After speaking at the GWA Conference and teaching at Cat Johnson’s Coworking Creators Summit, I’m a bit tapped out on seeing myself recorded and hearing my own voice.

So, for this one, I’m going to deviate a bit from my typical video-first format and opt instead for an in-depth guide. Bear with me.

Now, onto the matter at hand…

Let's be honest: doing social media (well) for coworking spaces is hard.

It's not a "post and forget" channel. It's always on. It needs to feel current. 

You can't just publish. You need to engage, respond, show up, and stay relevant.

And even when you do everything right, you're still competing with a thousand other things fighting for attention in someone's feed.

So, the question isn't, "Should we be on social media?"

It's, "Are we doing this in a way that actually matters?"

Because, if we’re really saying it like it is:

Most coworking spaces miss the point entirely.

They post empty office photos, clean desks, and big windows… but zero people.

And I get it. The space looks great. You paid good money for that design, and you want to show it off.

But nobody connects with an empty room.

They connect with the experience of being there. The community. The vibe. The feeling that this is a place where they belong.

And if we’re really being honest, most operators who are doing social media poorly know it and freely admit it.

This isn’t a knock on anyone. My social media channels arguably suck (or inarguably—you be the judge), so I’m not talking to you from a soapbox. 

But the reality is that social media is crowded. If you want people to actually pay attention—not just scroll past—you need to earn it.

So, let’s talk a bit about how to do that.

What Social Media Actually Does (And Doesn't Do)

First and foremost, let’s address this question right off the bat: social media works for coworking spaces, but probably not in the way you think it does.

Generally speaking, it's not a closing tool. It's a warming tool.

One more time for the people in the back:

Social media is not a closing tool. It's a warming tool.

It doesn’t get people to book private offices on its own. It doesn't replace your sales process. And one viral Reel (viral is also subjective) isn't going to magically fill your membership roster.

What it does do is warm people up over time. 

It helps people discover your brand before they ever need a workspace or reinforces what they already suspect to be true about your brand. 

It helps them “self-qualify,” if you will.

It also:

• Builds trust and familiarity
• Offers a window into the experience of being a member
• Creates FOMO (if you’ve got a FOMO-worthy space or spaces) 
• Helps you establish roots and credibility in your local market(s)
• Provides you with a way to distribute other content (more on that here)
• Is a key element of your content marketing flywheel, helping to generate leads you can nurture over time
• Creates shareable moments that amplify your message without you having to spend a dime on ads

Caveat:

Don't expect one post to do all the work. It takes dozens (or hundreds) of small moments over time.

Now, let's talk about where social actually converts, and where it doesn't.

Social performs differently depending on what you're selling. 

If you're promoting lower-ticket offers like day passes, coworking memberships, or meeting room bookings, social can drive direct conversions. 

These are impulse-friendly purchases. Someone sees a post about a free trial day, meeting rooms for rent, or a promo on hot desks, and they might book it right then.

But higher-ticket services like private offices, enterprise memberships, or long-term commitments? 

That's a different story. 

Social builds awareness and credibility for these offers, but the actual conversion comes from follow-up, tours, and referrals. It's the assist, not the goal.

Knowing the difference will save you from expecting social to do something it was never designed to do.

If there’s one thing to understand, it’s this:

Not all that matters can be measured, and vice versa.

Social media isn’t just about driving leads and conversions. It’s also about building your brand (if you’re curious why this matters, I’d recommend reading this).

Don’t Waste Your Time Doing Social Media Without Direction

Even if you know nothing about social media strategy, you know when you see a social media channel that’s not following a strategy (or at least some sort of cohesive direction). 

It feels random.

And random posting leads to random results.

Social media strategies are big undertakings. I’m not going to dive into that here. But I will share a few things you can do to put a social media framework in place. 

That’s a good enough place to start, if you’re looking to kick-start or enhance your approach to social media. 

If you're just "doing stuff" on social without a plan—posting whenever you remember, scrambling for content, reusing the same three photos over and over—you're wasting time. 

You need structure.

But here's the thing: 

That structure needs to be tailored to your space, your brand, and your goals. What works for one coworking space might not work for yours. 

The key is understanding the best practices, then adapting them to fit your specific situation.

Here's how to build a framework that actually works for you.

1. Build content buckets tailored to your space

Content buckets are themes that rotate through your calendar. They give you direction without boxing you in.

Start with four to five core themes that reflect what makes your space special. These should align with your brand, your community, and what you want to be known for.

Examples might include:

• Member spotlights
• Behind-the-scenes moments
• Day-in-the-life content
• Upcoming events and promotions
• Local recommendations
• Repurposed content

But—and this is important—don't just copy this list. These are examples, not a prescription. Your content buckets should reflect what makes your space unique.

Ask yourself: 

• What's special about your space? 
• Who are you talking to? 
• What do you want to be known for?
• What’s going to resonate with your ideal members? 

Turn these themes into a content calendar that guides your actions. Without a strategy, you're just throwing stuff at the wall.

2. Think about content types, not just topics

It's not just what you post, it's how you post it:

• Video performs well. Reels, Stories, short clips—these formats hold attention and feel more authentic than static images. 
• Carousels are great for tips, photo series, event recaps, or storytelling. They encourage engagement because people have to swipe, which signals to the algorithm that your content is worth showing to more people.
• Static images, on the other hand, should be used sparingly. They don't hold attention like they used to. The feed has changed. If you want people to stop scrolling, you need to give them something that moves or unfolds. Attention spans are short. Make it count. 

Mix formats intentionally. Don't default to what's easiest. Instead, follow what works.

3. Hyper-local is the secret sauce

Most coworking spaces are local businesses, not global brands. Even if you operate in multiple states, your individual locations are local businesses.

Your social media should reflect that.

You can share brand-level content, but it’s also wise to mix in local elements for each of your markets/

Make it neighborhood-focused. Tag nearby cafés, businesses, and parks. Spotlight local events, members, and community happenings. Use location hashtags and geo-tags to signal that you're part of the fabric of the area.

Help people feel like, "This place is for people like me, in my area."

Why?

Local equals relatable. Relatable equals trusted.

When someone scrolls through your feed and sees their favorite coffee shop (or an awesome new one they’ve never tried), their neighborhood park, or a face they recognize (or one they’d like to meet) from around the community, it signals: this is my community. 

That's powerful. It makes your space feel less like a vendor and more like a neighbor.

4. Narrow in on the right platforms

Don’t try to be everywhere. You’ve got choices to make. 

Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, Twitter.

You might feel like you’re supposed to be on all of them, but that’s a trap.

Don’t fall for it.

In reality, you don't need to be on every platform. You need to be on the right platforms for your audience.

Different platforms attract different people and serve different purposes. And your platform strategy should reflect who you're trying to reach and what you're trying to achieve.

Here’s a high-level, generalized breakdown.

Instagram: Experience-driven, visual-first

Instagram is where you show what it feels like to be in your space.

Who's there: Creatives, freelancers, younger professionals, solopreneurs. People who make decisions with their eyes first.

What works: High-quality photos and video. Reels showing day-in-the-life moments. Stories that feel spontaneous and real. Carousels that tell a story or share tips. Local tags and neighborhood content.

Best for: Attracting individuals, day pass conversions, building brand awareness, showcasing vibe and culture.

If your ideal members are designers, writers, consultants, or anyone who values aesthetics and community, Instagram should be a priority.

LinkedIn: Professional, B2B-focused

LinkedIn is where you might reach decision-makers.

Who's there: Founders, executives, HR managers, corporate teams. People looking for professional solutions, not just a desk.

What works: Business-focused content. Case studies. Member success stories. Thought leadership posts about hybrid work, productivity, or workplace trends. Professional photos of meeting rooms and team spaces.

Best for: Selling private offices, team memberships, enterprise solutions, and building credibility with corporate clients.

If you're targeting growing companies, corporate teams, or high-ticket memberships, LinkedIn should be in your mix.

Facebook: Community-building and local ads

Facebook is less about aesthetics and more about community management and targeted advertising.

Who's there: A slightly older demographic than Instagram. Local community members. People who engage in groups and events.

What works: Event promotions. Community group discussions. Local targeting through ads. Longer-form posts. Video content like Facebook Live for events or tours.

Best for: Building a members-only community group, running cost-effective local ads, and reaching people who aren't on Instagram.

If you want to create a private online community for members or run hyper-targeted ads to people in your neighborhood, Facebook is valuable.

Don't try to be everywhere

Pick two to three platforms based on your audience and focus on doing those well.

If you're a design-forward space targeting creatives, freelancers, and start-ups, go heavy on Instagram and lighter on LinkedIn. 

If you're targeting corporate teams, LinkedIn and Facebook might be your best bet.

The key is knowing who you're talking to and meeting them where they already are.

A note on trends: 

Platforms and formats change. TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Threads—new channels pop up all the time. 

Don't chase every trend. 

But do stay aware of where your audience is spending time and be willing to adapt when it makes sense.

The Capture System: Making Content Creation Sustainable

Here's where most coworking spaces fall apart: they don't have a system for capturing content.

They post when they remember, scramble for photos at the last minute, and lean on stock images or reshare the same few assets over and over because they don't have anything new.

But using stock images makes your brand feel stock.

If you want social to work, and if you want it to feel manageable instead of exhausting, you need a capture system.

This doesn't mean you need a full production team or a fancy content studio. It just means you need to be intentional about documenting what's already happening in your space.

Here are a few ways to make it work.

1. Build a content capture checklist

Create a recurring checklist that tells your team (or you, if you're doing this solo) exactly what to capture each week and month. 

This removes the guesswork and makes sure you always have fresh content to pull from.

Not sure where to start? This is what I’d recommend…

Weekly:

• One photo of a member working (with permission, obviously)
• One short video clip (coffee moment, desk setup, dog in the office)
• One local feature (nearby shop, café, view, market)
• One behind-the-scenes or team moment
• One quick quote or micro-interview with a member

That's five pieces of content per week, captured organically as part of your normal operations. It's not a huge lift, but it keeps your content pipeline full.

Monthly:

• Full member spotlight shoot (photos + short video interview)
• B-roll footage of your space (different angles, times of day)
• Event coverage (before, during, after shots)
• Video testimonial from a satisfied member

This system keeps you from scrambling. It makes content creation predictable instead of reactive.

2. Assign roles: who's capturing what?

Who's responsible for content creation at your space?

Is it your community manager? You? An outsourced team? A combination?

Make sure everyone knows what their role is. If you leave it vague, nothing gets captured.

For example, maybe your community manager is responsible for capturing two photos and one video per week. 

Maybe your marketing person (or you) handles scheduling and caption writing. 

Maybe members are invited to contribute once a month through spotlights or testimonials.

Whatever the setup, make it clear, and make it easy. Drop everything into a shared folder (I use Google Drive with my team) or a Slack channel so it's all in one place when it's time to schedule posts.

It’s also wise to use a platform like Trello to manage your ongoing social media calendar. 

3. Get out into the wild with your phone (or other camera set-up)

Some of your best content comes from simply being present with your phone.

Walk the space once a week with "content eyes." Grab quick videos or photos of members working, laughing, collaborating (with permission, always). 

Show the little moments: morning coffee setups, dogs at desks, someone deep in focus with headphones on, a casual lunch conversation in the kitchen.

Interview a member in 30 seconds. Ask them what they're working on, what inspires them, what they enjoy most in the neighborhood, or why they love the space. 

And show yourself—people connect with faces, not logos.

This isn't about creating fake moments. It's about documenting real ones.

Pro tip: Your phone can take great quality photos and videos, but if you want to level up, check out something like the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 Creator Combo (you can find it here if you’re in the US and here if you’re in Canada, and no, I’m not getting a commission if you buy it). 

It’s a little bit on the pricier side, but the camera quality is good, it’s easy to use, and it comes with two wireless mics, so it’s a good all-in-one upgrade. 

Piecing It All Together: Cadence, Buy-In, and Repurposing

Okay, so you've got your social media framework in place. You've got your capture system. 

Now let's talk about execution: how often to post, how to get your team and members involved, and how to make your content work harder.

Posting cadence: stay consistent, not perfect

You don't need to post every single day. You need to post regularly.

Done is better than perfect.

Here’s some food for thought…

Instagram:

• 3-4 posts per week (Reels, photos, carousels)
• Stories daily or almost daily (low-lift, real-time stuff)

LinkedIn:

• 1-2 posts per week (business wins, member spotlights, thought leadership)

Facebook:

• 2-3 posts per week (event promos, casual community content)

Stories are where you can be spontaneous. Quick moments. Behind-the-scenes clips. Reposts from members. Don't overthink it.

Use scheduling tools like Later, Buffer, or Hootsuite to batch your content in advance. 

Spend an hour or two at the beginning of the week (or month, if you're ambitious) and knock it all out at once.

Consistency beats perfection every time.

Social isn't just publishing, it's engaging

Don’t just treat social media like a broadcast channel.

You shouldn’t just publish your content, hit publish, and move on.

But that's only half the job.

Social media is called social for a reason. If you're not engaging with your community—both your members and the broader audience—you're missing the point.

Proactive engagement means showing up in other people's feeds, not just waiting for them to show up in yours.

What does this look like? It can be things like: 

• Commenting on your members' posts when they share business wins
• Resharing their content to your Stories when they tag your space
• Tagging local businesses when you feature them or visit their spot
• Responding to comments on your own posts within a few hours, not a few days
• Engaging with other local businesses, coworking spaces, or community accounts in your area

Here's the thing: this doesn't have to take over your life. But it does need to be consistent.

Set aside (or have your team set aside) 15 to 20 minutes every day to scroll through your feed with engagement in mind. 

Look for posts from members. Check your notifications and respond to comments. See who tagged you and reshare it. Find a local business or community account and leave a genuine comment.

Make it part of the daily rhythm, not something to do sporadically.

The payoff is real.

When you engage with people proactively, they're way more likely to engage back. 

When you tag a local café in a post, they'll often reshare it to their audience. 

When you comment on a member's big announcement, they remember that you're paying attention, and they're more likely to stick around, refer others, or share your content down the line.

This is how you build reciprocity. And reciprocity is how you grow your reach without spending a dime on ads.

Getting buy-in from your team and members

If you want great content, you need participation from your team and community. You can't do this alone, and you shouldn't have to.

For members: Make it about celebration, not transaction.

When you feature members in your content, you're celebrating what they do and the fact that they're part of your community. You’re also trying to support their business with a little extra visibility. 

For your team: Make social content part of the rhythm.

Explain why you’re asking them to do it, offer perks for reaching milestones, and give them the tools they need to make it happen (check out the shotlist and tool reccos above). 

Repurpose like a pro

Make your content work harder.

One piece of content can fuel multiple posts across multiple platforms. A blog post can become a carousel or a quote graphic. A newsletter can turn into an Instagram preview with a CTA to subscribe. A member feature can be a LinkedIn win and an Instagram photo series. An event can generate a shot list that turns into Reels, stills, and a recap post.

Remember, think content flywheel, not one-and-done.

This approach saves you time and maximizes the ROI of every piece of content you create.

The Metrics Question: What You Can Track (and What You Can't)

Let's talk about measurement.

Social media gives you some data you can track. 

But a lot of what social media does for your business is hard to measure directly.

Brand building doesn't show up in a spreadsheet. 

You can't assign a number to the trust someone builds scrolling through your feed over six months. 

You can't quantify the moment someone sees your space on Instagram, doesn't act immediately, but remembers you three months later when they actually need a workspace.

What you can measure:

• Engagement rate (likes, comments, shares)
• Saves (strong signal someone wants to come back to this)
• Profile visits
• DMs and tour inquiries that come from social
• Which content types get the most traction

What you can't measure as directly:

• Brand familiarity built over time
• Trust earned from showing up consistently
• The value of someone seeing your space repeatedly before they're ready to act
• How social supports your other channels (blog, email, word-of-mouth)
• The compounding effect of being present when someone finally needs you

Social is part of a broader ecosystem. I’m not diving into it here, but if you want to learn more about how to use social media at various stages of your marketing flywheel (funnel), watch my video and read the accompanying article. 

It supports your blog, your email list, your word-of-mouth referrals, and your local reputation. It creates touchpoints that matter, but those touchpoints don't always convert in a way you can trace back to a single post.

So, instead of asking "Can I measure the ROI of this post?" ask yourself a different question:

What's the opportunity cost of not being on social or doing it poorly?

What happens when someone searches for you and finds nothing? Or finds an outdated feed with three posts from 2022? 

What happens when they can't get a feel for your space, your community, or your vibe because there's nowhere to experience it online?

That's the real risk.

Social media is a vital piece of your content marketing ecosystem. It just needs to be done right—consistently, authentically, strategically.

The metrics will give you some signals. But the bigger value is in showing up and staying present.

Here’s an example of a great coworking Instagram account

Looking for some inspo? Check out Pavilion Cowork’s Instagram. 

This is a local 4-location operator here in Canada. I actually toured their spaces last year, and they’re beautiful.

Their Instagram really conveys the full brand and membership experience, and it’s on the right platform to reach their target audience.

Here are a few things I love…

General brand cohesion

At a glance, the channel’s color scheme and cohesion are on point. It feels like Pavilion Cowork’s brand (which also feels like their spaces).

Organized story archives 

Stories are archived into highlights, showcasing the space via virtual tours, people using meeting rooms, and event highlights alongside membership options.

High-quality space tours (pinned)

At the top of the channel, you’ll see high-quality space tours. These videos feel premium, showcase the space and amenities, and feature people (as well as catchy, on-brand music).

Event recap videos

These videos document people actually enjoying the experience of the space.

Tagging relevant businesses and people

In this post, Pavilion showcases event photos, and also tags vendors and partners, which drums up engagement.

Partnerships and giveaways

I love that they’re doing giveaways with local businesses and encouraging engagement. 

There are quite a few on their channel.

This one is with Tacofino, a popular local taco spot that’s just around the corner from them. Not only is this great for business, it’s great for engagement. This particular post got 187 likes and 1,790 comments tagging other people.

Grand opening recaps

In this post, they’ve captured incredible video content showcasing the grand opening of their latest location.

Staff profiles

Pavilion humanizes its team by showcasing “day in the life” profiles.

This example with Pavilion is just one brand on one channel, but here’s what’s important to take away from it:

• It’s on brand
• It’s high quality 
• It’s on the right platform for their audience
• It showcases all the various facets of the experience of working in their space
• It harnesses partnerships to drum up awareness
• It caters to the local market 
• It leverages shareability 

Your space’s social media presence will vary based on your brand, audience, and goals. But this is great food for thought.

Ultimately, here's what I want you to remember:

Social media isn't about going viral. It's not about perfectly curated feeds or hitting 10,000 followers.

It's about being present, consistent, and real.

Social is another place where your brand comes to life. It helps people decide if they like you, trust you, and want to spend time in your space. It can give them a sense of what it actually feels like to be a member—not from a sales pitch, but from seeing the day-to-day moments that make your space what it is.

Show up. Stay local. Let people feel like they already belong.

That's how you earn attention when nobody's paying attention.

Need help building or optimizing your social media presence? Book a free consultation call today, and let’s chat about what you’re hoping to achieve. 

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