Automatically cross-posts content you share on
Instagram to your LinkedIn account.
Here’s how to use it:
1. Go to ifttt.com and click “Sign Up” in the top
right corner.
2. Sign up with the email you use to login to your
business’s Facebook Page.
3. After you sign up, recommended applets will
appear for you. Browse applets and select the
one you want.
4. To enable an applet:
• Click the applet card to expand it.
• Then, click the slider that says “Turn on.” A
message will appear saying “IFTTT needs
your permission to access” and the name of
the service you’re connecting. Select “Ok”
to allow.
• Next, a message will appear from the service,
asking you to verify or allow this action to
occur. Make sure it’s linking you to the correct
account, then click to continue.
• When you’ve successfully verified the action,
you’ll be directed to an “Applet on!” success
screen. The applet is now on and activated.
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Want to take your social media page up a notch? Bookmark all of our creative social media post ideas so you’re
never stumped on what to post again. Plus, check out social media pro tips and tricks to learn more fun and easy
ways to market your storage business on social media.
Owned Curated Promotional
Pro tip: Balance the content you post using the golden ratio for social media marketing:
50 Out-of-the-Box Ideas
30% owned content
This is anything you created yourself, like a story about
a great interaction with a customer, fun posts from your
personal life, photos of your recently renovated office,
or tips for first-time renters.
60% curated content
This is anything you found that someone else created,
like a great article about storage trends, a photo of a
valuable antique found in a unit at a storage auction in
Las Vegas, or an infographic about moving & relocation
trends around the country.
10% promotional content
This is content focused around a call to action, like a
weekend special for 30% all retail items, a photo of a
banner advertising $1 rent for the first month on new
rentals, or a post suggesting community members rent a
storage unit to make more space in their home.
The Golden Ratio of
Social Media Marketing
30%
60%
10%
A day in the life
Share what a day in the life is like
as a self storage owner or manager.
Check out storEDGE’s day in the
life post for inspiration.
Sneak peek
Share a ‘sneak peek’ of something
new: whether it’s a new contest or
giveaway your hosting, or upgrades
to your facility.
Playlist
Share your favorite playlist to
listen to while cleaning out units
or organizing your office, then ask
followers for their go-to cleaning
playlist recommendations.
Podcasts
Share a link to one of your favorite
podcast episodes, or start your
own storage podcast by recording
a mini-episode about a topic of
your choice.
Tweet this chart
The Ultimate Social Media Playbook: 7 Ways for Self Storage Managers to Master Their Brand | 17
Mythbusters
Share a myth that haunts self
storage and bust the myth with an
explanation to your followers. Ask
your followers if they’ve heard the
myth before.
Evergreen content
Share a post to an article or video
that will remain relevant for years
to come, like how to properly box
up and store your household items
during a long-distance move.
Feel good stories
Share a feel good story, photo, or
video - like the Animal Adventure
Park’s baby giraffe cam, a fireman
saving a kitten from a burning
building, or a trending comedy
sketch of celebrities trying to
beat Guinness world records from
late night.
Statistics and data
Share new, relevant self storage,
moving, or home organization
statistics (psst - these posts usually
perform really well in terms of
retweets and shares).
Photos that have nothing to do
with your business
Share photos that convey the
feeling behind your brand. For
example: Starbucks shares photos
on Instagram that associate their
brand with warmth & friendship -
not just coffee.
Time lapse video
Share a timelapse video of your
employees helping a customer
move a lot of items into a large
unit. Learn how to take a timelapse
video with your iPhone and share it
with a funny caption or entertaining
background music.
Slideshares
Share a slideshare presentation
that users can click through. If you
want a slideshare that’s already
proven itself to be popular, check
out the ‘Trending in Social Media’
section at the bottom of the
Slideshare homepage.
Chart or graph
Share a chart or graph about self
storage or moving that would
interest your followers.
Your desk
Share a photo of your neat and tidy
desk and show what you can’t live
without on a typical work day.
Fun fact
Share a fun fact about yourself or
one of your employees, or ask an
employee to share a fun fact about
you and see what they say!
Write a profile on an employee
Share a profile on one of your
facility managers, including their
favorite foods and favorite memory
from working in self storage.
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A link to your website
Share an old blog post from your
website, or a link to your updated
‘about’ page, tenant login, or online
Rental Center™ page with an eye-
catching photo.
Humorous drawings or comics
Share a funny drawing or comic
about storage, moving, or
organization. Bonus points if you
drew it yourself!
‘Caption this’
Share a photo and ask your fans
to come up with funny or creative
captions. Share the best one and
give a shout out to the winner.
Thank you
Share a picture thanking your
customers and social media
followers for their support. A simple
thank you can go a long way.
Fan photos
Share a customer’s photo on
Instagram or Twitter by looking for
photos of your business in relevant
hashtags and geotags.
Post a ‘true or false’ question
Share a true or false question
about a self storage fact with
your followers and let them guess
whether it’s truth or myth.
A link to another local small
business
Share a friend’s business page or
a beloved local business, or even
partner with them on a shared
social media campaign.
Ask what they want
Share a post asking your followers
what issues or problems they’re
needing help with. Then, write a
step-by-step explanation or record
a video that answers their question.
Hold a giveaway
Share a post announcing a
giveaway and ask fans to comment
to enter. The winner receives a
gift card to a local restaurant or
coffee shop.
Creative storage use
Share a post with a photo of a
storage unit or moving truck being
used for a creative purpose and
ask your followers what they think
of the idea.
Your pet
Share cute photos of your pet to
make them the unofficial mascot of
your business.
A link to a helpful group
Share a link to a helpful resource
for people who have questions
about moving or relocating to the
area you’re in.
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Someone else’s sale
Share the love by promoting a
complementary (not competing)
business’s sale, or even about the
great deal going on at the donut
shop down the street.
Your most popular
Share your ‘most popular’ posts,
such as your most popular unit
size, your most popular blog
post, or your most popular
facility amenities.
Nostalgic posts
Share an old picture of the first
dollar your business earned or a
vintage snapshot of the business’s
founders at the facility’s grand
opening. Bonus points for 80’s hair.
Volunteering
Share a photo or video of you
and your team volunteering in
the community during a crisis or
assisting with a home build for
Habitat for Humanity.
Recommended products or
services
Share your recommended
products for storage and
local recommendations for
moving services.
Storage calculator
Share a link to your website’s
storage calculator to give
prospective customers a helpful
tool for selecting the unit size
they need.
Ask for predictions
Share a post asking followers to
take a guess at this year’s Super
Bowl winner or predict how much
snow you’ll get in the blizzard
this weekend.
Infographic
Share an infographic related
to moving, home organization,
or storage that can help your
followers with relevant issues they
may be experiencing.
Quotes
Share humorous, inspiring, or
motivational quotes. Anything
you think your leads would
enjoy and fits your storage
brand’s personality.
Community service
Share a photo or video of your
team’s community service efforts,
like your food pantry donations
or your team cleaning up trash in
the neighborhood.
Random tips
Share a random tip or trick with
your followers periodically that
they would find useful. Hint:
using random tip numbers adds
interest to your post (e.g. Tip #358:
__________.)
Polls
Share a poll asking your followers
to vote on a an industry or
company issue or improvement.
Doing so also shows you value
your customers’ opinions.
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Pro tip: Create professional-looking, shareable graphics for FREE on
Canva.com.
• Don’t know how to use Photoshop? No problem. Canva is an
easy-to-use tool with thousands of social media image templates,
perfectly sized for sharing on social media with tons of editable
graphics. Sign up for free to create, save, and share customizable
social media images and graphics. Create shareable images online
or download the app for on-the-go editing from your iPhone or iPad.
Interview with an expert
Share quotes from a conversation
or interview with an expert on an
industry topic - this one is easy to
do at a self storage trade show.
Your life
Share posts that show you’re a real
person, like your favorite picture
from vacation or the amazing seats
you had to the game last night.
Pictures from a trade show
Share a picture or update from
a self storage trade show you
attended - don’t forget to use the
event hashtag for extra exposure.
Answer a question from Quora
Look for a self storage question on
Quora, answer it, and share the Q &
A on your social media page.
Top lists
Share a list of your top five favorite
blogs for moving and self storage
tips, or a fun list of your top five
favorite movies of all time.
GIFs
Share a humorous or entertaining
GIF related to self storage or
moving from giphy.com along with
a witty caption.
Blog post excerpt
Share an excerpt from a blog post
you found insightful or a blog post
on your website, then link to the
full article.
Weekly round-up
Share a post of your top 10 ‘must
read’ articles or ‘must watch’ videos
of the week.
Sponsorships
Share a photo or video of the little
league team or homeless pet that
your business sponsored this year.
Show a how-to
Share a video showing people how
to do something, like how to safely
hook up a moving trailer to a truck.
A great book
Share a post about a great
book you’ve read recently
that would interest your social
media audience.
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Data. Even if you already use social media, you probably avoid data like the plague. With all the social media
analytics tools available to choose from, it can be a little intimidating to sit down and really dig into your
company’s social media stats. If you’re just wanting to measure the basics on social media, there’s no need to
pay a pretty penny for analytics tools. All you really need to track your progress is access to your social media
accounts and a pen and paper (or you can use our free social media tracking template). If you also have a
Google Analytics account, you can use that information to dig much deeper into how social media is affecting
your conversion rate and impacting your business’s bottom line.
What do I need to track?
To keep it simple, all you really need to look at from month to month is:
• Your number of followers on social media
• Your number of posts on social media
• Bonus points: Website clicks from social media
Read on to find out how you can learn more about your social media audience and measure the value your
social media presence brings to your business.
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Facebook Insights
Login to Facebook and navigate to your business’s Facebook Page. In the white nav bar at the top, select
“Insights.” This will take you to an overview of your Page’s data.
• To see last month’s data in “Overview,” adjust “Page Summary” from “Last 7 days” to “Last 31 Days.” Now
you’ll be able to see a broad summary of last month on your Facebook Page.
• To find out your total Facebook likes (fans), click “Likes” in the left side nav. Your total page likes (as of
today) will be featured here.
• To find out how many Facebook posts you made this month, click “Posts” in the left side nav. Scroll down
to “All Posts Published.” Here, you’ll be able to see all of your posts with dates and times, and you can
count the number of times you’ve posted this month.
• To find out how many website clicks you received from Facebook this month, click “Actions on Page” in
the left side nav. Select “1M” in the top data bar to see all of last month’s clicks in “Total Actions on Page.”
Here, you’ll be able to see how many people visited your website from Facebook and how many people
clicked your call to action (CTA) button, as well as other Page click information.
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Twitter Analytics
Navigate to analytics.twitter.com and sign in to your business’s Twitter account, then click “Get Started” to go to
Account home. Here you’ll be able to see an overview of your last month’s activity on Twitter.
• To find out your total Twitter followers, view “Followers” at the top of the page. Your total followers as
of today will be listed here, including a trend showing how many new followers you gained over the last
month.
• To find out how many Twitter posts (tweets) you made this month, view “Tweets” at the top of the page.
Your total tweets for the month will be listed here, including a trend showing if you tweeted more or less
than you did the previous month.
You can find more information - including website visits, conversions, and all actions taken on your site - by
logging into your Google Analytics account and adding your business’s social media information.
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Open the Instagram app and sign in to your business’s Instagram account.
• To find out your total Instagram followers, click to view your profile by selecting or your profile image
in the bottom right corner (or the top right corner, if you’re viewing Instagram on desktop). Your total
followers as of today will be by your profile name and photo above “followers.”
• To find out how many Instagram posts you made this month, tap to list your images one by one.
Under the caption of each image, you’ll see a date. Scroll back to the first post you made this month, and
count your way to the latest post. To see more follower insights, tap in the top right corner. (Note:
many of these insights are only available after you have over 100 followers.)
You can find more information - including website visits, conversions, and all actions taken on your site - by
logging into your Google Analytics account and adding your business’s social media information.
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What’s in store for social media in the next coming years? As business owners know, it’s important to stay on
top of social media and keep an eye on rising trends. For example, no one could have predicted the sudden
(and short) popularity of Pokemon Go, but businesses who knew about it were able to capitalize on it during the
height of the craze. By keeping an eye on social media happenings, your business will be able to use the next
social media novelty to gain new storage customers.
Snapchat
Snapchat’s 10-second videos and images are already
extraordinarily popular as a storytelling tool for other
industries. In the near future, the app could become
popular as a way to tap into the ever-increasing buying
power of millennial customers.
Virtual reality
The Samsung Gear VR is already one of 2017’s most
popular tech gifts. In the near future, self storage
brands could offer virtual reality tours through their
facility - or even a virtual reality move-in experience -
all through social media.
Chat
Real-time chat is growing more and more popular,
and we expect to see a push toward offering these
services on self storage social media pages and
websites. Chat would offer instant troubleshooting for
online users.
Live streaming video
Video has long been popular on social media,
but the recent emergence of Facebook Live and
Instagram Live videos shows a strong trend toward
live streaming. Live videos offer a genuine, behind-
the-scenes style of storytelling that users enjoy on
social media.
Wearable tech
The growing popularity of wearable tech like the
Apple Watch will require social media to adapt to
be wearable-friendly. Keep an eye on social media
changes and apps in production for smart watches.
Self Storage Technology by storEDGEstorEDGE® is a technology company backed by a team of dreamers, visionaries, perfectionists, and inventors
who believe technology can always be better. Created specifically for the self storage industry, storEDGE is
designed to level the playing field for independent business owners and bring in the highest ROI for facilities
large and small. We are proud to make innovative software that runs your business, modern websites that hook
new tenants, online rental centers that allow customers to serve themselves 24/7, and integrative services to
make daily work easier.
Request a free demo
The Ultimate Social Media Playbook: 7 Ways for Self Storage Managers to Master Their Brand | 29
Marketing WebsitesstorEDGE self storage website design services are tailored to your brand to get you results. We use our
experience in search engine optimization to craft your responsive website intelligently with high-performing
unique content. Plus, we provide all the tools you need to turn the leads you gain into customers. Just visit your
website’s dashboard where all of your crucial facility data is ready to be analyzed at any time.
Rental Center™The storEDGE Rental Center™ is a convenient online interface where your tenants can serve themselves. Tenants
can view your storage unit sizes, choose their perfect space, and complete the entire move-in process in mere
minutes, all from any device with an internet connection. Whether you provide a self-serve station at your facility
or add a link to your website, your customers will love how easy it is to rent with you online, 24 hours a day, seven
days a week.
Management SoftwarestorEDGE online storage management software allows you to easily manage and grow your self storage
business. Convert your leads to tenants, manage customer relationships, bill and collect rent, and increase
your profits — all from one beautiful interface. With 100% cloud based technology, all of your facility information
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install, and maintain software.
About the AuthorJana is a marketing content writer at storEDGE living in Kansas City. A graduate of South Dakota
State University with a degree in psychology and business, Jana enjoys bringing technology,
web marketing, and industry news to self storage owners and managers.
Natasha is a designer at storEDGE specializing in graphic and web design. She is a graduate
of Kansas State University with a degree in graphic design. When she’s not designing, Natasha
likes to explore Kansas City, cheer on the Royals, and relax with her cat, Albert.
About the Designer