What Is Clubhouse and How Can It Help Your Business?
Clubhouse is an audio-chat based social network that has been rapidly gaining users and media attention. The app was launched in April 2020 and has quickly grown to have over 6 million users. The platform allows people from all over the world to join and communicate together in real-time. So, how does it work? Well, put simply, users can lead discussions via live audio – with no need for cameras.
What are ‘Rooms’ in Clubhouse?
Clubhouse allows users to create ‘rooms’ where discussions based around specific topics are held. You can enter the rooms via the ‘hallway’ (your feed). Like any other social media feed, you only see the content (organised talks) of those you follow, but discussion leaders often collaborate with other users. Discussions can take place around any subject, and users can raise their hands to ask the moderator (the leader of the discussion) to contribute, or alternatively, the discussion leaders can invite members of the audience up ‘on stage’.
Who Can Get Clubhouse?
The app is currently iPhone only and only accessible via an invitation code which can be distributed by users of the app. If you can get your hands on an exclusive invitation code, it’s definitely worth signing up, as Clubhouse can have benefits for your business - benefits which may not be as easily abundant when using other social media platforms.
What are the Benefits of Clubhouse?
Being able to connect on a personal level with your customers is one of the many ways that Clubhouse can help your business. You can choose to start and lead discussions, perhaps telling consumers your brand founding story, giving them a better insight into how you work, or you could even host a general discussion to connect with your customers. For customers, hearing a voice behind the brand can give them a better understanding of your brand ethos and really make them feel more connected – it can humanise your business. The rooms are almost like an interactive podcast, which allows you to build bonds and a sense of openness with your customers, meaning they’re far more likely to follow your brand and make future purchases from you.
You can also partner with bigger brands or names to lead your discussions. This is incredibly helpful, as you’ll gain the following of the large brand/name as your audience, and reach entirely new demographics! You can also hear back from their followers and gain entirely new perspectives! In addition to this, Clubhouse has a hugely diverse global audience. You can reach customers from all over the world, allowing you to expose your brand to them and gain feedback.
Gaining feedback from the platform is another huge benefit in itself. As an audio-based app, you can hold focus groups and gain product feedback directly from your customers! Clubhouse gives you a way to directly communicate on a personal level, meaning not only can you really listen to them, but you can build much stronger and better relationships with them.
Another beneficial point of having the Clubhouse app for your business is sponsorship. Clubhouse allows companies to sponsor certain discussions, meaning you can reach the audiences who are interested in topics related to your brand or that your brand is interested in.
Clubhouse Influencers
Clubhouse has recently unveiled their plans to make ‘influencers’. At the moment, there are set to only be 40 influencers on the app (these will be the most-followed members of the app). This is a great benefit for your business, as you can reach out to these influencers and lead discussion rooms with them, which will help you gain an insight into the views of their audience, as well as exposing your brand to them.
On a personal level, Clubhouse can be great for your brand’s development. You can attend talks and listen to leaders in your industry, expanding your knowledge by hearing their best business strategies and their start-up stories. You can attend talks about topics that your brand is related to or wants to gain a better understanding of, such as sustainability or current affairs. Growing your business’s global awareness is always important, and live discussions with people from all around the world is a great way to begin or improve that.
When building a presence for your business on social media, the earlier the better, as many other brands have a hard time catching up later on. Considering that the app also currently works on an invite-only basis, there is a sense of ‘exclusivity’ currently, which can mean that current users are more engaged and more eager to make the most of what the app has to offer.
In Summary
Clubhouse is an ideal way for you to reach out to your customers on a personal level, expose your brand to new audiences, and better your brand’s understanding of specific topics. Clubhouse provides you with an opportunity to gain real, personal feedback about your products and brand image. If you can get your hands on an invite link – grab it with both hands!
Megan is a PR & Content Marketing Intern at Unearth PR
Instagram ~ @meg.selway