In the highly competitive world of flexible office space, a quiet renewal only proves you met expectations. Brand advocacy, where members actively sell your space for you, is the true measure of a vibrant, successful community. Advocates are loyal, highly profitable, and immune to competitor pricing.
Moving members beyond mere satisfaction toward becoming true advocates requires a fundamental strategic shift. Instead of just managing physical space, you must focus on nurturing relationships. This critical shift depends on applying a strategic, four-step framework.
Step 1: nurture connection (the community foundation)
True advocacy stems from strong member-to-member relationships, not just flawless operator service. The first step is to actively engineer connection and build a community culture so compelling that members are compelled to talk about it.
The niche matchmaker thesis
The most critical moment is the onboarding experience. It must move beyond a simple key exchange to a direct offer of social capital.
- Be a connection catalyst: you can't please everyone. Start by clearly defining your norms and workplace culture. Crucially, during the onboarding tour, introduce the new member to at least three existing members who work in their same industry or share relevant skills. This moves beyond a general "hello" to establishing immediate, tangible professional value.
- The seamless tech hand-off: the main job of your technology should be to automate administrative tasks, which frees up your team. Provide immediate, frictionless access to your online community (Slack, app, etc.). Introduce the booking system after you make those high-value personal connections.
Ambiance as a connection tool: use natural light, healthy indoor plants, and clean design to contribute to productivity. But remember, this ambiance also supports the community. Personalization is about reflecting care for their well-being. This level of care is a powerful factor in driving genuine, word-of-mouth praise.
Step 2: create a feedback-action loop (the calibration)
A happy member is one who feels heard and sees their suggestions implemented. The most significant mistake an operator can make is asking for feedback and then doing nothing. A formal, continuous feedback loop turns suggestions into visible improvements.
- Measure sentiment: mix open-ended questions (to gather detailed insights) with structured metrics, such as the net promoter score (NPS), to formally measure satisfaction. Remember, a high score (9 or 10) signals you have a potential advocate on your hands. Digital platforms (easily accessed through QR codes) simplify this process.
- Gauge intent through events: events are live member engagement audits. Ensure they align with member desires (networking, relaxation). A simple get-together is a direct investment in the communal, social capital that drives advocacy.
Reflect the change (closing the loop)
This step is critical for loyalty: feedback is worthless unless you take action and clearly communicate the change.
- The "you spoke, we listened" approach: every time you make an operational change, adjusting the air conditioning, switching a vendor, or installing a new amenity, start your announcement with this phrase: "Following the recent feedback from our member survey, we are happy to announce..." This visibly validates the members' investment of time and opinion.
- The ambiance of improvement: when you quickly deal with a distracting issue, loud phone calls in a quiet zone, for instance, sends a clear message. It shows members that management genuinely listens to their need for peace and productivity, effectively rewarding those who take the time to offer feedback.
Step 3: activate public advocacy (the social proof engine)
Once you've identified a happy member (NPS of 9 or 10) and closed the feedback loop, the next step is to systematically capture non-incentivized public praise. This public advocacy is often more powerful than a paid referral, as it builds crucial social proof.
The low-friction ask
Do not jump straight to asking for a full testimonial or a referred client. Ask for a low-friction action first.
- The Google review prompt: this is the easiest and most important request. Ask your high-NPS members for a quick Google review or Yelp rating. This boosts your local search ranking and serves as the most immediate form of social proof for new prospects.
- The LinkedIn/social tag: ask members who are publicly celebrating a success (a new client, a major funding round) if they would tag your space in their social media announcement, mentioning that the environment supported their achievement. This positions your brand as a partner in their success.
- The quick quote: request a short, specific quote about one thing they love (e.g., "The quiet zones are fantastic"). You can then use this as a written testimonial on your website and marketing materials.
Generate recurring revenue and offer exceptional customer experience at your shared or coworking space
Use advocates for amplification
Your most successful members are your best advertisement. Use their stories to market your space, fulfilling the human need for recognition while providing compelling social proof.
- Member-centric content marketing: share the experiences and journeys of your members on social media. Frame their achievements and use their success stories to attract new customers. When a member is publicly celebrated for their work, it generates immense goodwill and reinforces their pride in being part of your space.
Step 4: formalize and monetize (the scalable referral system)
Advocates exist naturally, but a formal program leverages that happiness into predictable, scalable revenue. This step moves past passive hope and actively incentivizes your best members to sell for you.
Launch a high-value loyalty system
A basic discount isn't enough. Your loyalty program should be so good that leaving becomes both financially and socially difficult for a long-time member.
- The tenure reward: put a loyalty system in place that genuinely rewards a member's long-term tenure in a meaningful way. This could be exclusive credits for high-end meeting room usage, or locking in their current membership rate when fees rise for new members. This is about delivering back to your most loyal customers.
- Tech for automation: use a dedicated tool (like ReferralCandy) to automate the setup and tracking of your program. Automation ensures consistency and immediate rewards, which boosts participation.
The referral prompt
- The happy hour referral prompt: utilize your social events as opportunities to subtly prompt referrals. A Happy Hour is the best time to introduce a new member to existing ones and is a low-pressure environment to share your referral incentive.
By consistently applying these four strategic steps, you fundamentally shift your focus from managing space to nurturing high-value, mutually beneficial partnerships. This creates a powerful virtuous cycle where an exceptional member experience directly fuels strong, authentic brand advocacy and predictable revenue growth.
