2026 Community Hub Marketing Plan
Beginniner guide on what's working to help grow community spaces in 2026.
Last Updated: December 2025
This guide is designed for any Community Hub looking to welcome more visitors, strengthen engagement, and clearly show its impact. Whether you manage a library, museum, park, coworking space, community center, church, café, makerspace, or any gathering place that serves your community, this plan offers a simple structure you can use at any time of year.
It’s especially helpful if you’re just beginning to build a more intentional outreach approach, though you may still find useful ideas even if you already have a strong system in place.
1. Set Clear Goals
Start by defining what “success” looks like for your Community Hub. Instead of promoting programs or services as you go and hoping for the best, set a few goals you can measure over time.
Examples might include:
• Increase total visits compared to last year
• Offer at least one program, gathering, or activity per audience group each month
• Build a network of five active community partners who help spread the word
• Grow participation in key services such as classes, workshops, tours, room reservations, or shared-use spaces
Document your goals somewhere you’ll revisit often. Clear targets make the rest of the work easier.
2. Map Your Audiences and Offerings
Create a simple spreadsheet listing each audience your Community Hub serves. Depending on your space, this might include:
• Families with young children
• School-age children
• Teens
• Adults
• Seniors
• Remote workers
• Volunteers
• Faith groups
• Local businesses
• Hobby or interest groups
Next, list what you currently offer each group and what you’d like to offer going forward. Include how you plan to reach them.
Example:
For families with young children
• Current: No consistent programming
• Goal: Monthly storytime, craft morning, or hands-on activity
• Promotion: Facebook, Instagram, community calendar, flyers at preschools or daycares
If your team is small, keep it simple. One program and one promotional method per audience each month is a manageable starting point.
3. Build a Clear, Central Events Calendar
Every Community Hub benefits from having one visible, always-up-to-date place where people can see what’s happening.
Your events calendar should include:
• Date and time
• Intended audience
• Description
• Whether registration is needed
Tools like WhoFi’s Community Calendar make this easy and help your events appear in places like Google. Many Community Hubs add “Save the Date” listings before graphics or flyers are ready. One “source of truth” helps staff, volunteers, and visitors stay aligned.
4. Use a Simple, Repeatable Promotion Timeline
A dependable monthly rhythm makes outreach much more manageable.
Every month:
• Plan your next round of programs or events
• Add them to your online calendar or website
• Prepare flyers, social media posts, or partner handouts
This month:
• Place printed flyers inside your Community Hub
• Share events on your primary social channel
• Post them in at least one local community or neighborhood group
One week before each event:
• Share your first reminder
Week of the event:
• Post short, friendly reminders
• Mention upcoming activities during check-ins or interactions
• Offer small handouts or mini-flyers
After the event:
• Share a short thank-you or recap
• Highlight any related upcoming programs
Consistency matters more than doing everything at once.
5. Match the Message to the Audience
Before designing a flyer or post, pause to ask: Who is this for?
This helps you select the right:
• Colors and visuals
• Tone of voice
• Language
• Program or activity name
Examples:
A teen gathering might use bright, bold visuals.
An adult workshop may feel calmer and more informational.
These small choices help community members quickly recognize that an activity is meant for them.
6. Lean on Local Partners
Most Community Hubs already have natural partners who are happy to help share programs and activities. Choose at least five and give each a simple role.
Potential partners might include:
• Schools or childcare centers distributing flyers
• Local businesses placing table tents or postcards
• Churches or synagogues adding events to bulletins
• Museums or parks co-hosting activities
• Chambers, neighborhood associations, or service organizations helping with promotion
Partnerships work best when everyone benefits. You send visitors their way, and they help spread the word about your offerings.
7. Use a Small Set of Reliable Monthly Tactics
Outreach feels much easier when you limit yourself to a few tactics and repeat them consistently.
Each month, aim to:
• Keep your online calendar current
• Display a flyer on your door or main bulletin board
• Share events on your own social media
• Post on at least one local group or neighborhood page
• Place postcards or table tents with a nearby business
• Send one digital handout to local partners
Steady, simple actions build long-term awareness for your Community Hub.
8. Track Results and Tell Your Story
At the end of each month, jot down a few simple metrics:
• Total visitors
• Program or event attendance
• Room reservations or space usage
• Foot traffic or WiFi usage
• Participation by audience group
These numbers help you see what’s resonating and guide future planning. They’re also essential for board reports, budget discussions, grant applications, stakeholder meetings, and community updates.
Clear data transforms “we feel busier” into “here’s the impact your support made.”
A Friendly Final Thought
Starting small is perfectly okay. Choosing a manageable goal like “one program per audience each month” or “one new outreach method each quarter” helps your Community Hub build steady momentum.
And whenever you’re ready to make planning, promoting, and reporting easier, we’re here to help.
References:
Most of the ideas for the Community Hub Marketing Plan came from our Community Connectors Interview Series with people currently running community hubs like libraries, parks, museums, co-working spaces, etc. You can watch the full interview series on YouTube.