How to Use Clubhouse for Your Business
Maybe you’ve heard a little bit about the latest social media platform Clubhouse — but have you thought about how you can use it for your business? Clubhouse combines a few elements that people love about podcasts, video conferencing, Twitter, and LinkedIn for a networking opportunity and information platform that’s unlike anything else available online.
Side note: We know what you’re probably thinking. Another social media platform? Aren’t there enough of those already? You’re still worn out from all the time and energy you put into learning Snapchat, only to have it fizzle out of popularity after a year or two. But because Clubhouse is attracting a pool of intellectual, productivity-focused users, there’s potential for it to have real staying power, especially for those who know how to use it for brand establishment and professional growth. Here’s how to do it…
First, what is Clubhouse?
Clubhouse is a new social media platform where users communicate by sharing only audio — no text, no photos, no video. Just audio.
When a person logs onto Clubhouse from their iPhone (yes, the app is currently available only for iPhones, although there’s talk an Android version will come out later), they will have the option of going into specific “rooms” where they can listen in on conversations about a specific topic.
When you’re browsing rooms, you can search by categories, such as sports, wellness, travel, business, and so on. In short, there’s a room for discussions on just about anything. Don’t see one you like? You can always create a room. You also have the option of following other users whose interests align with yours and seeing what rooms they go into.
Inside the rooms, only the creator/moderator is allowed to speak. Everyone else is there simply to listen, almost as if they were listening in on somebody else’s phone call. However, if you have something to say, you can click the “Raise Hand” button, and the moderator can grant you speaking privileges.
Some rooms might have only one speaker, similar to a TED Talk, or they might have two people engaging in one-on-one discussion. Others might have many people with speaking privileges for a big group discussion.
It’s not exactly like a podcast because you have to listen live (the audio isn’t recorded for listening afterward). It’s also not exactly like a Zoom conference, because there’s no video. Clubhouse really is its own unique entity among digital platforms.
How popular is Clubhouse?
There’s one final important distinction you should know about Clubhouse — it’s exclusive. You can join only by invitation from somebody else who is already a member. And members only have a select number of invitations they’re allowed to extend. This exclusivity gives Clubhouse a certain allure to it.
Even with its invitation-only aspect, Clubhouse continues to grow. At the end of 2020, the platform had about 600,000 users — only a fraction of Facebook’s 2.7 billion, but still a sizeable number considering it launched in March 2020. Clubhouse has also grown in popularity because celebrities and public figures are starting to join and set up rooms of their own.
So, how do I use Clubhouse for business?
Now the important question — how are people supposed to use Clubhouse for business?
To answer this question, think about the ways Clubhouse combines aspects of podcasting and social media networking. It’s not as much an opportunity for you to shamelessly promote or advertise your business, but it’s a great way for you to expand your network, learn more about your industry, share your knowledge, and establish yourself as a leader among your peers.
Try some of these ideas:
Follow other business people in your industry, whether you know them in real life or not. Take a look at some of the people they are following, and continue to build your pool of Clubhouse connections you can follow into the different chatrooms that are available.
Listen in on conversations that are relevant to your interests. There are rooms dedicated to entrepreneurship, marketing tips, leadership, skill development, and so much more. Clubhouse is a great place to learn from others.
You can also open up your own room and demonstrate thought leadership. People will start to see that you know what you’re talking about, and they’ll be inclined to look you up on other platforms.
Collaborate with others. If there’s someone you’ve found on Clubhouse who has a similar philosophy to you, or if you both have lots to say on a certain subject, open up a room together. This is a great way for you to gain followers from their base and for them to gain followers from your base.
Use these conversations as a chance to develop real relationships with your connections. It’s always great to have a large number of people following you, but it’s even more important that each of these connections feels as if they know, like, and trust you — which, as we’ve discussed before, is an ideal way to attract and retain customers.
Are you ready to start learning more about how to use Clubhouse and other social media platforms for your business growth? Reach out to Ann’s Social Media & Marketing today by calling 443-679-4916 or emailing ann@asmmdigital.com. If you just want to see how it works and join in a great conversation, join our CEO, Ann Brennan and Cheryl Cage of MyCore On Mondays at 10:55 am for Leaders Are Readers, where they take a deeper dive into their favorite leadership books.