A couple of weeks ago I blogged about one of summertimes downsidesbugs! But summer is also filled with many great things: family BBQs, swimming, longer days and, my favorite, summer movies. I typically spend more time in a movie theater between May and the end of August than I do for the rest of the months combined.

Yesterday was such a day. The kids and I headed to a late afternoon showing of Kung Fu Panda 2. You gotta love a Wednesday afternoon at the moviesno lines and an abundance of open seats. Upon entering the theater lobby I noticed a few signs about Stubs. The lady took our tickets and pointed us toward the correct theater. No mention of stubs. As we walked down the hall, I noticed a table with threeyes, threebrochures so I grabbed one. Turns out Stubs is AMC Theatres new membership/rewards program. Designed for the frequent moviegoer, the program offers a $10 kickback after $100 spent, discounts and upgrades at the concession stand, and no online ticketing fee for just $12 a year.

The theater employees didnt know it, but I was truly a golden sales opportunity. AMC is my preferred theater, and I spend oodles of time there every summer. Had an employee spent a couple of minutes going over the benefits, I likely would have made a purchase yesterday. Their lack of one-on-one promotion means I would now need to seek out an employee and ask questions. Not going to happen.

When offering a self-storage discount, sponsoring a charity event or any kind of promotion, you need to market it. And not just by throwing out a few brochures on a table or hanging a sign in the office.

Do you have a referral program with a great reward? Do you tell every person who walks through your door about it? Have you visited the nearby realtors office or the apartment complex down the road and told them about your self-storage referral rewards? Maybe youre hosting a yard sale this summer, or collecting clothing and shoes for a local charity. Do your tenants know about your events? Have you received recognition from your local chamber of commerce or another organization? Telling your tenants about an award you received isnt boasting; its marketing how wonderful your facility truly is.

There are tons of great marketing strategies you can use to promote whats going on at your self-storage facility. For some great ideas, check out the ISS marketing archives. Youll find tons of articles from seasoned veterans on community marketing, social-media marketing, referral programs, direct mail and more. Plus, every news item about a self-storage charity event will also be on these pages. Hopefully, it will spark some ideas for your own marketing program.

Speaking of memberships, I would be amiss if I didnt take this opportunity to tell you about our awesome membership program. You can uncover all the details here. Basically, you can choose from several tiers of benefits, with each level offering more products, resources and services. And its not just stuff from ISS. Weve also included amazing services from our vendor partners,

Wilder, Universal Insurance Facilities Inc. and A Top Shop! They include print and online marketing services, online and live education, publications, mystery shopping, insurance resources and discounts, human resources services and much more so be sure to check it out.

Have a great marketing idea? Share it by posting a comment below or on Self-Storage Talk, the industrys biggest and best forum.