Marketing Storage to College Students

The Storage Agency founder Tyler Suchman was featured in the February 2024 issue of SSA Magazine in the article "Class Is In Session."

“One of the big challenges for owners in marketing to college students is acquisition cost and lifetime customer value,” said Tyler Suchman, owner of The Storage Agency, a marketing agency focused on self storage. “If the average customer of a typical facility stays for 12 to 18 months, an owner can tolerate higher acquisition costs versus the owner that only receives three months of revenue from a student. Thus, owners might consider alternative marketing strategies, such as college marketing platforms and student-specific promotions, as well as unit mix, such as shared units or portable and concierge storage.”

Solutions other than Google Ads may be needed to best reach the student body at the right time.   

Hiring a marketing company to focus on Google searches, such as The Storage Agency, works for all types of clients, said Suchman. But to go after a specific market, such as students at specific colleges and universities, may take a different type of marketing approach. “Niche [customers] are where you have to be very creative,” said Suchman. “If you have empty smaller units, you could be well positioned to be in front of this customer at the right time and at the right price point. Think about what sort of marketing you can do through student organizations. Or partner with marketing companies that get in front of students through printed flyers or digital signage on campus, which could be efficient and effective.”

Read the full article here in the online edition of the Self Storage Association's SSA Magazine.