Clubhouse Is Having a Moment – and Digital Marketers Should Be Paying Attention
Now more than ever, digital marketers need to authentically engage with audiences online. It’s all about cutting through the noise with a clear message and a charismatic voice.
For this reason, many are turning to Clubhouse – the rapidly growing platform that’s offering exciting opportunities to savvy marketers and SEO experts.
So, how can you and your business get in on the act and join the conversation? Here are your top 10 Clubhouse questions answered…
1) What is Clubhouse?
Clubhouse is an audio-only app with an eclectic selection of personalities conversing in pop-up chat rooms. Users log on to engage in, or simply eavesdrop on, informed conversations on a comprehensive range of topics.
As part of the sign-up process, you’ll be asked about your areas of interest. You’ll then be connected to rooms ranging from business to culture, fitness – and everything in between.
Significantly, there’s no video functionality, meaning the platform is fundamentally based around conversations. While other social media platforms are a primarily visual experience – Clubhouse has chosen to bring verbal communication to the forefront.
This is a unique opportunity for a new breed of articulate social media users and insightful marketers to step into the spotlight. The network is actively working to foster the next generation of premier content creators via a selection of pilot programs.
2) How Does Clubhouse Work?
Once you’re invited by an existing user, an access link will be sent to you via SMS. As soon as you’ve downloaded the app, you’ll be taken through an induction process before being unleashed into this brave new world.
You’ll be given access to a Home page with suggested rooms, and an Explore function to search the entirety of the site. All that’s left is to join a conversation and get chatting!
It’s a deceptively simple model – but when it comes to digital marketing and its traditional approaches, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Where other platforms use images and video as part of a more conventional marketing strategy, here, more creativity is required.
Would you want to join a conversation with a gaggle of marketers spouting ad copy? Sounds like a nightmare!
The question becomes – how to explore and espouse your brand in an authentic and entertaining way? This is the challenge for marketers who are seeking to use Clubhouse.
3) What Can Users Expect?
Clubhouse has been described as “part talkback radio, part conference call, part house party.”
Such a disparate mash-up of social scenarios might not be to everyone’s tastes – but it certainly speaks to a post-COVID marketplace where we’re all on the go, and all online, all the time.
The traditional distinctions between work and play are dissolving – and this new digital platform is stepping in to fill that space.
4) How Do I Get Invited To Clubhouse?
Depending on your tastes, this is a topic that will either leave you excited or infuriated!
Like any exclusive event, Clubhouse is strictly invite-only. The app is not available from standard stores and can only be downloaded from the exclusive link sent by an existing member.
The important question marketers will need to ask themselves is whether this element of the platform will help or hinder their brand? Are you seeking to create an open and inclusive environment or an exclusive and elusive premium brand?
What could be a boom for one business could spell disaster for another. It’s all about understanding your consumer base and how they could respond to this exclusivity factor.
5) Can I Build a Following?
Just like any social media platform, there’s no surefire way to build your following and connect to audiences.
Clubhouse is an audio app, as opposed to the text and image-heavy alternatives of Facebook and Twitter. So, it pays to bring a different approach and a more conversational tone.
The platform is often compared to the podcast format – meaning there’s a benefit to considering what works in this world – most notably personality, charisma and humour, paired with real expertise on a specific topic.
If you’re a unique presence with an entertaining message, you could gain followers for yourself and your brand quickly. You could even start your own room and bring something of benefit to the community.
If you have the talent, expertise and confidence, the opportunities are practically endless.
6) What’s the Biggest Opportunity?
Expertise, exclusivity and elitism.
This might seem like a strange set of aims in a digital environment, especially for marketers, but the enigmatic nature of this platform is the main source of its success.
Where other platforms seek to maximise traffic by any means necessary, Clubhouse offers something different and therefore special – and a busy digital marketplace, this is a rare opportunity.
7) Who are the Top Users?
Clubhouse is frequented by a gaggle of celebrities – and this only adds to the platform’s allure. Perhaps the most infamous Clubhouse users are Silicon Valley glitterati such as Elon Musk, along with global names such as Oprah and Drake.
It’s rare for VIPs to flock to social media – so what’s all the fuss about? It’s a phenomenon that speaks to the platform’s user base – smart, international and cosmopolitan – often entrepreneurial and always tech-savvy.
The question for marketers is whether this particular demographic will excite or antagonise their consumer base?
8) Why is Clubhouse So Controversial?
Perhaps unsurprisingly in the world of social media, Clubhouse has proven to be polarising. China has blocked access. Divisive debates have raged across rooms. And the platform as a whole certainly has its fair share of controversial supporters and detractors.
It’s essentially an uncensored space, meaning there’s little moderation when it comes to what is said and who is given access. Simultaneously, creators of rooms do have the ability to remove users and mute speakers. This has opened the door to uncomfortable yet pertinent conversations surrounding free speech and censorship.
If you’re searching for a space with a little more bite than Facebook, Clubhouse may be the place for you. Accusations of elitism and exclusivity are probably warranted, but after all, isn’t this also the appeal of the platform?
9) Can It Be Used For Digital Marketing?
This is the million-dollar question. Clubhouse is a new platform and is therefore somewhat untested when it comes to provable marketing success.
In terms of the site itself, there’s certainly money to be made. Despite its relatively small scale, it was recently valued at $1 billion (yes with a “b”) and has received serious investment from major players.
As for utilising the platform for digital marketing, it’s a red hot topic in the chatrooms and many industry figures can be heard holding court on emerging opportunities.
The general consensus is that while the platform is succeeding in developing professional networks and inspiring a range of competitors – we’re yet to see observable marketing revenue for big brands.
This doesn’t mean it won’t happen – and there are already emerging ideas on how to monetise the model – but it’s still very early in the journey for this platform.
10) What’s the Future For Clubhouse?
At the beginning of 2021, Clubhouse posted a blog stating…
“This past week, two million people around the world – musicians, scientists, creators, athletes, comedians, parents, entrepreneurs, stock traders, non-profit leaders, authors, artists, real estate agents, sports fans, and more – came to Clubhouse to talk, learn, laugh, be entertained, meet and connect.”
That’s an increase from 600,000 users in Dec 2020 to over 10 million at the time of writing.
Clearly, the platform is experiencing a meteoric rise and rapid expansion under lockdown conditions. The question is, will this growth continue?
And if it does, will the quality and calibre of its users remain as unique as the A-listers and cultural creators who currently frequent it?
Quick Take – Clubhouse Offers New Marketing Opportunities
So, with these 10 simple steps, you should now know what Clubhouse is, how it works, and what opportunities it offers you as a user.
As for its relationship to digital marketing and the abilities it can offer brands, it all comes down to creativity and confidence.
The platform will certainly require more ingenuity and flair from markers than the standard targeted ads of Facebook and pre-rolls of YouTube.
It’s all about finding content creators with an original voice and an authentic take. If brands are willing to go the distance and invest in their marketers then the opportunities of Clubhouse could be there for the taking.
If you’re a business owner who’s interested in growing online, make First Page Australia your first call. Our digital marketing specialists offer unbeatable strategies to boost your search engine optimisation. Let’s get your business to the top of the results page!
