For any business reliant on social media for marketing and engagement with customers, keeping up with advancements is paramount to success. Therefore, as a business owner you should always be at the forefront in welcoming and incorporating new platforms into your fold. This is why entrepreneurs have been scrambling to get themselves acquainted with the new social media network, Clubhouse. Developed last year in the thick of quarantine, the invite-only app is creating so much buzz right now, racking up celebrity endorsements and receiving 8 figure investments in the few months it has been around.

If you haven’t heard of this incredible platform yet, or you’re looking for ways to capitalize on it now that it is garnering a lot of attention, you’ve come to the right place. In this blog post, we’ll take a dive into the platform, explain to you what it’s all about, discuss its potential benefits and give you practical steps to incorporate it into your business arsenal.

What is the Clubhouse App?

Clubhouse is an invite-only, audio-only chat room that allows members to listen and sometimes participate in live interviews, discussions and presentations. It’s like Zoom meets Reddit in an exclusive audio bubble. Users of the platform can create their own chat rooms on any topics that interest them, invite guests and control who contributes to the discussion on their show.

Each chat room is a conglomeration of people discussing one or several topics of interest. For instance, Elon Musk was recently invited to a chatroom where he discussed cryptocurrency, AI, and space exploration. The downside is, when the discussion is over, the audio disappears, so the only way to catch the discussion is to be a part of it as it proceeds. Another challenge to the app is that it is currently not available to everyone. It is in beta testing and is available to iOS users only. To use it, you’ll also need to be invited by Clubhouse users whose numbers are now in the millions.

Although the app is still in its fetal stages, and its usership isn’t rivaling platforms like Facebook and Twitter yet, this shouldn’t discourage you from looking into it. Because the platform isn’t saturated, if you roll out a strategy to corner your market now, you’ll be a step ahead of those who will join after it becomes mainstream.

Here’s How Using the Clubhouse App Can Be Beneficial to Your Business:

• You can build a community with your followers

On Clubhouse, you can quickly establish yourself as an expert in whatever field you’re in by creating and moderating chats that drive meaningful conversation around topics you are passionate about. Over time, more people will follow you which means you will gain a wider, more engaged audience who receive notifications to tune in every time you go live. These followers might then be converted to customers in the future.

• You can get feedback from your followers and customers

The founders of the app pop in regularly to ask users about their experience on their platform; you can do this with your followers too. Create a chat room dedicated to collecting feedback from your customers to find out what they think about your services or products, what they’d want to see next, or even hold a  brainstorming session with them. Your fellow entrepreneurs may also weigh in on your discussions and help you fine-tune your ideas.

• Get connected with Investors on the platform

It is not surprising that aside from regular users, the app has also attracted venture capitalists. Investors always flock to spaces where business and innovation abides and Clubhouse is no different. This presents a unique opportunity for startups and businesses to create meaningful connections that could lead to investments in their business. If you’re looking to get noticed by a VC, be consistent in steering the conversation around your industry and your business and make valuable contributions to other spaces you are invited to speak.

• Learn from experts

Every other day, industry gurus are invited to speak on a myriad of subjects like business, marketing, finance, tech, etc. In these conversations, these experts give away industry secrets, tidbits of information that may be useful later on, and share their stories to success which can be highly motivating to up-and-comers. As an entrepreneur looking to grow, you can pick up a thing or two from these conversations and learn from the successes and shortcomings of those who have gone before you.

How to get started

If you are new to Clubhouse, here are a few things you can do to get you started:

• Join chat rooms

Once you’ve secured an invite to the app, you can follow topics, people or clubs so it’s easier for you to keep up conversations around your field. To make your search easier, use industry-specific keywords and phrases that narrow down your results to relevant clubs and chat rooms. But don’t limit yourself;  listen in on conversations on a wide range of topics to fuel your curiosity and open up your mind to new ideas.

• Keep your audience engaged

Invite other experts into your chat rooms to give your followers different perspectives, ask them questions that your audience might be interested in, or even have a Q&A segment where listeners can have their questions answered live. You can “stalk” other experts or your competition to see what they’re doing and either mimic or improve on their format. Just like you’d do on any other platform, keep your conversations fresh and exciting so your audience has a reason to keep tuning in.

• Strive for value addition

Create spaces that advance your industry forward. Be the expert that is a reliable source of knowledge. You can do this by keeping up with changes in the field, following developing stories and interacting with other experts both on and off the Clubhouse App. With this comes more engagement, a higher following and ultimately more conversions.

Conclusion

In the social media sphere, there’s always something new and exciting to get involved in. Currently, Clubhouse is the new kid on the block, changing our ideas about social media with its audio-only format. For an entrepreneur looking to grow, the platform provides a unique environment to engage with customers as well as rub shoulders with celebrities and potential investors.

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