By Enric Llonch, on 16 February 2021
Clubhouse is a new invite-only app that’s trending at the moment and could become a promising platform for marketing. Many prominent personalities are already jumping on board—even Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, dropped in recently. It’s too early to tell just how much Clubhouse will grow, but some experts believe it’s here to stay. Is Clubhouse a good marketing bet for 2021 and beyond? We’ll explore this question and more in this post.
What is Clubhouse?
Clubhouse is a live audio app where users can host and listen to other people’s conversations. Once conversations are over they disappear. There are no recordings, just live audio. This impermanence and live format make the content ultra-exclusive. Clubhouse is currently only available as an iPhone app and by invitation only, although that will change according to CEO Paul Davidson.
Clubhouse is basically like listening in on someone else’s phone call. Sound weird? Well, in a way it’s similar to a podcast, but also very different. And these people want to be heard! Hosts want people to listen in.
Imagine listening to one of your favorite public personalities being interviewed in a long-format, live conversation that you can only hear right now. Clubhouse conversations are two (or more) people talking on their iphones; no video and no images. Once in a ‘room’, you as a listener can also be called upon to join the conversation, especially if you happen to be Elon Musk.
Launched in March 2020, Clubhouse’s pilot program mostly included tech venture capitalists and other figures in the industry. The cast of characters has now expanded to include celebrities and prominent personalities in various fields.
Clubhouse gives each new user two invitations they can share with whomever they want. Once you’re a member of the club you can search for conversations based on topics like sports, wellness, faith and tech. What really sets Clubhouse apart, however, is its exclusivity: people hate feeling like they're missing out on the party, and Clubhouse nails this.
How Can Clubhouse be Used for Marketing?
While it’s early days for Clubhouse, what we do know is that investors are betting on the app. Last May, with only 1,500 users, Clubhouse was already worth 100 million. In December 2020 Clubhouse had 600,000 users and now has over a million.
It’s still too early to have a formal Clubhouse marketing strategy, yet we think these ideas are a great starting point.
Establish Thought Leadership and Authority
Clubhouse is still a relatively small platform, which means establishing yourself or your company as a thought leader in a specific industry is very doable. Whether it’s you or one of your employees, choose an expert in a particular field and have them host conversations about interesting and relevant topics. Think of it as hosting your own TED talks!
Viral Potential
Whenever someone you follow is starting a conversation, Clubhouse sends a notification to your iPhone. So if you have a large enough following your conversation can spread like wildfire across the app. Again, the app is still in its infancy but if you get in early and offer value, you’ll increase your chances of going viral. Followers can also jump in as a passive listener, like for a podcast, if their phones are locked.
Builds Relationships
Having open and dynamic conversations directly with people in your niche and target audience builds intimacy. Clubhouse allows you to reach potential clients and partners in a much more human way—through your voice. This form of communication can be a great way to get to know people and then connect further on other platforms. You can also have private conversations with connections on Clubhouse and discuss collaboration. And once you’re done, the conversation disappears meaning privacy is guaranteed.
Test Content Ideas
Due to Clubhouse’s live format you can test out your ideas or thoughts publicly and get an immediate response. This way you can get a feel for how people will respond to content before publishing it on other platforms or as a larger campaign.
Community Building
Aside from building relationships and partnerships, Clubhouse is also ideal for developing communities. Let’s say you have an event or mastermind group that meets throughout the year, Clubhouse can serve as an excellent meeting space to compliment your in-person group. Here you have a space to share, exchange ideas and gather more followers who might be interested in what you offer. Obviously these calls take confidentiality into consideration, and don’t replace live events where some topics might be private. Regardless, Clubhouse is an excellent space for sharing and growing communities.
Host Trainings or Webinars
Clubhouse could also be used to offer trainings or webinars on specific products or industries. Again, it’s a place for experts to share what they have to offer and Clubhouse can be an option for events themselves, or teasers for more in depth courses outside of the platform.
A Compliment to LinkedIn
Much like how professionals connect and collaborate on LinkedIn, Clubhouse could be a great compliment or extension of those communities on LinkedIn. People follow thought leaders on LinkedIn, like Simon Sinek, and the same goes for Clubhouse. Instead of written comments, people can join in on the conversation vocally and share opinions or anecdotes.
As mentioned, Clubhouse is still in its infancy. Regardless, it's showing all the signs of turning into a major player in the social network arena. With major investment, rapid growth and a unique audio format, Clubhouse seems to have staying power. If you have the good fortune of being invited and can carve out a place for yourself in these early days, the future looks bright for marketing on Clubhouse.
