Pivoting DIY Ads to a Data-Driven Strategy: How Createscape Found Confidence in Google Ads

Our case studies showcase how coworking space operators around the globe use industry-specific Google Ads strategies to fill their locations, generate revenue, and create waitlists for their services.

Meet Keller Davis: An Austin Original With a Creative Edge

Keller Davis isn’t your typical coworking operator. Before launching Createscape Coworking, he ran a video production company. But when he was searching for a coworking space for his Austin-based business back in 2014, what he found was either too barebones or too corporate.

So, he and his partners built the kind of space they wanted to work in: colourful, community-driven, and full of amenities creatives would actually use.

“We started off catering to filmmakers and designers,” Davis says. “But we pretty quickly realized that people from all industries wanted to be part of that energy.”

Over the years, Createscape expanded from 1,000 square feet to more than 8,000. Its offerings grew, too. Today, this includes: 

• Two tiers of dedicated desks
• Office pods built from greenhouse frames
• Private offices
• Open desk memberships with 24/7 access
• A flex plan for those who only needed a few days a month

It’s a space packed with personality: hammocks and bean bags in the loft, treadmill desks, a conference room that doubles as a photo studio, and a podcast-ready media room. 

Even the design reflects the city’s identity.

“There’s definitely a ‘Keep Austin Weird’ feel to it,” Davis says. “It’s funkier than a lot of corporate-looking offices, and that’s what attracts people.”

Word of Mouth and DIY Ads Couldn’t Keep Pace with Expansion

In the early days, Createscape filled seats through word of mouth, community events, SEO, and organic social media. 

For a while, it worked. 

But as Austin’s coworking scene grew crowded with big chains and corporate-backed operators, the old playbook delivered fewer results.

Davis tried Google Ads on his own. He leaned on YouTube tutorials and sometimes followed advice from Google’s ad reps (if you know us, you know we have feelings about Google Ads reps).

“It was really just hoping for the best,” Davis says. “If fewer people were coming in, I’d just raise the budget and cross my fingers. But we weren’t tracking leads, and I didn’t trust myself to execute a real strategy.”

That lack of clarity created risk. 

With such a wide range of memberships and products, from virtual offices to meeting rooms to event space, knowing which offerings to promote at the right time was critical. 

Without tracking, dollars disappeared into campaigns that might not be driving meaningful conversions.

Then, when Createscape expanded in 2023, the stakes got higher. 

Operating expenses increased just as member sign-ups dipped. Add in a complete staff turnover and a politically uncertain climate, and the pressure intensified.

“It was a double problem,” Davis admits. “Expenses were up, memberships were down. I knew we needed to change our marketing approach.”

Rising Costs Made Crossed Fingers Too Expensive a Strategy

By the start of 2024, Davis was watching trend lines he didn’t like. 

Despite spending significantly on Google Ads, leads weren’t where they needed to be. At the same time, he had a new expansion to fill and a community that expected Createscape to keep evolving.

Through Cat Johnson’s Lab,a community for coworking operators,Davis kept hearing other owners recommend Spacefully. What stood out wasn’t just the endorsements. It was the fact that we already understood coworking.

“I’ve worked with vendors who don’t get coworking at all,” Davis says. “I didn’t want to pay someone to learn the industry. That was a huge factor.”

He adds, “Speaking with the Spacefully team, it was really helpful to learn about the process they go through. That gave me a lot of confidence from the start.”

Creating Google Ads Campaigns That Flexed with Demand Instead of Fighting It

Working with us meant moving from DIY guesswork to a structured, data-driven strategy.

Instead, they pivoted the strategy to include:

• Landing pages and tracking: Instead of hoping Google Ads worked, Createscape could now see which leads converted into tours, memberships, or meeting room bookings.
• Refined targeting: With so many membership tiers, campaigns had to focus where it mattered: coworking memberships (recurring revenue) and meeting rooms (consistent demand). Private offices stayed off the priority list since they’re almost always full.
• Adaptability: Campaigns weren’t static. We refined them month by month, adjusting spend and messaging to reflect seasonality, availability, and demand.

“Before, we just spent more money and hoped,” Davis explains. “Now, we have data that tells us which leads are converting, and we can pivot campaigns when we need to.”

That adaptability proved essential. 

In May and June of 2025, for example, Createscape converted one of its rooms into an event and gathering space. Campaigns shifted to promote it almost immediately.

The Right Strategy Meant Leads Climbed and Davis’s Stress Dropped

The difference showed up right away.

“We noticed way more leads coming in from the start,” Davis says.

Even summer, a notoriously slow season in Austin, delivered more activity than expected.

“Summer is usually when people leave town or wait until fall to commit,” Davis says. “But this year, we had a lot of leads coming in right away. That was really encouraging.”

Perhaps the biggest result wasn’t just more leads, but more confidence.

“It’s stressful trying to manage ads when you don’t really know what you’re doing,” Davis admits. “Now, I can step back and trust the team. I see the trend lines, and it’s encouraging.”

With campaigns dialed in and a clear funnel to measure performance, Createscape is heading into Q3 stronger than Davis anticipated back in January, when things looked “more dire.”

Davis’s Tips for Coworking Operators Looking to Fill Their Spaces

Davis has advice for fellow coworking owners: 

Don’t get stuck in the past, and don’t try to do it all yourself.

“SEO alone isn’t going to cut it anymore, and Google Ads are too complicated to DIY,” he says. “You can watch all the YouTube videos you want, but if you don’t know what you’re doing, you’re just wasting money.”

For him, the real lesson is about openness.

“Coworking changes every year,” he explains. “What worked before won’t necessarily work now. You have to adapt. That’s why I’d tell anyone: be open to new strategies and don’t be afraid to pivot.”

Ready to Fill Your Coworking Space with High-Quality Members?

Spacefully’s Google Ads strategies helped Think Tank CoWork go from inconsistent occupancy to near-full capacity in just a few months. Could your space be next?

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