By now, it isn't any secret that social media can be a powerful marketing tool for self-storage operators. The problem, however, is its hard to get started and successfully utilize this tool.

How many times a day should you post? How do you get people to follow my accounts? What should you talk about? These are some of the questions self-storage operators ask. Lets take a look at some simple ways to get your social media efforts on track in 2014.

What to Post

This is something in which many self-storage operators struggle. Lets face it, your audience doesn't want to see posts about storage all the time. It isnt something people purchase frequently, so using social media purely as an advertising outlet will only drive them away. A good guideline is to follow the 80/20 rule that means post or share content from other people and websites for 80 percent of the time, then promote your business and content 20 percent of the time.

So what kinds of things can you post about during that 80 percent? Local events, interesting news articles, sports and other things your community members will be interested in is a place to start. If you provide a good mix of fun/interesting topics along with some business posts, you will get much more engagement than if you just post about self-storage and your business.

Gaining Followers

Another area that often perplexes self-storage operators is how to gain followers. One of the best ways is to simply follow and engage with other people and businesses. Following others often results in them following you. Engagement does the same. If others see you sharing and commenting on their posts, you'll get their attention.

That being said, there's a balance. Don't just follow and engage with anyone and everyone. Follow local businesses and people who are located nearby, as well as others within your industry. This will make sure your followers not only see your social accounts as relevant, but it can actually turn them into new customers.

Frequency of Posts

How often to post is another frequent question asked by self-storage operators trying to kick start their social media presence. Unfortunately, the answer depends on different factors. One of these factors is the topics in which you're addressing. If you have variety, posting a little more often wont hurt. It also depends on what social network you're using. On websites like Facebook, posting frequently can get annoying, no matter your topic. Once or twice a day will likely be best.

For networks like Twitter, you could post 20-plus times a day between sharing other content, interacting with others, and posting your own content, and no one would get annoyed because its a constantly updated feed. There is no definite number for any social media outlet, but use this advice to start and adjust as you see what brings results.

If you've been looking to get more active on social media, now's a great time to start. The best thing you can do is just jump in and be yourself. Let your personality shine and it will reflect well on your business and make your social accounts more appealing to follow in the process. A lot of success on social media comes from diving in and finding out what works and what doesn't. Use the points above to get started, but follow what you see works and run with it.

Nick Bilava is the director of sales and marketing for Storage.com . He has been an active member of the self-storage community for more than seven years and can be found at various industry events throughout the nation. Nicks goal at Storage.com is to help self-storage operators market their business more efficiently and effectively.