How to Leverage Clubhouse for Your Social Media Strategies

The new social media app– Clubhouse– just came out of nowhere and shook the world. It was first introduced to the world in March 2020, and became the talk of the town by February 2021.

First and foremost, what is Clubhouse?

This social networking app is not just an ordinary platform that you’ve grown accustomed to like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. Clubhouse is an audio-based platform resembling an interactive, live podcast where you can listen to discussions or interviews of various interesting people – all in real-time. Most rooms have speakers who are thought leaders, celebrities, or industry experts with many other users who silently listen to what wisdom the speakers have to share.

However, users can join in the conversation with a Clubhouse feature called ‘raise hand’, granted that the moderator of the room allows for it.

The Clubhouse team designed the app in such a way that people can only communicate through audio, so users are not able to post photos or even send text messages to each other. This unique feature provides users with the opportunity to network and build an online community with just their voices. Users can speak freely in rooms and clubs according to the subject in this audio-based platform.

The appeal of Clubhouse is its exclusivity which started when it was only available to top-tier influencers, celebrities, and industry thought leaders. The time then came for the general audience to experience the app, although Clubhouse did still maintain its exclusivity, making the app available only to iPhone users. The app is available to download in the App Store for all, but you would not be able to proceed from there without an invite. A year later after its launch only then it was available in the Google Play Store for Android users.

If you have friends or family who manage to break through the exclusive barrier, they can invite you in too. True to Clubhouse’ nature, the invitations maintain another layer of exclusivity, as users only have two invites to give out when they sign up and can earn more over time by using the app. If your brand wishes to open an account, you too would need to join the same way as everyone else– with an invite. For now, the Clubhouse team has not launched a specific way to identify brands or high-profile individuals like the blue tick verification feature apparent on other social media platforms.

For more information on what Clubhouse is and how to join, you can check out our how-to guide for Clubhouse through this link.

Now, you might be thinking if it is a good idea for your brand to start a marketing plan using Clubhouse considering the circumstances mentioned.

Many brands have hopped on board, so if you don’t want to get left behind, here is what you should do.

UNRIVALED – your branding with the all-new Clubhouse app

Optimise your Clubhouse brand bio

You must make use of your brand bio to establish your brand presence on the audio-only app. Only the first three lines will be shown on your profile preview, so it must stand out in terms of your intentions and credibility. Make sure that your profile preview possesses a clear sense of direction and conveys what your business does or what it offers.

Let Clubhouse users know how your brand can help them and you will be able to grow your community.

This might seem like a trivial matter for brands to be concerned about, but just like your brand bio on any other platform, people can tell a lot from it. Following the first three lines, show social proof, any recognition that your brand has received, be it from the media or the industry. Craft an informative and engaging bio, plus what kinds of rooms or clubs you host and how to connect with you.

People need to see you first before they can know more about you. And how do you do that? Utilise relevant keywords in your bio to increase the probability of your profile being found on the explore page of Clubhouse.

Sponsor a room that taps into your industry niche and tell your story

Be the moderator of a room and take control of the conversation. Use this stage to your advantage to tap into your target audience. This space presents all sorts of possibilities where users can share valuable insights directly to the brand and know that their voices are heard. Start taking notes on what your followers have to say.

Considering that Clubhouse is an audio-based app, stories that are unfolded here can create a different impact. The emotions and intonations that cannot be captured via text or images can be translated through voice. A thought or narrative told only through audio can lead the audience to visualise the story to their liking.

So, convey your story in a meaningful manner in order for your brand to resonate with the audience and transform potential customers into loyal fans. This will give your brand a chance to create connections with a human touch and help to build trust along the way.

Partner with influencers/ Collaborate with industry leaders to reach new audiences

To reiterate from the top of this article, many high-profile industry elites are on Clubhouse already as it was initially marketed to them. The influencers on this app have distinct traits when compared to the ones on other platforms. Nevertheless, you can still benefit from their audience when you co-host a club or room with local influencers or thought leaders and reach a community that is already in your niche.

Sharing the mic can not only increase thought diversity and build traction within your industry, but it also allows your brand to demonstrate a raw and genuine voice. This approach can lead to connecting on a deeper, more personal level with your audience. Discuss subjects related to your brand so that the audience can learn more from multiple perspectives.

Don’t forget to publicise your collaboration on other social media channels with the date and time of the discussion to build excitement and to keep your existing followers up to date about your brand.

Network more strategically

Clubhouse is a platform that revolves around networking. Brands must take a proactive approach and join small rooms that are relevant to their industry to gain exposure and build brand awareness. Spend time studying the rooms and clubs to note conversations that align with your brand.

Join in by raising your hand and take part in panel discussions to add value to the conversation. Speaking and giving your opinion on subjects that are related to your industry can slowly position your brand as an industry expert. Then you can slowly expand to larger rooms when people start recognising your efforts.

Unlike Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn, connecting on Clubhouse is more personal and intimate. You can listen to other people’s stories in real-time and interact with them directly. It won’t be just another bio to read, or a post that you scroll through and probably won’t even remember – Clubhouse will have you leaving the platform with new knowledge and deepened friendships.

Qualified sales leads, useful business advice, or valuable strategic partners can come as a result of the unique connections formed in this audio-based app.

Build brand awareness through word-of-mouth

Word-of-mouth marketing strategy has worked since before the existence of social media. You can see the probability of the statement from these statistics:

72% of people get news from friends and family, making word-of-mouth the most popular channel for sharing (Pew Research Centre)
74% of consumers identify word-of-mouth as a key influencer in their purchasing decision. (Ogilvy Cannes)
88% of people trust online reviews written by other consumers as much as they trust recommendations from personal contacts (BrightLocal)
Millennials are 115% more influenced by word-of-mouth than traditional advertising. (Talk Triggers – Chatter Matters)

Personal experience is the most valued source of information. You can gain leverage on this audio-only platform to get the chatter going. People always love sharing good news with others. Therefore, impressionable tactics such as gifting user’s randomly with your products/service can generate buzz about your brand.

Organise your own virtual conference

Since no social activities are allowed due to the covid-19 pandemic, people have now stepped deeper into the online world. The characteristics of Clubhouse makes it possible to seamlessly shift physical events to a virtual one. Therefore people will not have to miss out on current events since a virtual conference can easily be held through Clubhouse.

The moment you have a strong name and following on the audio-based app, you can put together a virtual conference for your brand. Just like a physical conference, it should allow you to network, generate ideas, and promote your product. Place yourself in the centre of your community and learn from one another.

An advantage you can leverage on when you organise your virtual conference on Clubhouse is another of the app’s features which allows you to have full control over the virtual event. As the moderator of the room or club, you can choose how many speakers you want (making no room for unexpected guests) and who gets to attend – open to the public or on an invite-only basis.

The topic of the conference can be anything you want, ranging from promoting a new product, discussing a company milestone, or outlining your business goals. You can experiment with what you’re comfortable with first and grow from there.

Conclusion

Don’t be afraid to explore new and upcoming trends around social media. This growing platform proves to be popular with the masses and has already attracted other brands to jump on board. Act fast to capitalise on the hype around Clubhouse in your social media strategies. For more information about how to leverage clubhouse feel free to contact us by clicking on the button below.

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