Guest post by Jill Phillips
Branding and promotion are an important part of any business, including flexible workspaces. Regardless of the type of workspace you own or manage, your marketing strategy needs to be effective in getting the word out and driving customers in.
Social media has become an essential element of any successful marketing and branding strategy, so today we’re sharing some tips on how to best promote your workspace across varying social media channels.
CREATE A CONSISTENT IMAGE
First off, it’s important to establish which social media platforms you will be using for your marketing purposes. Once that’s settled, it’s time to start thinking about consistency and image across all channels. Every time a potential client finds or interacts with your workspace brand, they need to be receiving the same key message and appearance, otherwise you’ll simply create confusion.
A consistent brand image conveys strength and trustworthiness, so make sure you spend enough time creating appealing and informative profiles for each of the sites you use. Aim to include your your company name, address, website URL, and contact information. Use the space you have to tell the story of your business, and include images that show the facilities you have available. And don’t forget to add your logo!
TALK ABOUT BENEFITS
As you rush to get your brand noticed on your social media platforms, remember to avoid blatant self-promotion. Marketing no longer means trying to sell aggressively – there are new and more sophisticated techniques to implement when trying to get the attention of potential customers. One of such methods refers to educating your prospects and customers.
When your potential clients know what you can do for them and how your workspace differs from others, they are more like to do business with you. So talk about it and show them what they get when they rent your space or buy a membership.
For example, present the benefits of a flexible work environment and a shared office space. Mention the benefits of telecommuting and virtual offices. Discuss why employers must offer both flexible work schedules and work spaces to attract the best talent available in the marketplace. Try to think of the topics related to the advantages that your business offers.
How to do that? Write interesting and educational articles, publish them on your website and promote them on social media. Post testimonials from past customers who want to describe how your workspace helped their companies succeed. Stress your advantages, avoid being too promotional, and see the number of your online visitors increase.
GO VISUAL
You’ve heard many times that “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Clichés exist for a reason and in this case, this one has some truth to it. You’ll want to visually portray your workspace as part of your marketing strategy, in order for potential members to see it and experience it to some degree. Post photos and videos that show real happy workers using your services, and explain how your facility helps them accomplish a great level of job satisfaction.
FIND THE RIGHT MEASURE
Use restraint while leveraging social media for your workspace. Don’t post too frequently or send too many messages, doing so might drive people to unfollow your profiles. Don’t bombard your audience with self-promotional messages. Similarly, you should avoid using your social media spaces to provide content that people find useless or annoying.
On the other hand – don’t be inactive. Don’t shoot yourself in the foot the same way your competitors do by failing to post anything online after creating social media accounts. Keep your profiles and website active, so people know they can communicate with you. Engage your audience with a variety of entertaining and informative content to make them want to share your posts. The more they share, the more they promote your business – it is as simple as that.
BE RESPONSIVE
Don’t make the mistake of thinking of social media as a one-way street. Instead, you should respond to all the feedback you receive, whether it be questions, complaints, or any other type of comment. Express your appreciation for your visitors’ input and create a meaningful dialog that lets you provide value to the community while gently leading clients to your firm. Failure to reply to messages left for your company will result in negative sentiment and bad publicity. Ignoring your followers will also cause them to go away.
Engage your visitors some more – follow them, friend them, like their statuses, share their content. It will show them you are interested in them and they will appreciate it. Ask them questions and encourage group discussions. For example, you can ask them about their working habits or office layout preferences. The more you engage them, the more they will be interested in what you have to offer. Simply, embrace the social part of social media.
COMMUNICATE AS A FRIEND
Standoffish, formal tones will keep your audience at a distance, so try to converse with people as though they were friends. This will create much more rapport. Your audience wants to make a meaningful connection with your business, so make sure they get what they want.
Friendliness doesn’t imply a lack of professionalism. Respond appropriately to people, but remember that you have a reputation to uphold. Use emoticons and casual speech when people speak in a casual way with you, but when they have serious issues to discuss, make sure not to joke around. Mimicking the way they communicate is always the best way to go.
FINAL WORDS
Regardless of whether you supply workspace to corporate clients or individual workers, you can improve the performance of your business by leveraging the power of social media. With a consistent brand image and subtle marketing, you will persuade your audience of the virtues of flexible work and present your company as the perfect partner to help your clients reach their goals.
Jill Phillips is a freelance writer from Buffalo, NY. She is an aspiring entrepreneur and tech enthusiast, who loves to share her insight on various topics. When she is not writing, Jill enjoys taking photos and hiking with her dog. Connect with Jill via Twitter @jillphlps
