From 32 to 600: How SAM Grew With Marketing at the Core with Melissa Stiles
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Melissa Stiles, Chief Marketing Officer of Storage Asset Management (SAM), shares her journey from answering a blind ad to leading one of the largest third-party management companies in self-storage. Overseeing marketing, revenue management, business development, and communications, Melissa has helped SAM grow from 32 stores to nearly 600.
In this conversation, she explains how her team evolved into a full-service, agency-style structure with specialists in SEO, paid ads, social, and local marketing. Melissa dives into strategies that drive lease-ups, from influencer partnerships and community events to data-driven revenue management models. She also discusses how AI is reshaping SEO, what makes local marketing still matter, and why reputation and relationships remain central to SAM’s success.
Key Takeaways:
(2:47) Melissa’s Journey to become CMO and the growth of SAM
(6:11) Developing the marketing team
(9:45) Key questions to making a great hire
(11:42) Case study for building a marketing strategy for a self storage facility
(14:28) Strategies for a successful for lease up
(17:24) When should you expect stabilization
(18:27) Getting found with AI in the lease up process
(21:32) The advantages of scaling up for a brand
(23:50) Using data to impact operations
(26:18) Revenue management tactics
(27:53) The pride of making a real world impact
Resources Mentioned:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissastiles/
Storage Asset Management | Website
https://www.storageassetmanagement.com
https://www.storagesense.com
https://www.cubbystorage.com/
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8 episodes