Clubhouse app and why you need to know about it
Have you heard the word? There’s a new social media kid on the block. It’s called Clubhouse.
Clubhouse is a new social media app which uses something that the others don’t; audio.
It is therefore unlike the other social media platforms. Clubhouse is audio-based. It doesn’t use text or images, it’s purely designed for voice.
The Clubhouse environment allows people to talk, tell stories, develop ideas, and meet people around the world.
This means that it’s less media and more social than other platforms.
Sounds good, right?
The only problem is that it’s invite-only.
Before you get all down in the dumps though, that’s because it’s still in private beta testing. As with any of Silicon Valley’s usual exports however, you can expect it to be hitting our app stores before you can say ‘social media’.
I’m not sure what that timescale is, but it’s definitely one to watch, as it presents a real opportunity for business.
So here’s the lowdown on what it is, and why you should get to know it.
So what exactly is Clubhouse?
Can you cast your mind back to a time before Covid? I know, it feels like someone else’s life, right?
Well, in the deep dark past of say, 2019, we used to go to parties. At these get togethers, you might find different rooms with groups of party goers.
Well, that’s the premise of the Clubhouse app.
Think of the platform as the location of the party, and the rooms as separate conversations about different subjects or topics.
As you wander around the party, you might dip into or overhear snippets of the chats, a little how you might if you flipped between different podcasts.
Clubhouse presents an environment similar to a live, free-flowing podcast.
The rooms can be private or open, and can be called anything. Once it’s been named, however, it can’t be changed.
Within a room, it’s an ‘anything goes’, kind of affair. Subjects and conversations can be around whatever the group wants to discuss.
“It’s epic”
I spoke to someone in music PR who’d had a sneak preview, and he said it’s ‘epic’. There’s a rap battle going on in one room, and a philosophical debate in another. No other network exists like that.
It’s not scheduled, unlike everything else in 2020, and now 2021. You don’t need to register or set a calendar reminder. Simply join a conversation. There’s no video, so you don’t need to dress up (or at all). You don’t even have to stay. You can follow other users, find their rooms, listen along, and once you’ve had enough, bob off to another.
And it’s up to you how you participate. If you want to ask a question or contribute, put your hand up as a question and the host can allow you, or not. Or simply stay in the background and just soak up the atmosphere, as if you might at a party.
There’s one real thing that makes this different from any other social network though; nothing is recorded or saved. Recording any part of the conversation is very much frowned upon and against the rules.
So unlike other social networks which are all about creating content, conversations will not be saved. That doesn’t mean that users can’t record on another device though, so you perhaps want to approach with caution.
Nonetheless, Clubhouse is being touted as a brand-new space to have conversations, panel discussions, and create networking opportunities in a podcast style.
Who is using clubhouse
As I said earlier, if your name’s not done, you’re not getting in.
You can however, register your username so that when you eventually receive an invitation, you’re ready to go. Sort of like a guestlist.
At the moment each user only gets two invitations, so the queue looks long to this VIP party.
Primarily, it’s big names such as Oprah and Ashton Kutcher using it to network, showcase talent, and to hold lectures.
I guess you could say everyone is trying to recreate the spontaneity that we all miss being stuck at home.
So what does Clubhouse app mean for my business?
Clubhouse provides its users with the ability to connect and engage with professionals outside of traditional networks.
Those hosting lectures or networking events can build authority on the subject. They can have risk-free high-value conversations which they know won’t be reported.
And the fact that you can jump from room to room means there are less echo chambers unlike other social networks. If you don’t agree or like it, simply move on.
For businesses in the real world, when Clubhouse is eventually rolled out en masse, I can see some obvious uses.
- Creating rooms to discuss subjects of interest will allow a business to directly reach an engaged community who are passionate about the subject.
- It provides an alternative for more free-flowing virtual events.
- He can be used to develop ideas, although it cannot be recorded.
- Through the nature of closed rooms could be used for a new way for collaborative working.
I’m really excited to see what happens with the Clubhouse app and eventually be able to use it
So, Oprah, if you’re reading this and have your single invitation going spare, you’ve got my number.