Taking the Guesswork Out Of Marketing: Data, Partnerships, and Performance with Gabe Thayn

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Students of Storage

Cubby

10 episodes

1 week ago

Welcome to Students of Storage — the podcast that pulls back the curtain on the self-storage industry. This isn’t your typical business banter — it’s raw, real, and packed with insights from the movers and shakers who’ve built empires behind the roll-up doors. Join us as we sit down with CEOs, owners, and top third-party operators to dive deep into the wins, losses, and lessons that come with building lasting success in storage. From solving industry puzzles to revealing the strategies that move the needle, Students of Storage delivers inspiring stories, perspectives that challenge, and takeaways you can use immediately.

All content for Students of Storage is the property of Cubby and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

Technology

Business,

Management

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Taking the Guesswork Out Of Marketing: Data, Partnerships, and Performance with Gabe Thayn

Students of Storage

45 minutes 22 seconds

1 week ago

Taking the Guesswork Out Of Marketing: Data, Partnerships, and Performance with Gabe Thayn

Gabe Thayn, Co-Founder of Marketing.Storage, joins Matt Engfer to share how data, transparency, and true partnership—not vendor relationships—drive marketing success for self-storage operators. With nearly 20 years of experience leading digital marketing at companies like Extra Space Storage and Adigma, Gabe has helped shape how the industry approaches SEO, paid search, and performance measurement.

In this episode, Gabe explains why understanding and tracking your data is the foundation of every effective marketing strategy. He outlines the three core pillars of SEO—technical structure, content, and backlinks—and how to optimize each one for local impact. Gabe also breaks down what it takes to achieve accurate attribution, measure true ROI, and turn marketing insights into more rentals.

For operators and owners looking to make smarter marketing investments and build stronger partnerships, this episode offers a clear roadmap for turning data into performance.

Key Takeaways:

(01:44) Gabe’s journey from tech and gaming into marketing.

(07:00) Lessons learned from leading paid media at Extra Space Storage.

(10:30) Leaving Extra Space and using Google data in the hotel industry and beyond

(13:00) Agencies vs Firms - the importance of partnerships and beginning Marketing.Storage

(16:00) The foundation underneath Marketing.Storage - partners, not clients

(18:00) Why you need a marketing partner vs DIY - SEO Tips

(20:35) The three pillars of SEO: technical, content, and backlinks.

(24:50) Practical local backlink strategies for storage facilities.

(29:05) How you can generate more rentals- Measurement and analytics

(35:36) Using data to make smarter marketing and investment decisions

(37:44) The difference between vendors and partners in marketing success

(41:00) Why communication and accountability lead to better results

Resources Mentioned:

Gabe Thayn | LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabe-thayn/

Marketing.Storage | Website

https://www.marketing.storage

Cubby | Website

https://www.cubbystorage.com

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#SelfStorageManagement #StorageMarketing #StudentsOfStorage