There’s one thing that no REIT can buy or undercut you on; they aren’t locals!
The REITs have some major advantages; they have more data, more resources, bigger teams, and lower prices. But they won’t ever be neighbors in your community – you can be.
You won’t become the local choice just by being local, though. That’s where Grassroots Marketing comes in.
Grassroots marketing puts local businesses in their element – at the heart of the community you’re already part of. It’s a series of savvy tactics that even a business on a budget can get behind, and it does more than just get your name in front of your neighbors.
When done right, grassroots marketing proves to your neighbors that you’re one of them.
It takes time and effort. It’s a harder route than just spending more on ads. But when you’re up against folks with a budget far bigger than yours, it’s the underdog’s sharpest route to success.
We’ll go over a few grassroots maneuvers you can get rolling today, whether you’re in a competitive market or just want to head off the bigger players moving into town.
Here’s why grassroots marketing works:
Find the grassroots marketing tactics that work best for you and get started today.
Sponsoring local sports teams gets your brand in front of the most passionate people in your community: young athletes’ parents. And depending on your market, the Friday night game might be one of the biggest events in town!
According to a 2026 study by YouGov and Priority Partnerships, 80% of parents will choose a sponsor's brand over a competitor when cost and quality are equal. Give yourself a competitive edge and become a hometown hero at the same time. People see a physical benefit of your efforts and your brand becomes associated with one of the most obvious symbols for your area: the local school’s sports team.
Hosting a food drive helps your community, gives you name recognition, and gets new feet into your facility!
You don’t have to get this one up and running on your own. Partner with a local food drive, offer up your space, and receive donations on your property. You could even offer a free storage unit to hold the donations!
When you host a food drive, you have the opportunity to partner with other local businesses, food shelters, and residents who now have someone in mind when they think of self storage.
All that, and they know you mean it when you say you support your community.
Charitable organizations around your town take up donations for people in need around the holidays. Toy drives for kids around Christmas are just one way you can offer your space and resources to offer a helping hand to your neighbors.
And even though the people you’re helping may not become renters, the people who can rent from you will remember how well you treat your neighbors. They’re more willing to trust someone whose heart is in the right place.
If you really want to get feet on the ground and eyes on your storage units, a garage sale lets you spread the word and make a little cash.
Not only will your current tenants have a chance to free some space, but you can rent empty storage units to vendors or residents who want to sell their own goods! By renting out empty storage units, you’re making a little money and increasing traffic.
Make spring cleaning a new tradition at your facility!
With plenty of space to offer, you can give local organizations a boost by hosting a car wash! Local sports teams and youth organizations often use car washes to raise money, and letting them use your space lets everyone driving by your facility see how ingrained in your community you really are.
Some facilities even host their own car washes from time to time. Either way, your neighbors see you performing a service – they see your generosity in action.
When you engage in self storage charity marketing, you give space to organizations already doing good in your community. Whether you’re offering storage units to the Salvation Army or letting local animal shelters store at a discount, your facility gets a reputation as someone who shows up.
You can even offer storage units to people displaced by natural disasters through your local Fire Department – but make sure your agreement spells out how long you’ll offer the unit and under what conditions.
Put your marketing budget where it has the highest impact. We’ve talked to operators claiming up to 8.5 times ROI for their self storage referral programs – and they only pay when a new renter’s already with them!
Referral programs use everything word-of-mouth marketing has to offer. People who enjoy your service send a friend your way, and you pay a little up-front for someone who will likely stay for months. A $50 or even a $100 cash reward goes a long way for a guaranteed return on investment!
Self storage local business outreach lets you band together with fellow local businesses to put your facility in front of the people who need self storage. Put your specials, flyers, and referral program in the hands of local real estate agents, apartment managers, moving companies, doctors’ offices, and more.
Let your businesses benefit each other – let local business owners and employees participate in your referral program. They get rewarded, you get a tenant. It’s a grassroots marketing advanced tactic that leverages your position as a local!
You don’t have to plan a huge event to capitalize on one.
Find the action and go to it. Pass out branded bottles of water at that 5k run coming up. Help set up the local music festival. Join a park cleanup and make sure people know you’re there because you care about folks in your town. Wear a branded t-shirt while you do!
Get your name and your face out there. People may not think about self storage often, but when they do, make sure they think of you.
Grassroots marketing turns your position as a local into your greatest advantage. It lets you and your team take part in something bigger than yourselves and brings new renters your way who want to store with you. The big box stores have a lot working in their favor, but they don’t have the connection to your hometown that you do.
When it comes to marketing to your community, you’re the expert!
To read more about self storage marketing, start here:
StoragePug is a modern marketing company for self storage. We create intelligent marketing websites that allow you to rent units & take payments through your facilities' website.
