5 Tools for Lead Generation for Flex and Coworking Spaces
Michaela Ivanova
Content Marketing Manager at OfficeRnD
Mar 19, 2021|4 mins read 1
Lead generation for coworking spaces might be a tricky one.
Although sales might be a bit slower now, there’s no doubt that flex is the future.
And it’s always better to be prepared for an opportunity that’s rising on the horizon.
Being aware of the tools that will help you generate more leads is key for tapping into the rising demand for flex.
Below, you will find 5 of the most effective lead generation tools.
Combined with some of the best marketing tactics for flex spaces, these tools will help you generate more business in 2021 and beyond.
Marketplaces
Marketplaces are one of the most powerful tools for lead acquisition. Imagine Booking.com but for coworking spaces. Such platforms allow you to reach people you can’t reach on your own.
Some of the benefits of listing your coworking space on a marketplace are:
- Lead generation
- More sales
- Increased brand awareness
- Increased findability
- Data and analytics (some marketplaces provide insights into profile visits or other metrics)
Some of the best well-known marketplaces are Coworker, LiquidSpace, Drop Desk, Croissant but you can also get listed on many more.
Your listing includes information for your space, pricing, meeting rooms, amenities. Usually, there’s also a section with customer reviews.
Marketplaces provide a huge variety of filtering options for the end-user. These include but are not limited to location, amenities, pricing range, capacity. This functionality makes it easy for website users to find the best space based on their particular needs.
Content marketing
Content marketing is a tool to attract users to your website, build trust and credibility, convert them leads, and eventually to customers.
It takes time to bring results but it’s one of the most effective and long-lasting strategies for lead generation. Also, it’s relatively inexpensive.
Consider blog posts, eBooks, videos, and anything else that brings value to your target audience.
And never forget – create content that helps! Don’t create content for the sake of content.
If you’re looking for content marketing know-how particularly in the coworking industry, I recommend Cat Johnson’s blog.
And if you’re totally new to Content Marketing, then HubSpot’s free online course or Moz’s guide for beginners are for you.
Google My Business
Firmspace, a client of ours, has done a great job with their GMB listing.
Google My Business is often neglected by shared space operators. And this is a huge mistake because it’s an extremely powerful lead generation tool for coworking spaces.
That’s true especially for businesses with physical locations like flex spaces.
The GMB listing provides you with the opportunity to list your business on Google Maps and appear for local search results on Google.
The listing includes essential information about your space – address, working hours, website, products, photos, customer reviews, and more.
It makes it easier for you to promote your business, generate traffic to your website that you can eventually convert to closed deals.
Whether you already have an existing listing or you’re about to create one, make sure that the information you enter is complete and current.
Also, don’t forget to ask for reviews from your customers – this one is crucial. Customer reviews build credibility, trust, and will often be a deciding factor for someone who’s looking for a shared space.
Here’s some useful insight on GMB from Jamie Russo on the topic.
And if you’re totally new to this, check out the following resources:
Real estate brokers
Brokers (whether they are a company or individual) can help you find customers for your space faster and with minimum effort on your end.
Of course, you have to pay them a commission. However, brokers will save you lots of precious time, stress, and money in the long-term.
While they work on bringing new members to your space, you have the opportunity to focus your time and efforts elsewhere. You can focus on working on your strategy, your expansion plans, improving your customer service, or whatnot.
Brokers are extremely good at Sales and negotiations and have a profound understanding of the market and the demand.
They have access and connections to an audience that you most probably can’t reach on your own.
Also, they will always work in your interest and try to negotiate the best price and terms for your business.
Google Ads
Google ads, whether they are Display or Search ads, can be another useful tool to generate leads for your coworking space.
They can be rather expensive, though, so consider this opportunity carefully.
To understand if it’s worth the price, spend some time doing the math. Calculating indicators such as ROI and Customer Lifetime Value can be helpful.
Also, make sure that your website is well-designed, provides a pleasant user experience, and has all the information a visitor needs to make a decision.
There’s absolutely no sense in paying for Google Ads if your website is bad, slow, or incomplete.
If you have absolutely no experience with digital advertising or marketing, better have some who does by your side.
Google Ads have their specifics and an experienced person will help you make the most out of them.
Depending on your budget this might be an agency or someone who works for you on a part-time basis.
Bonus resource
Lead generation, winning, and retaining clients in times of pandemic, are all more challenging than ever.
You need to consider all the dynamics and changes of people’s personal and professional life.
To bring more clarity, we invited 3 flex space operators to share their strategies for 2021 and beyond:
Tim Schabsky – CEO at Work Inn (Germany), William Ballantyne – Director at MyWorkSpot (UK), and Colleen Moselle – President & COO at Fueled Collective (USA).
In this panel discussion, you’ll hear their strategies for attracting and retaining clients in 2021 and beyond. You can access the video here: Business Strategies to Attract and Retain Clients.
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