Inside Self-Storage (ISS) and Find Local Storage, a consortium of more than 25 self-storage owners who recently launched an online facility directory and lead-generation platform at findlocalstorage.com, have released a new whitepaper, “The Storage Owner Solution for Collaborative Lead Generation.” The free resource examines the growth and dominance of third-party lead aggregators in the industry and provides a case study on the rising cost of these national directory websites. It also provides tips to help operators better manage their brands and online lead acquisition.

Self-storage lead-aggregation websites typically provide prospective storage customers with an online marketplace where they can compare facility units, amenities, services and rates in a desired location. While many of these sites are often run by non-storage companies, Find Local Storage was launched last fall by a group of self-storage owners as a way to generate leads and obtain rentals directly without paying royalties to third-party aggregators.

The whitepaper also provides information on the company and its goal to decrease the cost of acquiring online customers. It can be downloaded from the ISS Resource Center at www.insideselfstorage.com/whitepapers. Other whitepapers may be downloaded through the same page.

The Find Local Storage consortium represents more than 2,000 facilities and is managed by online-marketing agency Go Local Interactive LLC, which offers services including business listings, search engine marketing and optimization, pay-per-call, social media, mobile, website development, and brand/review monitoring.

For nearly 25 years, ISS has provided informational resources for the self-storage industry. Its educational offerings include ISS magazine, the annual Inside Self-Storage World Expo in Las Vegas, an extensive website, the ISS Store, and Self-Storage Talk, the industry’s largest online community.