Author: Coworkify Team

Do you need to reach out to your surrounding community more? What are the best ways to be sure you are creating a positive atmosphere? Is there a way to let others know how great your coworking space really is? It is important to promote and deliver value within and outside of your space. You want to be sure that your space is represented!

As our world expands continuously in the technology sector, it would be best to start with what marketing could be done online. The market for coworking spaces is rapidly growing, and with more people looking for spaces, it’s important to make your space as one of the best options.

Check out these steps below to build the best marketing strategy for your coworking space.

Quality Website

A quality website is vital for business since its often the first impression you give to potential customers. If they found you through a search or through a link from a referral friend, your website will be the first point of contact by them.

The purpose of the website is to convince new members that your space is great and it will solve their office problems. It has to improve your sales results by “converting” more of the people that noticed you to prospects that are knocking on your door for a tour. Thus, you need great content and visuals that are laid out well in a logical way so that it conveys the benefits of joining your coworking space.

Live Chat

A live chat is something to think about. Convenience is everyone’s preference and if one can get to an answer faster, they will. Providing a live chat offers visitors the chance to get any more information they might need directly.

Through live chats satisfied, long-term customers are statistically less likely to switch. As an added bonus, they tend to be less price-sensitive. Experts say that customers who feel taken care of are less concerned about what they are paying.

List Your Coworking Space On Google My Business

Did you know that 90% of the searches in the United States are done on Google? Did you know that by simply listing and verifying your spaces with Google, it automatically shows your local workspace to customers looking for your services, specifically in your area. What could be better than that?

Use Google Adwords Display Network

Use Google Adwords Display. With Google features like this, you can see who is visiting your coworking site, exactly what specific content on the site, create your own ad and with the association of emails Google can present your ad to those account holders on its display network.

Start A Blog For Your Coworking Space

If you run a small business, chances are you are wondering if blogging is worth the time and effort. The short answer is a resounding YES! Moreover, blogging on a frequent basis is a relatively easy, inexpensive way to enhance your inbound marketing efforts, drive traffic to your site, and attract more prospective customers. Both your website and blog should be optimized for search engines, so make sure the team behind the blog understands SEO.

Promoting Members

Invite your members to send you content and push it out on your own channels with accreditation. This can be done through blogging or by posting to any of the social media platforms. All this makes it easy for your members to want to share your content more.

Generate Reviews

Generating reviews from current clients is going to help you be chosen by those that are looking to work in a coworking space. Not only will you want to generate reviews on Google but also on Facebook and any other platforms you use to market your available spaces.

Social Media Presence

Social media marketing is a powerful way for businesses of all sizes to reach prospects and customers. Your customers are already interacting with brands through social media, and if you’re not speaking directly to your audience through social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest, you’re missing out!

People can engage in the event you are hosting and look through images of your office spaces. Also, highlighting the amenities and spaces you have available is one of the best ways to attract new clients. Great marketing on social media can bring remarkable success to your business. In addition, it creates devoted brand advocates and even drives leads and sales.

Link In Membership Plans

A great idea towards capturing that regular customer is by offering some economically viable membership plans. When coworkers do come to your space, it is often because it’s near their residence and is backed with a strong membership offer. Then, you are certain that they would stay with you for a while!

Seminars and Courses

Conducting seminars and courses within your coworking space will not just get the word out but also get people accustomed to the amenities provided by you. Through these, you are helping coworkers to improve their needed knowledge and skills in their different fields. At the same time, this is a great opportunity to market on what your coworking space can offer to the community.

Partner With Local Businesses and Host Events

Getting your products or services in front of potential customers is no easy task. By partnering with another brand, you can reach your target audiences faster whilst making your money go further.

The benefits of partnership marketing include:

• Reaching a bigger and broader audience
• Adding value to your consumer proposition
• Enhancing your brand perception through tapping into each other’s brand values

Offer a Child Care

Do you have an option for a child care facility? Offering one can expand your business. There’s a lot of coworking space which offer child care facility, for example, Work and Play have had tremendous success with this as their core business model. It gives a viable and exciting alternative to the target market.

To know more on marketing your coworking space, check our blog How to Get Leads for Your Coworking Space. 

 

Coworking is exploding nowadays because it gives freelancers, independent workers, and entrepreneurs the opportunity to network, engage, and collaborate. It builds a community of like-minded coworkers. Coworking spaces shouldn’t just be all about work, but it should also be about building camaraderie and community. As such, organizing an event is a great idea. Coworking events solidify and highlight the core values of any coworking environment.

Here are a few you could consider:

Happy Hours

Happy hours are not just about having cheaper drinks, it is a time where people can get to know each other better. As a space owner, you should welcome members to end their workday with a beer or a glass of wine. Schedule a happy hour on regular days and update your members not too late so they can still find time to attend. This way, it helps independent workers to find their place in the community. It doesn’t have to be expensive though. You can still stick to a tight budget and achieve successful happy hours for the people in your shared office space.

Lunch and Learn

Over lunch, you can host a book club, brainstorming session or social potluck meal. Another approach is you can invite an outside expert to offer advice to members on topics, whether it be work productivity, work/life balance, accounting, and other. Make sure that the luncheon topic will be appealing and not too long to drag their time away.

Create Accountability Group

Creating an accountability group helps develop a spirit of mutual support in your coworking space by enabling members to support each other. How to do this? Members of the group shall meet regularly and share what they’re currently working on and discuss what they want to be held accountable for.

Purposeful Networking

Coworking spaces offer the advantage to be surrounded with goal oriented and high-achieving entrepreneurs and business people. So if you host a networking event, you allow members to connect with each other and help them grow. In order for this to be effective, put the organizer in charge of making connections so that everyone shall meet someone interesting to them.

Monthly Classes or Training

What knowledge and skills do your members need? Small business accounting? Social media marketing? Leadership workshop? Coordinate with a local expert or maybe one of your members to offer a series of monthly classes that are relevant to your members.

Food Truck Extravaganza

If food trucks have taken over your city, then organize a weekly lunch trip to explore the newest craze.

Family Events

Employees are happier when their families are involved. So, you can move the occasional networking event to a park-like setting where it will be conducive to casual conversation, — and nothing breaks down the barriers like children.

Morning Exercise Session

Nothing gets the brain going like exercise. Bring in a yoga teacher or organize an early morning run group occasionally. Moreover, you can do other activities that encourage exercises such as bike rides, Zumba, pet yoga, or a fitness session.

Monthly Game or Sports Nights

Once a month, break out the board games or organize a friendly sports game among members including their family and friends. This brings in fun and teamwork within the coworking space community.

Free Days Pass

You can offer a limited number of free day passes to non-members. Through this, you’re giving new people a taste of what your space has to offer and it is the best way to convert them into regular members.

Entrepreneur Talks

Invite local entrepreneurs and let them share their success stories, including the obstacles they encountered and how they are able to overcome it. Through these talks, you are motivating your members and mentoring them to be better leaders in their businesses.

Serve Days

Allow members to propose ideas for serve days. Choose the most popular idea, schedule the day, and plan on what to prepare and how you will organize this event. Working for the betterment of the community will not only give back to the community, but it also strengthens the bond and values between members.

Conclusion

When it comes to initiating and organizing an event, you’ll never run out of events that will build community in your coworking space. You just have to execute the mix of events that will lay the foundation for a thriving coworking community. A positive workspace culture can impact happiness and satisfaction to coworkers. To know more, check our blog on How to Improve Workspace Culture.

Coworking is known as a shared office space, it gives entrepreneurs and freelancers access to all the facilities and perks of conventional office space without the cost of a lease and all the hidden extras that go with it. Coworking enables people to work independently in a space with shared values and a defined culture. and is increasingly being adopted by larger organizations too.

One reason why this works for remote workers is that they appreciate the more structured work setting which coworking provides. There are also studies that show that certain workers are more productive, happier and more creative in an office environment.

We have listed below the best ways to get leads for your coworking space.

Find the Best Location

Find the best location or building that is most suitable for each and every member in your coworking space. In addition, find a location that allows you to design and offer the best space available to the members.  Make sure you’re located near amenities such as public transportation, dining and entertainment options, or parking if that’s the most used means of getting to work daily in your city.

The coworking space should have ample natural light, amazing views and should have top of the line conference rooms. This makes a perfect environment for every small and big company to work in more innovative ways. You can also put indoor plants or artificial grass as it appears pleasant to the eyes.

Niche Services

When you create a niche value proposition to a smaller segment of the market, your messaging and content are more relevant to those people. Relevance gets people’s attention. Moreover, you build trust and interest in less time when you speak to their language.

By having a niche, your marketing materials become focused on the most important features and benefits that you offer. You tailor your message to the unique needs and wants of a smaller market segment, instead of watering yourself down by trying to appeal to everyone.

Positive Community

If you have to build positive vibes in your coworking space, it is necessary that the members of different companies interact with each other. This way, it will further improve communication between the members and increase the transfer of innovative ideas amongst them. However, some members would not take an initiative to start a conversation. In such situations, as a space owner, you should initiate in introducing your members to one another to encourage conversation and potential collaboration in the future.

In addition, design your community by listening to their needs where they can always feel comfortable and happy. This is the future of coworking for both big and small companies. It’s just the start and it will go a long way.

Building your Own Branding to Minimum

When you start your own business, we know there’s a lot to handle and think about. There’s your growing team, your intellectual property, product management, and a pinched budget.

Large companies want to have their own brand and they don’t want to be connected with your workspace brand. It will be a great idea to minimize your coworking space branding to the minimum. Do your own branding at the reception and washrooms and leave the rest on the members to find their own identity within the space. This will lead to more innovative ideas as members will find more creative ways to work on the desk they have designed for themselves.

Hope these ways will help you to attract companies to your coworking space. Check our blog on Tips on Making Your Coworkify Space Stands Out for it will guide you on how to make the best impression to your potential customers.

Can you really increase the performance level by changing the space design? With the arrival of millennial workers, the rise of startup businesses, and the increasing number of freelancers, the working environment nowadays is rapidly growing. This trend plays a vital role in redefining traditional offices, particularly in the office space structure.

Workplace design refers to the process of designing and organizing a workplace to optimize worker performance and safety. In an office workplace, the design is primarily focus on an environment that optimizes employees wellness by maximizing conditions such as air quality, lighting, and ergonomics.

With good workplace design, you can create a place where people will be productive and happy. It is essential to design the coworking space so that it enhances user experience and can create a sense of community.

Here are some key reasons on the impact of design in coworking spaces:

Facilitates Interaction

An appealing design can lead to productivity for coworkers. A coworking space is meant for communal work-setting where individuals from varied industries and backgrounds are able to breed new ideas and collaboration. However, it doesn’t mean that collaboration happens right away just because you’re in a shared space. This is why elements to facilitate interaction are necessary.

How much we interact with our colleagues is all in the way we move. Encouraging movement with the flow of foot traffic can do wonders for coworkers proximity to one another. Open work spaces consisting of large round tables or long tables are one option that many coworking spaces adopt. Being in close proximity to others without the barriers of cubicles encourages greater collaboration.

Additionally, nothing brings people together like food, so it may be worthwhile to add a cafe-like setting that encourages conversations with a mix of work and leisure. Providing a place where people can relax and let down their guard, can create a comfortable setting to network and entertain clients without having to leave the office. The key to enhance the interaction among coworkers is to find the right balance between fun and formal.

Increases happiness and productivity

Coworking spaces also need to provide spaces where members can attend to work and calls in privacy. Some members are able to produce creativity and collaboration in an open office layout, but with an assortment of people, some prefer less chatter to function at their best. Office environment with natural elements such as greenery and sunlight can improve the wellbeing of coworkers in their performance and productivity. Introducing nature into the space  also helps to boost serenity and calmness. As well as keeping savvy with color schemes and keeping the space bright, open and inviting, are one of the best ways to ensure an inspiring workplace.

Since concentration is a key part of productivity, there must be a striking balance on designing the layout of the space. Open floor plans attracts and increases productivity for interactive people, while quiet zones allow space for others to work on their own. Flexible working hours means that people need a comfortable place to rest for a while. Imagine how delighted the members would be if they have a place for relaxation with natural air and sunlight after a stressful work. These spaces can come in a form of rest pods or private nooks where one can temporarily escape from the bustle of work. This can help reduce well-being issues like eye strain and backache.

Boost moods with Visual Accents

Although it’s like a minor aspect of design, but sufficient lighting can transform a place for coworkers. Natural light can elevate workplace performance and research has shown that a workplace with a good daylight have a 3% to 40% gain in productivity and sales. Adding more windows can help coworking spaces give independent professionals a productive edge during the workday. Make sure desks are positioned towards windows, and if access to natural lighting is limited, consider installing skylights.

Offers a sense of flexibility

Stress at work can be detrimental to productivity. Pressures can keep you from operating at full capacity. As mentioned above, workplaces with informal breakout rooms and relaxing stations provide a chance to regroup and give your members a break. Fun and versatile areas can diminish the burden of work, as long as they don’t impede on areas that are reserved for meetings, phone calls, and private talks. Designing the coworking space where working section and unwind section are separated can produce flexibility.

Conclusion

In summary, the better the workplace design, the better the work performance of the coworkers. In a coworking space environment, it does not only encourages efficiency, but also creativity towards their work. Space owners need to design or redesign their coworking space to create a positive workplace culture, which will lead to satisfied and engaged members.

There are loads of coworking spaces and loads of new ones every week. No matter what industry you’re in, you’ll face competition. However, competition is a good idea. It makes us better and it drives innovation. The competition forces companies out of complacency. No matter how much competition you face, there are many ways to make your coworking space successful by showing what makes it unique from the rest.

Why Making your Coworking Space Stands Out is Important?

Just because you’ve built your space with a cool cafe, don’t assume you’ll be 100% occupied just yet. Making your space stands out gives customers a clear reason to place their money with you. The clearer you know what constitutes your competitive advantage, the easier it is for you to focus your efforts and investments, market your services and convince your customers. Also, your customers will not have a hard time sharing your coworking space to others, since they can easily identify what makes you stand out from the rest.

Here are some tips to making your Coworking Space stands out:

Accessible Location

One of the best ways to make your space stands out is to choose an accessible location wisely. If your city has all the spaces concentrated around the area, then put it another side of the city. In order for you to determine the location wisely, then you have to understand first who your coworking and the shared workspace is for. If your target market is students, then you can strategically place your space near to universities. Or if your market is business travelers, then you can place it near airports.

Fast and Reliable Wifi

Wifi is the most important thing an office needs. Invest in a good wifi provider and your members will not only be amazed by it but will want to stay and keep coming back. Imagine if your coworking space stands out in your area because it is known for its fast wifi connection.

Alternate Seating Choices

Do you know that most of the people nowadays look into the creativity of the space? Seating choices have an impact on the interior design of the space. One of the things that help with differentiating a coworking space is the types of seating options. You can have an area that uses couches, beanbag chairs or hammocks. You can stand out with unique desks and a good layout on arranging it well. Depending on your target market, use seating style that fits their needs and that is convenient for them.

Dedicate Space for Phone Booths and Meeting Rooms

Help your space stand out by including phone booths that also double as video/Skype booths. Also, ensure that they are soundproof to minimize distractions, and offer good lighting for video conferences. To make your meeting rooms different from others, you can offer a meeting room that is for a larger crowd with 20 or 25 people inside.

Stock up on Basic Amenities

Think of the basic items that you see on the office and ensure that you provide these things to your members. Offering essentials, such as paper clips, sticky notes, folders, pens, small notebook, and other basic office stuff. This helps you draw in members since they don’t have to worry about the small stuff.  

Create support systems for your customers

One of the ways to stand out is to incremental value to your existing service. Can you find partners who can provide the entrepreneurs with financial and accounting services who work inside your space? Can you negotiate to get better airfares or book cabs in advance for your clients? Can you provide options for healthcare, childcare, career counseling? And the list is endless. If you are able to prove that you consistently support your community, then you’ll be recognized by it.

Have an Outdoor Area

While people want to work inside, others do their best work with natural air and sunlight. This can be a balcony, courtyard, or rooftop. Ensure that there is sufficient seating in this outdoor space.

Make a bold move

A bold move grabs attention. If you are a coworking space that wants to move away from closed offices and wants to reconnect with nature, you can design secluded meeting rooms with full wifi access under palm trees. If you’re focusing on aesthetics, invest in details that wow your clients.

Cultivate Community

Differentiate your coworking space by cultivating a feeling of community. The culture your promote and attract through messaging should be consistent throughout all of your channels. There should be a common identity that unites all people in your community.

Conclusion

Whatever you do, standing out is not a one-time trophy, but is a rigorous and continuous endeavor. This can be a challenge, but this is what makes your member wants to join and stay with you for as long as possible.

As a coworking business owner, you need to bring in new members into space as easily as possible. Also, the first impression lasts to the new members coming into space. From signing a lease agreement to sorting themselves out for the first time will form a clear impression about the venue of your space. Just like in a traditional office setup, the onboarding has to be more than filling out forms and getting a tour of the break room.

Community is what differentiates coworking spaces from other shared offices. Community helps coworking operators to build and retain a vibrant and collaborative member base. However, some space owners miss a great opportunity during the on-boarding member process to plant the seeds of engagement that will help the new members thrive within the space.

Steps to Onboard New Coworking Members:

1.) Customizable Sign up

Have a web form where the new members can fill out the information about themselves and chooses the membership that suits their needs.

2. ) Sign a Lease Contract

The lease contract can be sent in advance via email. Make sure that the new member has read and understood the Terms and Conditions laid out in the agreement.

3.) Give access to your software and services

In the software, allow the new member to book meeting rooms, receive invoices, change membership if needed so he or she will be familiarized on how to use the software. Orient the new members on the services offered within the coworking space.

4.) Set up access control

You can give your new members with access cards, or they can make use of their mobile credentials depending on the technology you are using.

5.) Show them around office amenities

Let them walk through the place and show them where are the private offices and open space is and where the different amenities are located.

6.) Ask them Questions

Throughout the process listed above, try to answer any question that the new members might have. Help them to clarify their doubts and worries.

More Tips to Improve Onboarding Process

One of the biggest mistakes of space owners is to forget what it was like to be a newbie in a coworking space. Think outside the box on how you welcome the new onboarding members and make them integrate with the community the moment they join your space as that will help to create quality members. Here are some tips on how to do it:

Don’t make the orientation solely about rules and regulations

Instead of handing a 20-something page boring manual, leave some space for human interaction and communication. Moving beyond the do’s and don’ts create opportunities for new members to interact with each other and embrace a new ritual that makes them want to come back.

Try to achieve inclusion

As you walk new members along the hallway, introduce them to other coworkers whom you meet on the way. You can group each month’s new members so you can facilitate the orientation process easier and at the same time, it allows the group to make connections in their comfort place. It is a good idea to ask the veterans to talk to the newbies as they group together or invite them to certain events.

Gamify the orientation process

To break from the monotony, start with an ice-breaker question where everyone can relate to. Then prepare the rest of the community to do their part in welcoming the new onboarding members. The goal of this to make the new members comfortable within the coworking space and make them able to familiarize themselves on how the place works.

Empower members to discover

It’s normal for people to be curious with other members but they don’t know the way on how to connect with them. Encourage them to ask questions to their peers, rather than going straight to the community manager or operator. You can also do role play on the onboarding process, such as a mock conversation when someone is talking too loud over a phone. This way they have an idea on how to handle when a real conflict arises.  If you create an environment where they rely on you for more things, you will feel burdened and stressed about it. But, if you give them tools to work with and encourage them to discover what they will learn inside, then they’ll thrive on their own.

Don’t make it a mandatory

At the end of the day, the community doesn’t work the same way with corporate. Every activity within the space is more on invitation rather than mandatory. It’s “were doing this, would you like to come? and “we’re really excited to have you.” It’s not about making them feel bad, but it’s reinforcing to them that their attendance is important to you. When some new members don’t want to join events, then be okay with that. You might lose a lot of members if you force them to.

Create opportunities for coworkers and new members to collide naturally. Encourage experiences that lead to interaction. Every newcomer is excited to meet new people, so make them feel welcome by everyone. So that’s it, are you now ready to level up your onboarding process?