Unless you have been living under a rock you have probably heard of the new kid on the block in the world of social media. Clubhouse is the new app that lets people participate in real time audio conversations, whether it be for learning, sharing ideas & experiences, collaboration and general conversation.
The Clubhouse experience is ‘live’ and in the moment, no recording for later consumption, and is more about spontaneous expression rather than prepared remarks. Think live podcast where you get to join in the conversation.
Clubhouse isn’t available to everyone though, at the time of writing it is only on iPhone (Android coming soon) and you can’t just join, it requires an invitation from someone already on there, giving it a feel of exclusivity and creating demand from early adopters. Another aspect of its early appeal is the participation from big names in tech, business and entertainment who are joining in the conversation. People ordinarily considered to be out of reach are often seen online.
OK so we have told you what it is and in this guide we will share how to set it up, how it works and some of the strategies on how to leverage it to grow your business. But first, we thought we would share why we think you should be there and what we have learned in our short time on the platform.
It is too soon to determine where Clubhouse will go, and we are yet to figure out how it will work commercially for its creators. Yes, it has experienced rapid growth and huge engagement, often referred to as addictive, and we have seen people practically living on it. But will the experience be the same if we are served ads? will people stay if it is a subscription model? Will the experience be the same when it is not just early adopters and the masses come, including Android users?
It really is too soon to tell.
We believe it has huge potential and indeed are already experiencing value and tangible business benefit from being on the platform. Here are just some of the benefits we have seen so far in just four weeks.
Enrolments on our Identity Workshop – Yes paying customers in a matter of weeks and with still a modest following. No sales pitch whilst on Clubhouse at all, just curious people who liked what we had to say and looked further into our profile and decided to engage. Of course, the workshop must have had an appeal, and even give them clarity on how to design and build their personal brand… but they followed through and booked. Not all social media marketing is born equal, and certainly for us, only webinars have had the same results.
New Insights – If you are curious, keen to learn new things, Clubhouse can be phenomenal. Loads of knowledge being shared and more importantly the people sharing it are present and approachable. So the insight is able to be contextualised because the audience get to raise their hands and ask probing follow up questions so it makes sense to them. Every day is a school day.
A Networking Opportunity Like No Other – We can honestly say the very first room we attended and spoke in resulted in three people contacting us afterwards and setting up a call. One became a client; one is developing as an international strategic partnership opportunity and the other may not go anywhere. But that was our baptism… and just because we shared a few thoughts on a topic without an agenda. No other platform has provided that immediacy of results without paying.
An Engaged Following – Maybe it is because people are not on camera and able to perform quick due diligence whilst in a room i.e., read a bio, then click through to other social accounts and check you out, but our followers have not just clicked the button on Clubhouse, they have followed on Instagram and Twitter also. Connected on LinkedIn, signed up to newsletters and taken the time to message us. It’s more than just a flippant ‘like’.
Entertainment Value – If you just want entertainment, or background noise while you work, Clubhouse has enabled us to listen to people we admire all over the world in real time… not scripted or edited, just their spontaneous expression/reaction to considered questions. From celebrities to heavy weight business personalities.
Collaboration Opportunities – We believe Clubhouse accelerates collaboration because it provides a frictionless first step with people just by letting you co-moderate a room together. Relationships develop typically when trust is built, clubhouse fast tracks trust.
Profile Raising – If you are a coach, consultant, mentor, speaker, author or expert in your field, then joining the right room and speaking on stage provides an excellent opportunity for you to demonstrate your expertise. But actually, this is true for all businesses because it is about sharing more than learned knowledge, it is about earned experience too, and people from all walks of life are sharing experiences freely.
A Solution to Business Loneliness – Especially in current times of lockdown and isolation. Clubhouse provides you with a tribe, conversation and support. I’ve heard tears & laughter and enjoyed conversations which would have been previously enjoyed in a restaurant with a bottle of malbec, with almost the same level of intimacy and depth of conversation… but to continue the metaphor with the rest of the restaurant moving their chairs closer to listen in on the conversation.
These are just some of the benefits we have experienced, but there have been more.
We have asked ourselves is it just a fad? Is it just the perfect storm during lockdown that people seek connection, well maybe that has played a part in its rapid growth, but unlike other social media platforms you don’t have to carefully craft your words or outsource to a copywriter. Unlike networking events you don’t have to dress up, participation is acceptable in your pyjamas or in the bath. Listening can be done whilst doing other things.
So why have we written this guide. Simple, we work with people who want to fast track their business growth, develop their brand, understand their market, create really compelling value propositions and nail the positioning, develop effective partnerships and then create a marketing strategy which drives engagement and builds authority.
So, we wrote this for our clients & members. But in the true spirit of Clubhouse, we are letting everyone ‘listen in’ on this guide and hope you find value in it.
If you are already on the platform and just want our power tips for making the most of it skip to the end… But there are nuggets throughout… #Justsayin
For those of you intrigued as to how we might help you accelerate your business, the only promotion we will deliver in this guide is the very back page… and there is a discount voucher there for you too.
We hope you enjoy the read and please do follow Warren and I on Clubhouse so we can join the conversation with you at some point.
Wishing you every possible success!
@WarrenCass & @WarrenKnight