Congratulations on taking over marketing for your new coworking space! Driving leads and new members is so important for any coworking business. But if you're new to marketing, you may be wondering where exactly to start.
Not to worry — you aren’t alone. Many a community manager takes on a role at a space only to discover that not only are you responsible for the members you have now, but could you also take on finding new members? So here is an overview of some foundational tactics and strategies to generate leads as a beginner coworking space marketer. We'll cover:
- Understanding your target member profile
- Leveraging current members for referrals
- Key elements of your online presence
- Lead capture and nurture processes
Let's dig in!
The very first thing you should do is get crystal clear on who your ideal member is. Every coworking space has a slightly different target audience. Take some time to analyze:
What sizes and types of companies is your space suited for?
What industry verticals or job functions seem most drawn to your location?
What pain points can your particular amenities and environment solve?
Look at existing successful members as examples to build out personas and attributes of your best customers. This will allow you to tailor messaging and outreach accordingly.
Your current members can be an amazing source of new leads through referrals. They already know first-hand the value your coworking space provides.
Consider creating a formal referral program to incentivize members to connect you with new prospects. Offer a free month of rent or other reward for successful referrals. Promote it actively through emails, social media, and signage in your space.
When you do get referrals, be sure to follow up and thank the referring member. Share updates on the prospect to close the loop. Tracking referrals and celebrating your top advocates builds momentum.
Your website and broader online presence allow you to attract leads 24/7. Start by ensuring your website speaks directly to your ideal member. Emphasize the pain points your space helps solve.
Include clear calls-to-action, like scheduling a tour, to capture visitor information. Optimize on-page elements for conversions with compelling copy and responsive design.
Beyond your website, cultivate local search visibility on Google. Optimize your Google My Business listing and generate reviews. Create website content targeting relevant keywords.
Later, consider expanding through paid platforms once you've built foundational organic visibility and conversion paths.
To convert leads, you need systems to capture and nurture them effectively. Solutions like Coworks provide an integrated, lightweight CRM to track leads from any source centrally.
Integrate Coworks with your email marketing tools, and set up simple, automated follow-up sequences to keep leads engaged. Tag and prioritize promising leads for more targeted outreach. Track engagement over time to see what's resonating.
This infrastructure allows you to focus on strategy and high-value personalization rather than manual lead management.
As a coworking space marketing beginner, the key is consistency. Set aside small amounts of time regularly to chip away at foundational lead gen initiatives above. Make sure you've done everything you can for 'free' before you start paying for any marketing activities like digital ads.
Little by little, these compounding efforts will grow your lead pipeline and convert prospects into happy members. Don't get overwhelmed trying to do everything at once. Start small, track results, and ramp up what's working.
With core tactics in place to capture and nurture leads, you'll be set up for coworking marketing success as you gain experience. Welcome to the world of marketing — you got this!