While Im not a huge football fan, I do watch the Super Bowl. Not necessarily for the game, although the stakes are higher so its usually a better game. No, I enjoy the commercials. With several million advertising dollars on the line, these commercial are usually more creative, funny, edgy and sometimes catchy. Remember the baby from E*Trade? My kids and I still say milkawhaaaa??? And who can forget Budweisers Clydesdale horses, who make an appearance every year in some form.

While self-storage operators dont have multi-million-dollar marketing budgets, they do have one thing in common with these big-name companiesthe chance to be super creative. Yes, it can be tough to find new and interesting ways to promote a self-storage business, but it can be done.

Consider the many ways self-storage operators are using social media. In the past year, ISS has reported on dozens of Facebook contests, Twitter conversations and even a few blogs. If you havent jumped on the social-media bandwagon yet, nows your chance. Here are couple of articles from the ISS archives to get you started:  

Of course, there are many other marketing avenues available to self-storage operators. Some have found success with direct mail, while others rely on websites optimized for Internet search engines. Some are dabbling with the aggregators. (See Matthew Van Horns blog this week on the topic.) There are even a few operators, like this one in South Carolina, who rely on funny or inspiring signs to attract attention.

Maybe a cute mascot a la Geicos talking lizard will work well when it comes to branding your facility. Is there a community event in which you can sponsor? A local baseball team that needs uniforms? Marketing doesnt have to cost a lot, but it does need to make a mark.

The point is, these operators are no longer content to simply sit back and wait for tenants to walk through the door or pick up the phone. And, realistically, if you are, you facility is either in a market with zero competitors or youre not filling it. Either way, there are few markets in which promoting your facility on a day-to-day basis isnt a necessity to bring in the business.

If youre looking for creative ways to market your facility, join us at the Inside Self-Storage World Expo, March 14-16, in Las Vegas. In addition to several seminars on all kinds of marketing, the expo will also feature a marketing workshop focused on online marketing. Web Marketing 2.0 will explore ways self-storage operators can optimize their Web content, use social media to attract and engage followers and turn leads into customers. You can find the complete agenda including seminars, workshops, exhibitors, networking events and more at www.insideselfstorageworldexpo.com.