How to Make the Most of Your Coworking Member Community

As a coworking operator, your member community is everything; it’s who your space is there to serve and it’s what pays the bills. And in a competitive market, the strength of your community can be your key differentiator.

Today’s coworkers are searching for more than a desk, coffee, and fast WiFi - they want a space in which they can connect with and learn from others.

In a sense, your member community is your most influential marketing tool. It’s the biggest source of testimonials and word-of-mouth recommendations and can have a huge impact on your member churn rate.

Whether you’re new to running a coworking business or an experienced operator, the member experience should always be front and center of your strategy. Here are 8 ways to make it work - for itself and for your own brand.

1. Facilitate Member Introductions

Foster a culture of support and collaboration by creating a welcoming and inclusive environment where members feel valued and supported.

Every business owner knows that connections are a critical component of success. Connections make us feel supported, included, and respected within a space; they can broaden our business’s horizons and strengthen its liquidity.

Coworking spaces act as a conduit for connections.

While many members will connect organically, some might be more hesitant about reaching out, which is why it’s important to facilitate introductions early on in the membership journey. Help your coworkers to find their future collaborators and friends by introducing them to others early on.

2. Host Networking Events

Networking events, workshops, and socials are all cornerstones of the coworking offering, however, it’s easy to let them fall by the wayside during busier periods.

Create balance by curating a varied events schedule, from formal gatherings designed to inspire, to meetups intended to help members relax and take their minds off their work for a while.

Speed networking sessions can be a good way to break the ice and get members speaking. Each pair is given a set amount of time to introduce themselves and say what they do before meeting the next member.

Having a regular coworking social or ‘happy hour’ - say once a month - can also help members build relationships in a relaxed context. You just need to provide the space, drinks, and snacks, and the members will do the rest!

3. Nurture Online Communities

Investing time in building online member communities alongside the face-to-face member community can enable you to expand your reach and accessibility. It gives members the flexibility to engage remotely at a time that is convenient for them, accommodating different time zones and schedules.

Online spaces are also incredibly useful when it comes to information exchange, serving as platforms for sharing resources and knowledge.

Using online collaboration platforms like Slack, you can create virtual extensions of your coworking space where members can communicate, share updates, and collaborate on projects in real-time. You can set up separate channels for social chat, specific projects, or work-based conversations.

4. Offer Skill Sharing Sessions

Professional development opportunities - including workshops, mentoring programs, and training sessions - can help members take their business or project to the next level.

Coworking spaces can be vital facilitators when it comes to business growth, providing the space and the expertise - whether it’s in-house or provided by external professionals - to help members to thrive.

Investing in members’ success works for you too; for example, following a mentoring program, some of your members may have the confidence and skills needed to grow their business and scale within your space.

Peer learning is a great way to increase motivation and engagement, especially in education and workplace contexts.

Members can teach other valuable skills, share industry insights, and learn from each other's experiences. Host workshops where members can share their expertise and learn from one another.

Create time and space for members to showcase their work and projects to the rest of the community too.

Demos, portfolio presentations, and pitch sessions can be a great way to inspire the community and get people communicating with each other.

5. Celebrate Member Achievements

Sharing accomplishments can be incredibly inspiring, and it’s so important to celebrate success and achievement within your member community.

Be conscious that success comes in all shapes and sizes; as well as project and award wins, it can come in the form of personal development, new positions opening up, or moving into a larger office, for instance.

Take an active interest in your members’ businesses by chatting to them about their journey. By opening up a dialogue, members are more likely to share their success stories with you. (They’re also more likely to reach out for help or signposting when things aren’t going so smoothly.)

An easy way to showcase member achievements is by resharing social media posts with your own channel’s followers. This is a great way to grow your coworking space’s social media network while demonstrating your solidarity with members.

You could also dedicate part of your newsletter to highlighting member achievements. Consider running a ‘member spotlight’ series on your blog. Interview a member each month and share this in the form of a podcast or written Q&A, and repurpose the content for other platforms.

6. Design for Everyone

You must create an inclusive and equal community where everyone feels valued, respected, and supported. Design coworking spaces that facilitate interaction, collaboration, and connection among members.

Ensure that the space is accessible to individuals with disabilities by incorporating features like wheelchair ramps, lifts, accessible restrooms, and designated parking spaces. Design pathways and circulation routes that are wide, clear, and easy to navigate for individuals with mobility aids.

7. Seek Feedback and Input

To ensure that you continue to meet your members’ needs (and to avoid stagnation), actively welcome feedback from members about their experience and what you could do to improve it. And crucially, act on it!

One way to garner feedback is through short and anonymous member surveys that encourage everyone to have their say.

Ask questions about the quality of amenities, satisfaction with facilities, preferences for events, and overall satisfaction with the coworking space. Leave space for additional comments too.

You could also place a good old-fashioned suggestion box in a convenient location within the space.

Monitoring social media channels can also prove valuable in terms of gauging people’s sentiments about your coworking space. It goes without saying, but be sure to respond promptly to comments, reviews, and inquiries.

Ultimately, leading by example will establish you as a role model and enable you to set the tone for your coworking member community. Participating in events, checking in with members regularly, and demonstrating your commitment to inclusivity demonstrates that you practice what you preach.

And when challenges and conflicts do, inevitably, arise, aim to respond with empathy, equity, and professionalism in mind.

• Share:
• Facebook
• Twitter