Can Clubhouse App Help Your Business?

A shorter version of this article was originally published at Medium.

The social media sphere is constantly changing and growing. The pandemic brought new opportunities as more people were at home trying to be active and with free time on their hands. It is in this scenario that the Clubhouse App is born and in less than a year has 10 million active users.

What does Clubhouse bring to social networking?

The clubhouse is an audio-only social media. It could be said perhaps it is a mix between podcasts, streaming and webinars. It is easier than creating a podcast, as it does not require audio and podcast tools to edit, it is streamed live and it has been attracting more and more entrepreneurs and businesses looking for a direct channel to propose debates and get feedback.

How does it work?

At the moment, the app is an invite-only app. The creators say the invite-only is more about them keeping track of the number of users so the app doesn’t crash than to be meant as an exclusive social media. You get an invite and when you create your account you also immediately invite one person. You can either enter a chat room or create your own. You can create closed chat rooms, but the real deal is to have them open so you can meet people and network. Clubhouse suggests chat rooms based on categories and interests you have chosen. To participate in the discussion, you have to raise your hand and the moderator will let you ask a question or a comment. The main moderator has the power to add you to the conversation as an active participant without having to raise your hand.

The rise of social audio-apps?

Benefiting from an increasingly high screen-fatigue as a consequence of the pandemic, there has never been a better time to launch a social media based on audio-only or to invest in podcasts. But that doesn’t mean audio media grew in general, Ofcom Report on Media Nations 2020 UK Report, mentions:

Although an estimated 14% of online adults stopped listening to the radio in the first few weeks of lockdown – with reduced in-car listening and the closure of workplaces the biggest influencers of this – its share of overall audio listening time remained stable, at 70%.

But,

Younger adults (15-24y) have replaced some of their radio listenings with music videos, podcasts and audiobooks.

The most impressive numbers in growth are certainly from Clubhouse. According to this report, the app grew 2900% in 4 months!

How does Clubhouse help entrepreneurs and businesses?

Consumers like brands that are able to communicate with authenticity. Instead of trying to advertise a product, businesses wanting to use Clubhouse as part of their social media strategy must see it as a tool to help understand consumer behaviour, dialogue with clients and to show what the company is all about behind the brand. Who are the people behind the company? What are they thinking? These are questions Clubhouse users will be asking.

The app is a two-way street: you need to add value to the community to get value back. It is by participating in rooms with discussions relevant to you or your business and actively engaging that you will get relevant followers to start your own discussions. That can lead to brand awareness and establish yourself as an industry expert. You can also choose to be a passive participant by just listening and keeping up with trends for your business. But with the level of business discussions currently happening in the app, it will be challenging to keep quiet, so you might end up building a network with very little effort or even “by accident”… All you need to do is to engage in some of its exciting conversations.