SpareFoot.com Co-Founder Hosts MiniCo Webinar Focused on Effective Self-Storage Facility Web Sites

Many people believe that spending time, money and effort to build a Web site is all it takes to create an effective online presence for a self-storage facility. The reality is far from that simple. SpareFoot.com co-founder and COO Mario Feghali will host a free webinar for self-storage professionals on June 8, 2011, entitled Five Common Web Site Mistakes and How to Avoid Them. Topics will include the following:

                                                                  

• Online Presence: Perception vs. Reality
• Having a Web Site is Just the Start
• Getting Traffic: How and How Much $?
• Ongoing Optimization: It’s a Must

 SpareFoot.com is a free self-storage locator site operating nationwide. Mr. Feghali has grown the SpareFoot network from one site with a few thousand visitors to over 100 Web sites with more than 80,000 monthly visitors. He uses his extensive background in psychology, statistics and analytics to help thousands of self-storage facilities generate more tenants online and writes frequently about free tools that help facility owners track their results and increase traffic to their own Web sites.

Five Common Web Site Mistakes and How to Avoid Them will be sponsored by SpareFoot.com and moderated by MiniCo Publisher Poppy Behrens. The Mini-Storage Messenger Self-Storage Webinar Series offers informative monthly webinars free of charge to self-storage professionals and other individuals. For more information or to register, visit www.ministoragemessenger.com. Online registration is required for this free live event.

MiniCoInsurance Agency, LLC, publishes the Mini-StorageMessenger, the leading monthly trade magazine covering the global self-storage industry. Other publications include Self‑Storage Now!, Mobile Self-Storage Magazine, RV & Boat Storage Today, Self-Storage Canada, the Self-Storage Almanac, the Self-Storage Construction & Renovation Handbook, and the Self‑Storage Buyer’s Guide.

Since 1974, Phoenix-based MiniCo Insurance Agency, LLC, has been a self-storage leader providing superior specialty insurance programs, informative publications and valuable products and services created expressly for the self‑storage industry.

For More Information:

SpareFoot.com – www.SpareFoot.com

Mini-Storage Messenger - www.ministoragemessenger.com  

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THIS FREE WEBINAR

Social Media 101 for The Self Storage Operator: An Introduction

I talk with a lot Self Storage Owners and Operators, either through e-mails or over the phone. Some have been in the business for decades, others have only been operators for only a couple of years , and without fail, most of the conversations I have with Owner/Operators lead to sales and marketing i.e., How Do I Fill More Units? How Do I Increase Profitability and How Can I Do This By Utilizing Social Media?

For most Owner/Operators, their biggest struggle isn’t making their facility better, but how to generate word of mouth and expand their core of customers.

But  generating great word of mouth can be a huge pain in the butt.

At one time, creating great word of mouth was a bit easier, as long as you had strong curb appeal and an add in the yellow pages you were typically guaranteed a 65% occupancy rate or better. All of this, of course, changed with widespread use of the Internet. Yes, curb appeal and strong customer service were still your bread and butter, but more and more, customers were turning to the Internet to find a facility and people weren’t paying attention to the yellow pages or flyer campaigns or even discounted rentals. They were going to Internet search engines and, yes, they were turning to social media sites such as Facebook and Linkedin.

Of course, owners and operators in turn charged to the Internet, making sure that they had websites that were just as attractive as their facilities and they were creating accounts on the top three social media sites: Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

The major issue is, now that these facilities were on the major social networking sites, what to do with them? How do you generate new customers and income from these sites?

Most owners and operators were stumped. Sure, they were networking with other owners and operators all across the country, but they weren't attracting new customers and more often than not, facility owners and managers would become frustrated with social media and lack of lead conversion and they would allow their accounts to lay fallow or they would simply cancel them and solely depending on their facilities website to generate traffic.Which is fine, but in my opinion, most owners and operators are missing a huge area of opportunity.

I'll be the first to admit that I've only been in the self storage industry for five months now, but in those five months, I've spent 97% of my days learning the online behaviors of owners and operators and what I've learned is that most facility operators are utilizing social media incorrectly.

So as a way to help owners and operators create successful social media campaigns, I've decided to launch a series of weekly blog posts covering the DOs and DON'Ts of Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin for self storage owners and operators, as well as cover other forms of Social Media that may give you an edge over the competition.

Also, through the course of these posts, I would like to encourage you to ask questions through the comments section of the blog or you can contact me directly via e-mail at: krawson@minico.com

I hope you enjoy the posts and I'll see you next week with my first post on the DOs and DON'Ts of Facebook.

Only Three Days Left To Register: Tom Litton Addresses Collections and Auctioning Techniques for MiniCo Webinar

PHOENIX, ARIZ. – On May 11, 2011, self-storage management expert Tom Litton will present a free webinar for self-storage professionals entitled Effective Collections & Auctioning Techniques, which will address the following topics:


• 20 Proven Collection Strategies that Motivate the Customer to Pay or Move Out

• Innovative Ways of Contacting Customers without Spending Hours Making Collection Calls

• 5 Simple Changes to Dramatically Improve Auction Recovery

• Marketing and Advertising Auctions via the Internet

• Auction Strategies: 3-Item Rule, Advance Preview & Bidding, Absentee Bidding, Lot Selling and More

As president of Litton Property Management, Inc., Mr. Litton currently manages and/or owns 21 commercial properties in Indiana and California. In addition, he fee manages and consults on a daily basis in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, France, England, Scotland and Canada. Mr. Litton conducts seminars worldwide on various topics including self-storage operations, management, development and ownership. His latest books, Auditing Self-Storage: Preventing Employee Theft & Embezzlement and The Key to Success: How to Manage Self-Storage, are available at http://www.ministoragemessenger.com/.

The webinar will be sponsored by Litton Property Management, Inc., and moderated by MiniCo’s Poppy Behrens. For more information or to register, visit www.ministoragemessenger.com. Online registration is required for this free live event.

MiniCo Insurance Agency, LLC, publishes the Mini-Storage Messenger, the leading monthly trade magazine covering the global self-storage industry. Other publications include Self Storage Now!, Mobile Self-Storage Magazine, RV & Boat Storage Today, Self-Storage Canada, the Self-Storage Almanac, the Self-Storage Construction & Renovation Handbook, and the Self Storage Buyer’s Guide.

Since 1974, Phoenix-based MiniCo Insurance Agency, LLC, has been a self-storage leader providing superior specialty insurance programs, informative publications and valuable products and services created expressly for the self storage industry.

For More Information:

Litton Property Management, Inc. – tomlitton@msn.com

the Mini-Storage Messenger - www.ministoragemessenger.com

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THIS FREE WEBINAR

The May Issue of the MIni-Storage Messenger is Now Available!

May 2011 Issue

Featured Articles:
NATURE'S WAKE-UP CALLS
2011 Insurance Update
From a destructive hailstorm in Phoenix, Arizona, last fall to devastating earthquakes in New Zealand and Japan recently, severe weather conditions have cost billions of dollars in damage to commercial and residential structures.

WHEN DISASTER STRIKES
Check List to Managing Disaster
Green building philosophies and practices become increasingly evident at new self-storage developments.

Self-Storage Now!
Spring/Summer 2011 Issue
Now featured as part of the Mini-Storage Messenger

Featured Articles:

THE SOCIAL MEDIA ARRAY
Social Media is More Than Fun and Games
It can be big business for social-minded self-storage operators.




CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE MINISTORAGE MESSENGER TODAY!

Special Offer On The Messenger For New And Returning Subscribers

As a former or new subscriber to the Mini-Storage Messenger, you know the true value of our publication as an Owner/Operator/Investor and for some reason or other you've let your subscription expire. We understand that you lead busy lives and it may have slipped your mind to renew your subscription. However, we want you back so you can once again start receiving the Self Storage Industry's #1 publication. And to win you back we're offering you a SUBSTANIAL discount off your new subsciption!


Re-Subscribe for 1 year for $39.95 ($20 off )
OR
Re-Subscribe for 2 years for $79.90 ($30 off!)
OR
Re-Subscribe Digitally for $15.95 ($6.00 off!)


Simply enter the Coupon Code: INTRO at check out (For Print) or INTRODIGI
(For Digital) or Mention the Coupon Code to me when you call in to me at:

1-800-528-1056


Celebrating almost 31 years as the original voice of the self storage industry, the Mini-Storage Messenger has become the international trade magazine for self storage operators, owners, developers and investors.
Each monthly issue delivers a valuable mix of storage business news, research data and interviews, as well as reports on various aspects of the development, management, and marketing of profitable self storage facilities, including: investment and finance, location studies, traffic counts, facility development, operations rental & occupancy rates, the law, new product information, case studies and geographic area reports.



CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Self-Storage Marketing Expert Derek Naylor Uncovers Hidden Income Boosters for MiniCo Webinar

PHOENIX, ARIZ. – Derek M. Naylor, President of Storage Marketing Solutions, asserts that every self-storage facility has at least three hidden “goldmines” that can be capitalized on easily, ethically and systematically to increase net operating income. On May 25, 2011, Mr. Naylor will present a free webinar for self-storage professionals entitled Three Rare but Quick Income Boosters in Every Storage Facility and How to Capitalize on Them. During the webinar he will introduce you to three of the most popular income boosters and provide step-by-step instructions on how to leverage them effectively.

• Why these income boosters are practically ignored
• Discover three or more “goldmines” in your facility
• Leverage these income boosters and report the income immediately
• Keep your “income antenna” up for future opportunities

The webinar will be sponsored by Storage Marketing Solutions and moderated by MiniCo Publisher Poppy Behrens as part of the Mini Storage Messenger Self-Storage Webinar Series. For more information or to register, visit www.ministoragemessenger.com. Online registration is required for this free live event.

MiniCo Insurance Agency, LLC, publishes the Mini-Storage Messenger, the leading monthly trade magazine covering the global self-storage industry. Other publications include Self Storage Now!, Mobile Self-Storage Magazine, RV & Boat Storage Today, Self-Storage Canada, the Self-Storage Almanac, the Self-Storage Construction & Renovation Handbook, and the Self Storage Buyer’s Guide.

Since 1974, Phoenix-based MiniCo Insurance Agency, LLC, has been a self-storage leader providing superior specialty insurance programs, informative publications and valuable products and services created expressly for the self storage industry.

For More Information:

Storage Marketing Solutions – http://www.storagemarketingsolutions.com/
Mini-Storage Messenger - http://www.ministoragemessenger.com/


CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THIS FREE WEBINAR



PRESENTER INFORMATION:

Derek M. Naylor is the President of Storage Marketing Solutions (SMS). Over the past seven years, Derek has incrementally increased sales revenue for his clients more than $250 million through innovation and advanced marketing strategies. In 2003, he directed his talents and unique growth strategies exclusively to the self-storage industry and founded SMS. SMS now helps hundreds of operators from coast to coast to increase their occupancy and profits through the company’s unique Outsourced Marketing Director program and other tools. He is a regular contributor to industry magazines and a dynamic speaker at trade events. Derek lives in Pleasant View, Utah, with his wife and two daughters.

Pictures From MiniCo's Annual BBQ

MiniCo's Pre-Summer Barbecue (Note PRE-Summer. Yes, by the time Summer actually rolls around, all of us Phoenicians are tucked away in the confines of our air-conditioned offices and homes. Think of our summers as reverse winters.) is a long standing, much looked forward to event on the MiniCo calender. Needless to say, thanks to the great food, weather, and company, all of us enjoyed the event very much and I hope you enjoy the photos below:






Yes, gentleman, you're just too pretty



Do You Have Any Grey Poupon?



MiniCo's Mangement Team Hard At Work, as Usual

Mmmmmmmmmm, burgers.....Let's Eat Already!

No Members of the Mangement Team were harmed during the stampede

No Staff Were Harmed At The Contiments Table, Either.

Mike Schofield Thanking Everyone for the Great Year So Far

John Doing the Same.

Mike and Courtney Koenig handing Out The Quarterly WOW Awards