Opening a coliving community is not an easy task. Not only does it require a substantial investment of time, money, and resources to build, but once it is open and operational, building awareness becomes its own beast of an undertaking. Over the past few months, we’ve been closely monitoring our favourite communities’ marketing strategies to see what’s working and what isn’t. This blog post is for the new hosts, prospective hosts, and hosts that just want a little extra boost. We’ve learned that promoting a coliving community demands not only unique strategies, but also an intentional combination of strategies as well. So, let’s dive in shall we?
Promote Your Remote Work Community On Social Media:
If you aren’t already on social media, then that’s a big gap in your marketing strategy. Leveraging the power of social media is fundamental. Social media can be intimidating for a lot of people, we get that, so consider hiring a social media coordinator or involving on-site staff in content creation to ensure a regular and engaging presence. I know some communities will provide their social media managers with accommodation as compensation, which is another things you could consider if you don’t want to offer a fixed rate.
Collaborate With Your Surrounding Community:
Why not take advantage of other networks? Begin to forge partnerships with local businesses to amplify your reach. Explore opportunities for joint promotions, such as featuring your community on their social media channels, putting up posters on-site, or co-hosting fun events. You can get super creative as well, like partnering with a local surf school or an eco-conscious food business. This sort of thing can not only attract individuals, but also contribute to local SEO. We know of one surf community in Portugal that partnered up with an Italian pizza maker who sets up shop every Thursday night in the common area and makes all the guests pizza.
Stick Your Foot In Online Forums and Groups:
There’s nothing wrong with promoting or sharing your community on online forums and chatrooms. Go on Reddit, Facebook, Quora, etc. and engage with relevant groups and inquiries. You’d be surprised at the number of digital nomad and remote work groups out there that you can connect with, some of those users may even wind up as your next guest!
Connect With Travel Micro-Influencers:
Micro-influencers hold a lot of power these days, so it’s in your best interest to reach out and see if any of them would be open to a collaboration. Take some time to identify micro-influencers who align with your brand values and would attract the kinds of guests you’re looking to host. Offering them a stay in exchange for promotion and content can significantly boost your community's visibility.
Invest in Your Online Presence… And We’re Talking About Your Website:
A visually appealing and user-friendly website can make or break someone’s decision to stay at your community. If someone tries to book with you, but the load time is taking far too long, or they can’t even find the page to request the booking, they will likely find an alternative community to stay with. So take a bit of time to assess if your website is doing what you intend it to do, and figure out some ways you could improve the user experience. To make it look a little nicer, you could reach out to a local photographer who could come on-site and capture the essence of your community. Having well-lit, clean, and orderly photographs is also a big factor in why people choose to stay places.
List Your Community in Different Places:
Diversify your online presence by listing your coliving community on various booking platforms, like colivevalues.com. Expanding your reach across multiple platforms increases the chances of attracting diverse guests. This comes back to the idea that leveraging another platform’s networks is greater than only reaching the limits of your own.
Hopefully these tips give you something to think about. And if you are just a prospective host that is keen to invest or open a coliving community, we recommend you connect with coliving experts and advisors to ensure you are developing a strategy that resonates with today’s digital nomads and remote workers. Our friends, Luis and Andrea at Why Coliving are fantastic connections if you’re curious about breaking into the industry. You can reach them via email at [email protected], or follow their Instagram and send them a DM: @whycoliving
