third places for remote workers
people crave connection on and offline
physical third places
After the pandi had us all in quarantine, working from home became a more widespread possibility that I’m grateful for. Any writer knows, it can be hard to wrangle your thoughts, hence the dreaded “writer’s block”. At home? There’s no such thing. I find a comfy spot, crack my knuckles *figuratively*, and get into my writing.
Even if you can truly get into a groove like a mofo, finding a third place is still essential. For me, that’s usually the gym or a fitness class before or after work. It could also be a coworking space or a library.
Occasionally, I’ll go to a coffee shop and hunker down at a crowded table with my laptop and an espresso matcha to work on SEO content. However, paying $7+ every hour (maybe two) to use spotty Wi-Fi just isn’t how I want to spend my time and money on the regular.
Don’t get me wrong!
I feel like I’ve been to every local coffee shop in Salt Lake City, and there are a few spots that are peak for remote workers. Say, Publik in the Avenues or SL Coffee Roasters. (RIP Watchtower and Nostalgia Cafe) These are third places that allow people to connect, even if only tangentially, instead of repeating the same office-to-home-and-back-again routine every day. Or, in the case of remote workers, home to even more home.
side quest: agency life is built different
Wanna know the real behind-the-scenes action of agency life? Not gonna lie, even just writing that made me cringe. Because truth be told, it’s just a job and it’s definitely not glamorous. But I will say this, it beats working at some of my past jobs, and the work is a little different every day! Granted, as a content writer, it’s mostly a lot of writing. Once or twice a week, I’ll go to the office for meetings, and my day might look something like this:
8:00 am - Coffee in hand, I get ready to knock out some meetings.
8:30 am - Rapid fire with the boss
9:00 am - Discuss marketing plans
10:00 am - Meet with the other writers for updates
10:30 am - Catch up on the status of various projects
11:00 am - Pick tasks based on priority deadlines
12:00 pm- Lunch
1:00 pm - More writing! 🙌🏼
2:00 pm - Take a quick walking break
2:15 pm - And then, you guessed it, continue writing! 🎉
4:30-5:00 pm - Finish up for the day. Lately, I either have class, I’m coordinating a workshop, or watching The Bear on Hulu.
p.s. i actually remember being ecstatic to get this job. it’s important to remember those moments before you get complacent. :)))
virtual third places
Okay, so we know about the physical spaces where we hang out. Now let’s talk social media. Never mind the platforms that are booming right now (or so I thought).
I’ve been participating in #PLMLinkedInMonth, and we were prompted to discuss:
Which platform is about to have its moment and change the marketing game? Or, which big player is about to reinvent itself?
I’m no expert, but I’ve been seeing up-and-coming app—Lemon8—pop up time and time again. (Is it just me?) I posted something about how it has great potential for marketing lifestyle content to its core Gen Z and Millennial audience base. Early adopters have the chance to stake their claim before competitors catch on.
It’s like Instagram and Pinterest had a baby. It’s primed for promotion with the potential for a big upside for influencer marketing. As its number of users grows, it could start offering paid ads, live social, and other features that could change the marketing game for those looking to test fertile ground.
That being said, I read the other posts using the hashtag and I learned a lot! People were saying that LinkedIn is quickly becoming the place to go for authentic storytelling and community-building opportunities. It’s been true for me. I found a community with Pretty Little Marketer, and I’ve leveraged the app to connect with my cohort from the MBA program. My network has slowly grown (still small, but mighty), and I’ve gained unique insights directly from other writers and the higher-ups as well. It’s less about promotion and flash than it is about a slow burn and connecting with your audience.
Bluesky, for example, is a decentralized, open-source app with a heavy journalistic presence. It offers a custom experience that allows users to opt in or out of different feeds. This means posts aren’t here-now-gone-tomorrow if you don’t want them to be. You can curate your feed and take your time consuming the content you care about.
All that to say—Substack, you got it going on. I mean, really. This is a perfect example of a platform where long-form content thrives and meaningful interaction is encouraged. The intention is to establish a deeper relationship with readers. Doesn’t hurt that it has a tiered subscription model, either.
Do you work in-office, remote, or hybrid? Whatever the case, I think we can all agree this is one virtual third place that is surely having its moment and not just in terms of marketing potential.