Public Voting Begins Today for the SmartStop(TM) Self Storage "Sing It Smart!" Video Jingle Contest

LADERA RANCH, CA--(Marketwire - Nov 4, 2011) - SmartStop™ Self Storage announced today that public voting has begun on the 15 finalists selected by a panel of celebrity judges in the "Sing It Smart!" video jingle contest to determine who will win a $5,000 grand prize.

Over the next two weeks, the public is invited to view this impressive array of original video jingles on the SmartStop Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SmartStopSS and vote for their favorites. The creator of the jingle that wins the Grand Prize will receive $5,000 total and the two runners up will receive an Apple® iPad® 2 or $500 cash, their choice.

"We have received an overwhelming response to our Sing It Smart! contest," said H. Michael Schwartz, CEO and Chairman of Strategic Storage Trust, Inc. (SSTI), the publicly registered corporation that brands its properties under the SmartStop™ Self Storage brand name. "The creativity and quality of the submissions were amazing. It's obvious that a lot of hard work went into this effort, so we want to say thank you by making everyone a winner."

All entrants who qualify under the rules will receive their choice of an iPod Shuffle or a $50 gift card to iTunes, according to Schwartz.

There is plenty of diversity in style and delivery of the videos that made it to the finals. There are solo vocalists and a choir, pianos and kitchen pots, video montages and a wooden robot. There are clever lyrics like "Goodbye clutter... hello floor" and "Movin' on, movin' out, movin' in."

The finalists were selected by a panel of judges that included professional cyclist Adam Myerson, professional mixed martial arts fighter Joe "The Hybrid" Duarte, and Gustav the German Shepherd (a rescued dog and overnight Facebook sensation).

"Judging these video jingles was difficult, but very entertaining," Duarte said.

"It's amazing what talented people can whip together like it's no big deal," Myerson added.

"I have been barking, smiling, stretching, eating cheerios and listening to some really talented humans!" Gustav wrote on Facebook. "I have already chosen my favorites, and some have been shredded!"

The entries were judged on brand reflection, originality, creativity of presentation, song quality, suitability of video for future advertising and promotion purposes, and entertainment value. To qualify, all jingles were required to reflect the SmartStop brand -- personal, innovative, responsible -- and incorporate the tagline, "The smarter way to store!™"

The voting period on Facebook runs until November 17; the winners will be announced on or about November 21.

For complete rules, requirements and background on the judges, visit the SmartStop™ Self Storage Web site at www.smartstopselfstorage.com/SingItSmart.

About SmartStop™ Self Storage
Strategic Storage Trust, Inc.'s (SSTI) branded facilities, SmartStop™ Self Storage, offer affordable, accessible and secure storage space for residential and commercial customers. SmartStop offers secure interior and exterior units as well as outside storage areas for vehicles, RVs and boats. In addition to features such as keypad access, security gates and video surveillance, the facilities also utilize well trained on-site associates to provide customers with the highest standard of service in the industry. To view our properties and locations or to find a nearby storage facility, visit www.smartstopselfstorage.com.

About Strategic Storage Trust, Inc.
Strategic Storage Trust, Inc. (SSTI) is the first and only self-storage REIT in the public non-traded REIT marketplace. SSTI is one of five publicly registered self-storage REITs in the United States and is one of the fastest growing self-storage REITs nationwide. The Strategic Storage Trust management team is comprised of industry veterans with extensive institutional experience in the acquisition and property management of self-storage properties. The REIT's storage facilities are being branded as SmartStop^™ Self Storage throughout the country. Its portfolio includes approximately 52,000 self-storage units and 6.5 million rentable square feet of storage space. For more information about SSTI, please call 949-429-6600 or visit www.strategicstoragetrust.com.