Should Your Small Business Join Clubhouse? Here’s Everything You Need to Know
By: Cori Widen, Product Marketing Lead at Boosted by Lightricks
Clubhouse is the newest social platform on the scene – and it’s already been making quite the impact. As of February 2021, the app had 10 million global downloads.
We know what you’re probably thinking – another social media platform!? Should I download the app and check it out? Better yet – should I be creating a Clubhouse marketing strategy for my business? To help inform your decision, here’s everything you need to know about Clubhouse as a small business owner.
6 Fast Facts About Clubhouse
Here’s are 6 fast facts about the platform to help get you acquainted:
1. Who has access to the platform? Clubhouse is still in beta-testing and is currently available only for iOS. The app is invite-only. According to their website, you can “sign up to see if you have friends on Clubhouse who can let you in.”
2. Audio-only – Clubhouse is an audio-only platform. It’s best described as having an ‘interactive podcast feel.’ The fact that Clubhouse is audio-only truly sets it apart from other social platforms, which are all visual by nature. The only photos that exist on the platform are users’ profile pictures.
3. How it works – When you open the app, you’ll have a choice of various ‘rooms’ to enter. When you join a room, you’ll automatically be connected to its live audio. Each room has a host and co-hosts who lead the conversation. Interested participants can raise their hands to join the discussion. You can enter and exit different rooms as you please.
Here’s an engaging app walkthrough from marketer Ben Leavitt:
4. Focus: value – The conversations that take place on Clubhouse provide value across all topics & industries. There are rooms on virtually every topic imaginable – from public health to business tips and augmented reality.
5. Big names – Many celebs & entrepreneurs are helping spread the Clubhouse hype – including Oprah, Drake, Mark Zuckerberg and Gary Vaynerchuk. Clubhouse gives its users the chance to network and engage directly with figures they’d never normally be able to.
6. Rise of audio-only – Other social platforms are noticing the rapid rise in popularity of audio-only social networking. To this end, Twitter recently introduced Spaces. According to the @TwitterSpaces bio, ‘Twitter Spaces is where live audio conversations happen. We’re in test mode but rolling out soon. Stay tuned!’ Facebook is also reportedly working on its own Clubhouse competitor.
So, Should I Join Clubhouse as a Small Business Owner?
You have the unique opportunity now to join a platform in its beginning stages. We recommend trying to score an invite, creating an account & getting a feel for the app! If you’re an Android user or haven’t been able to access an invite just yet, don’t worry. According to the company blog, the platform is “…working hard to scale Clubhouse as fast as we can and open it up to everyone soon.”
If you do try out Clubhouse and feel like it’s the right fit for you and your business, get involved! Join rooms that match your niche & interests. Raise your hand & participate in conversations. Network with other like-minded business owners and entrepreneurs. You never know what you’ll learn, or who you’ll meet!
Who knows – maybe you’ll even be hosting your own room one day, sharing your expertise.
Cori Widen is the Product Marketing Lead at Boosted by Lightricks. She has been leading product marketing campaigns and doing qualitative market research in the tech industry for 10 years.
