How to Get More Members for Your Coworking Space

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The most dependable way to fill a coworking space is to choose one kind of member, make it simple for that person to find you and tour the space, and then keep current members happy enough to recommend you. Most of the work is local and personal, not a big advertising spend.

Who is your ideal member?

A space that tries to suit everyone usually ends up describing itself in vague terms. Decide who you want first: freelancers who need a quiet desk, small startups that need a team room, or employees of remote companies who want to get out of the house. Each group wants something different.

• Needs: reliable internet, quiet zones, meeting rooms, phone booths, late opening hours or a place to meet other people.
• Budget: a day pass, a flexible desk and a fixed desk give people different ways in at different prices.
• Where they look: a freelancer is likely to search a map for "coworking near me", while a startup founder may ask in a local business group.

Talk to five or ten people in your current membership and ask why they joined and what almost put them off. Their answers are better material than any guess.

What should your website do?

For most spaces, the website is the first impression and the place where people decide whether to visit. It needs to answer the obvious questions at a glance.

• Prices: list each membership type and what it includes, with no surprise fees.
• Photos: show the real space at a normal time of day, including the desks, the kitchen and the meeting rooms.
• Location and hours: address, opening hours, transport and parking.
• A clear next step: a button to book a tour or a free trial day, not just a general contact form.

Google documents how to describe a business to search with LocalBusiness structured data, including address and opening hours, so it is worth asking whoever builds your site to add it.

How do people find a coworking space nearby?

Most searches are local. Claim and complete your free listing on the main map services, add the same name, address and phone number everywhere, and ask happy members to leave honest reviews. Reply to every review, including critical ones, politely and specifically.

Your own site can support this. Write pages for the things people search for, such as "meeting rooms for hire" or "day pass", rather than one page that tries to cover everything.

Which social media and content work best?

Pick one or two platforms where your ideal members already spend time and post steadily rather than everywhere at once. Good content is concrete: a member introducing their work, photos of an event, a short walk-through of the space, or an answer to a question people often ask about working remotely.

Avoid giveaways that attract people who will never join. A free day pass is better used as a trial for a person who has asked for a tour. If you want ideas for what to publish, look at how workshops hosted in coworking spaces bring in people who have never visited.

Do events and partnerships bring members?

Often, yes, because they let people see the space and meet the community before paying anything. A weekly coffee morning, a skills workshop or a talk by a local business owner works. Invite local groups to hold their meetings with you and offer a fair rate.

Partnerships help too. Local accountants, cafes, gyms and small business advisers meet people who need a place to work. Agree to recommend each other and keep it simple. You can also use your space for creative and studio-style bookings, which brings new people through the door.

Is email still worth the effort?

For a small space, a short monthly email to people who have toured, bought a day pass or asked a question is useful. Tell them what is on, share one useful tip and include a way to book a visit. Only send to people who agreed to hear from you, and include an unsubscribe link, as the rules in most countries require.

How do I keep members from leaving?

Keeping a member is usually cheaper than finding a new one, so look after the people you have.

• Ask for feedback each quarter and tell members what you changed because of it.
• Fix practical problems fast: Wi-Fi, noise, temperature and a shortage of meeting rooms.
• Introduce members to each other. A community is what a competitor with cheaper desks cannot copy.
• Offer a referral reward, such as a free day or a small discount, when a member brings someone who joins.

Reliable internet is the thing members notice first. The post on dealing with unreliable Wi-Fi explains what remote workers expect.

How do I know what is working?

Ask every new member how they heard about you, and write it down. Add a few numbers you can see for yourself: tour requests, tours that become memberships, trial days that convert, and members who leave each month. If one channel brings tours that never convert, change it.

Small touches in the space also help people decide. If you are updating the desks, take a look at the desk gadgets at Mavigadget for ideas.

Where should a small space start?

1. Write down your ideal member in two sentences.
2. Fix the website: prices, photos, hours and a tour booking button.
3. Complete your map listing and ask five members for reviews.
4. Run one event a month and invite two local partners.
5. Track how every new member found you.

Do these five for a few months before adding anything new. A clear message, a visible listing and a welcoming space do more than any single campaign.