Keep Your Marketing Resolutions: 6 Tips for Workspace Operators

Here we go again with another round of New Year’s resolutions.

We always have the best intent, don’t we?

Back in real life, gyms and parks would be packed the first week of January and by February, it was back to normal. It’s tricky to forge new habits. Especially when they require extra effort.

But if nothing changes, nothing changes.

How’s your marketing looking?

If you’re like me, I have big plans for 2021. I’m going to do all. the. things. every day, forever and ever.

Totally doable, right?

In the interest of making marketing resolutions that we can actually stick to, here are six tips to keep your marketing resolutions in 2021.

1. Prioritize your Marketing

It sounds basic. I know. But coworking space operators regularly tell me they don’t have time to create content, or a cohesive marketing strategy.

Here’s the tough love: Yes, it’s challenging to keep up with social media, blog posts, video, a newsletter. And yes, you have to do these things.

These marketing todos are the foundation of your brand. They are as important as all the things you do in your space. Marketing common knowledge says that if you’re not defining your brand, someone else will.

Do you want someone else defining your brand for you?

Be intentional and disciplined about your marketing and work to make iterative improvements every day.

2. Schedule Marketing Time

Your marketing is not just another todo that you hope to work into your schedule somewhere. Schedule specific times to work on your marketing. Guard those times as fiercely as you would your most important meetings.

If your job involves creating content, create a writing routine to get yourself in the groove. If you have trouble getting started, focus on content quick wins and grow from there.

3. Create a Content Calendar

If content is not on your calendar, it’s not going to get done. Take the time to create a calendar that aligns your audience, offerings and call to action (CTA). A content calendar helps you avoid random acts of marketing.

Determine what you need to create each week, month, quarter and even year. You’ll course correct, but having a calendar that serves as a roadmap will save you tons of mental energy and time. It will also allow you to free up the brain space required to create on-the-spot content (which rarely turns out well).

Pro tip: Share your calendar with your team, a collaborator or an accountability buddy. It’s too easy to just ignore or bump marketing todos if you’re not accountable to anyone.

4. Play to Your Strengths

Determine your highest-impact channels—whether blog, Instagram stories, LinkedIn, newsletter, streaming video, whatever. Don’t chase every new tool, channel or trend. That strategy leaves you creating so-so content all over the place instead of creating strong, brand-building and member-engaging content in a few key places.

That being said, the only way to improve your content, social media, email, web copy and videos is to stretch your content comfort zone. Try new things, be brave, play with the features of each tool and channel to see which ones are a good fit for you and your space. And most importantly, see where you’re getting the most engagement and clickthroughs.

5. Take a Service Mindset

It’s not about you. Or your fabulous space and lightning-fast wifi. It’s about your members, your community, the people you serve.

Work to create a brand community and take a service mindset in all your marketing. This deep level of engagement is your most powerful differentiator. Everyone has a great space, and wonderful community, and pro amenities. That’s not what you’re selling. You are a resource to help people reach their goals, better themselves and live a lifestyle of their own design.

Whenever I get overwhelmed by all the todos and the uncertainty of the future, I refocus and double-down on serving my community. That’s where the good stuff is and that’s where you’ll make a transformational impact on people’s lives.

6. Join the Marketing Lab

Wouldn’t it be nice if there was some kind of workspace marketing club that taught you how to do everything from SEO and Google My Business to Instagram Reels and member profile blog posts?

Friend, we’ve got you. The Workspace Marketing Lab, aka The Lab, is the marketing club, hub and community for coworking space owners, operators and community managers.

The Lab is a treasure chest of knowledge, pro marketing coaching, a resource library, an accountability group, a community of more than 30 smart and generous workspace operators, and some intangibles that are hard to put into words.

We have marketing pros, marketing newbies and everyone in-between. If you are a coworking space operator, community manager or marketing lead, the Lab is about to supercharge your marketing efforts and returns.