If you’re over 25 years old, you will remember the cradle of social media like Facebook. Specifically, 2006-2009 when Facebook as we know it was in its embryo stages. That time when we had 5-10 friends, if any, on the newbie platform. The years when joining Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram as a business seemed a whacky, unthought-of idea.
What would most marketers give today to rewind fifteen years and be one of those pioneering businesses who first jumped in on the social media bandwagon! The lucky ones who today have got hundreds of thousands of organic followers!
Fact: In just 3 months from December 2020 to March 2021, Clubhouse has grown from 600,000 active weekly users to 10 million active weekly users.
With the exclusive drop-in audio chat app Clubhouse, businesses have the unprecedented chance to pioneer new social media in 2021. Want to jump in? Here’s the essential FAQ you need to know about the Clubhouse app for business purposes.
In this post:
- What is the Clubhouse app?
- Why is Clubhouse so popular?
- Can I use Clubhouse for business?
- How do I get invited to Clubhouse?
What is the Clubhouse app?
Clubhouse is currently an invite-only iOS app giving a literal “voice” to social media. A cross between social media and podcasting, Clubhouse positions itself as “drop-in audio chat” and allows users to host and join audio conversations in public spaces called “rooms”.
Once you join the Clubhouse app, you can “listen in” on all the public conversations going on at the moment (Clubhouse streams are live, and gone after they’re gone. Recording is prohibited). Based on your selected interests — anything from business to lifestyle, from arts to politics, etc. , you’ll constantly see live streams in your feed that you can join.
By raising a hand to participate, listeners can ask to become speakers and join in on the conversation. And of course, any Clubhouse member can start their own live streaming “room” anytime.
Why is Clubhouse so popular?
After the ultimate go-to move when Clubhouse invited Elon Musk for a 90-minute conversation about space exploration, education, and Neuralink and the room “exploded” with listeners beating the 5k people limit, the app has become popular with celebrities like Oprah, Mark Zuckerberg, Malcolm Gladwell regularly hosting their own conversations.
This combination of celebrity use and invite-only exclusivity is doing its magic as Clubhouse is becoming the most talked-about new social media platform.
But more than that, Clubhouse is addressing the trend for interactive social media which may very well be the future of social media platforms.
Can I use Clubhouse for business?
Although celebrities are present on Clubhouse for promotion purposes, the real — and yet untapped — perspectives here await small businesses — especially those in B2B — which can use the platform to do online networking, connect to customers and partners, and grow their brand.
As famed marketing expert Neil Patel says, “What draws me to the Clubhouse app is the potential to build an engaged community and grow your sphere of influence. You can also …engage with other entrepreneurs and influencers to develop invaluable business relationships in a new format.”
For small businesses in B2B, Clubhouse is a platform with a lot of potential. To tap into it, you’ve got to be the first to jump in on the opportunity and gain followers organically, while the app isn’t flooded with users and promoted businesses.
Businesses that can use Clubhouse include:
- B2B businesses
- Marketing, PR, and media businesses
- Educational businesses (online courses, online education, workshops, etc.)
- E-commerce (conversations about trends, industry, interviews)
- Arts and crafts (workshops, interviews)
- Bloggers (interviews, trends, reviews, etc.)
How do I get invited to Clubhouse?
To get invited to Clubhouse, you must own an iPhone and know someone who is willing to invite you to the Clubhouse app (don’t confuse Clubhouse with Clubhouse.io, the project management app.)
Current Clubhouse users can hand only two invites, so reach out within your close network to find connections. There are also services selling Clubhouse invites, but it’s a murky business where you can easily fall prey to scammers.
Summary
If you’re a small business and you have a contact willing to drop you a Clubhouse invite, don’t think twice — just do it. Invest your time into this platform today to reap the benefits tomorrow. Remember that just like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube in their early days, Clubhouse is offering businesses carte blanche for organic outreach.
With Clubhouse, not only can you lend an ear to other entrepreneurs’ wisdom by joining live conversations that you would never be able to gain access to otherwise, but you can network and connect to new customers.
In light of increasing app privacy measures, such as the iOS 14.5 update causing small businesses to worry about Facebook and Instagram marketing, Clubhouse can be a safe, powerful, and interactive platform for B2B businesses.
Don’t wait until Clubhouse becomes the new Twitter. Start building your following today.
