Hey there, If you run a coworking space in a suburb or smaller town, you've probably heard some version of “the coworking market is booming,” but also felt like nobody around you knows what coworking even is. Both are true. Suburban and secondary markets now hold the largest share of flexible office space in the US, overtaking downtown markets for the first time ( Cushman & Wakefield). The growth is real. But the marketing playbook for it hasn't caught up. Most advice still assumes dense foot traffic, people already searching for 'coworking,' and a market that doesn't need educating. Yours does. Here's Part 1 of what to do instead. |
|
🏡 Help people find their best work environment beyond home Suburban homes are bigger, and many people turned a spare room into an office years ago during the pandemic. So “we have desks and free coffee” isn't going to move anyone. Your marketing has to speak to what the home office can't give them. Nancy Fornasiero spent years as a freelance writer working from home in Oakville, a suburb of Toronto. I n an interview with West of the City, she described what that was actually like. She enjoyed the flexibility, but the isolation wore her down. “I really enjoy the energy of working around people,” she said. “At one point, I almost took on a corporate job just to have colleagues.” She didn't take the job. She opened ACE Coworking instead, recognizing that other people in her neighborhood were having the same quiet struggle: the work was fine, but the working-from-home part had stopped working. I relate to that too. Cafés and libraries got me out of the house, but they never gave me the same feeling as being around people building careers, running businesses, and fully in work mode. Coworking brought back that focus and motivation that had slowly faded at home. It made work feel more intentional again. Your future members are feeling the same thing. They want their workday to feel like a workday again, without the commute to prove it. That's what your messaging should speak to. Not: “Work from our space instead of home.” Try: “A real work day, five minutes from home.” Or: “Close enough to let the dog out at lunch.” |
|
Here's how Cobot customer Coworkerei puts it on their homepage. |
|
Lead with the feeling your members are missing, not the furniture you're offering. |
|
🔍 Fix your SEO for how suburban people actually search In the suburbs, most people aren't typing "coworking" into Google. Many have never heard the word. They're searching for: - “Meeting room near me”
- “Quiet place to work”
- “Office space in [town name]”
- “Workspace outside the house”
Two things to do right now: 1. Match your website copy to those search terms. Your homepage, landing pages, and Google Business Profile should use the language your neighbors actually type, not the language of downtown coworking brands. 2. Add a few pages to your website that match what people nearby are actually searching for. Even one extra page titled “Meeting room in [your town name]” or “Quiet workspace in [your neighborhood]” can help you show up when someone local starts looking. If you have time for two or three, even better. |
|
🚪 Make the first step smaller In cities, someone can walk past a coworking space, Google it later, and sign up the same week. They already understand the concept. In suburban markets, that usually works differently. A lot of people need to experience the space before they understand the value. “Why would I pay to work somewhere other than home?” is a real question, and the answer usually is not on your pricing page. It is on the first visit. Lower the barrier to trying the space: - Free coworking day
- Meeting room trial
- Parent work morning
- No-commute Wednesday
- Local business breakfast
And offer multiple ways to start. A monthly membership can feel like a big commitment for someone who has never tried coworking before. A day pass or trial is much easier to say yes to. The goal isn't conversion. It's letting people experience the space before asking them to commit. |
|
🏗️ Position your space as local infrastructure Stop marketing as “a cool place to work” and start showing your neighborhood why your space matters to the area. At #COWORK2025 in Berlin, operators discussed how suburban and rural spaces grow by collaborating with established local institutions – churches, libraries, community centers – and offering them the space to host events. Those institutions bring their audience to you, and you become part of the local fabric without spending a cent on ads. A few more ways to do this: - Partner with your Chamber of Commerce or local business association. One introduction from a trusted local voice carries more weight than any Instagram campaign.
- Approach local employers about offering your space as a remote work benefit for nearby employees. One corporate deal can fill ten desks.
- Create a one-page impact sheet: members served, local businesses hosted, events hosted. It gives your mayor, your landlord, and your local newspaper a reason to care about your space in their language. Almost nobody does this, and it works.
In suburban markets, trust travels locally. A recommendation from a school network, a local café owner, or a respected business in your area is worth much more than a perfectly optimized ad. |
|
Curious how your website sounds to someone who's never heard of coworking? Send me your URL and I'll share a few ideas on what could work better for your local audience. |
|
See you next Wednesday and happy coworking! 🥳 |
|
The topic for next week is: “External Bookings as a Marketing Tool” 🔑 |
|
If you missed last week's newsletter, check it out here: |
|
Reply to this email if you have any questions, disagree with something I said, or have a suggestion for a collaboration/future topic. I'm always happy to stay in touch. |
|
Harzer Str. 39
Berlin , 12059, Germany |
|
|
Cobot Coworking Software, 2026 |
|
|
