By Invite Only: Clubhouse
As social media adapt and evolve, new platforms are bound to spring up every now and then, and the latest of such a new platform is this mobile app called ‘Clubhouse’. No, we are not referring to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse or your local SAFRA/NTU or Changi Clubhouse, but Clubhouse, the drop-in audio chat platform that combines a live webinar (minus the cameras) and a live podcast (perfect for all the podcast addicts!)
Before you get all excited and start downloading it from your Google Playstore and/or Apple App Store, hold up.. Clubhouse currently operates on an exclusive, invite-only system. Before you get all FOMO and complain, find joy that it is in the founding team’s plan to expand the network to include everyone, but they are choosing to do it slowly and carefully, so that all users get to have an almost seamless experience while on the application. While waiting for that update, you do need someone who is already on the platform to send you an invitation to actually use Clubhouse.
(Latest update is that Android users can now download the application too!)
Our resident self-proclaimed social media guru was invited to be on Clubhouse sometime in February and explored the mobile application to bring us two main unique selling point (USP) of the platform:
Real & Authentic Communities
Much like your other social media platforms (think Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc.), you get to ‘follow’ accounts and topics that pertain to your interests. As Clubhouse is currently still operating on a smaller scale as compared to the other social media giants, the communities are as real and authentic as you can get—with credentials of the individuals listed openly and experts from all over the world joining into one central topic. Take for example, if you were to join the ‘Marketing Club’, you get to hear from and interact with, a marketer for a Fortune 500 brand, a brand strategist making viral TikTok content and more. Joining a Club requires the admin and moderators to have a look at your profile to determine if you are of the right fit and intention to learn, guide and inspire the rest of the community.
Genuine Discussions
One very appealing element about Clubhouse is that with clear community guidelines, speakers and individuals on the platform understand the context of discussion, and do not actively promote their company, products or services. This gives way to a meaningful dialogue exchange among the different speakers, and benefits all the listeners who are tuning in to learn more about a certain industry, trend or event that has happened. Imagine you chanced upon a room that is discussing “Influencer Marketing 101”, you click on it expecting to learn and maybe take some notes, but instead you start hearing a certain individual promoting his/her own influencer agency excessively—this affects your experience as a user, and you think it’s just a marketing gimmick that these founders and business owners are getting on to introduce themselves via a new platform. This is not something that Clubhouse wanted to build.
Instead, Clubhouse is designed to share the opinions and knowledge of relevant individuals pertaining to any given topic. Contrary to being exposed to promotional talks, the discussions that take place in the various rooms within Clubhouse are focused on the central theme of the room’s name, and speakers take turn to share contextual information such as;
What is influencer marketing?
How much '‘budget’ or ‘return on investment (ROI)’ should businesses expect from influencer marketing?
Is influencer marketing effective for all industries?
Speakers may come from an influencer marketing background, marketing experts, product management experts and so on, and each of them share focused insights that enable a comprehensive understanding of the topic of discussion.
All in all, Clubhouse is definitely a platform where users can learn and engage from members all over the world. While the platform is currently still considered ‘exclusive’ with the private invitation format, it wouldn’t be soon before long that more users can be onboarded on the platform and truly engage in an immersive, inspiration journey towards open communication.
As a PR and social media agency, we are constantly on the lookout for new and upcoming platforms for our clients to explore. With Clubhouse, it can be a great marketing tool, but only when your main intention is not to market it in the first place. Engage in meaningful, genuine conversations and you would be regarded as a true thought leader in your space and industry. Want to know more? Schedule a virtual appointment with us! ;)