For the latter half of 2020, I continuously saw chatter about an app currently in beta on my Twitter feed. The app was super exclusive and invite-only. As a result of the exclusivity, I felt an urge to figure out how to get on this app to see what it is all about; I finally succeeded in November 2020.
This app everyone is talking about is called Clubhouse. It's a voice-based social media app that started to gain some buzz last year, with Vogue UK calling Clubhouse "FOMO-inducing." Given the exclusivity, many people haven't heard of it, or if they have, they haven't realized the insane value this app has for building an online presence. Below I'll explain what Clubhouse is and how you can utilize it to grow your personal brand and position yourself as a thought leader in your respective field.
What is Clubhouse?
With all these conversations surrounding this app, you might be wondering what Clubhouse is? Well, Clubhouse is a voice-only social media app launched in the spring of 2020 but spiked in popularity nearing the end of the year. There are users on the stage who are speaking and others in the audience that are listening. Each “room” has a predetermined topic based on what the creator titles the room. The app creators wanted to make a space that focuses on "connection, learning, and authentic conversations."
How Do People Use the Clubhouse App?
Now that you know how Clubhouse works let me explain why it's so valuable and addicting. Once you’re set up on the app and have followed a couple of people from your Twitter feed, you'll see dozens of rooms that you can enter based on your interests. Some rooms are more professional, focusing on real estate and marketing, and some are talking about trending topics or just having fun conversations.
Whatever passion or interest you have, there's a room for you. While in the rooms, you can decide just to listen, or if you're feeling up to it, raise your hand so the moderator can move you to the stage. When on stage, you get access to people you likely would never have an opportunity to speak to in real life. Whether it be celebrities or thought leaders in your respective field, you have the chance to have authentic conversations and, at the same time, position yourself as an active member of your industry.
Steps to Grow Your Brand Using Clubhouse
Building your brand is hard, especially with how saturated currently popular social media platforms are. To get some traction, you need to be consistent in posting for months before the algorithms allow you to show to a larger audience. However, Clubhouse can be your cheat code to gaining access to a larger engaged audience; you just have to follow the three steps outlined below.
1. Connect Your Socials & Write a Quick Elevator Pitch In Your Bio
Given the app's voice-only setup, users' only way to connect offline is through the connected social accounts on your profile. Clubhouse allows you to connect your Twitter and Instagram accounts to your profile. Based on my usage of the app, I noticed that once you're on stage, many users will click on your profile and read your bio and socials to better understand who you are. If you're in a room of 500+ people and a significant chunk are clicking on your profile while you're talking on stage, having a quick bio of what you do and your social media accounts connected is a great way to gain followers. If what your saying resonates with people and they would like to hear more, the only way to do so is to connect with you on your other social media platforms.
While using the app casually for two weeks, I had over 150 follower requests on Instagram, and I did not actively push my personal brand. People just wanted to see more of me, and connecting my socials allowed them to do so.
2. Frequent Rooms in Your Industry
While there are some entertaining rooms in Clubhouse like American Idol or Storytimes that rival some of the twitter stories listed here. If your goal is to grow your brand, you need to be active in rooms that match your personal brand. There are rooms for every industry and hobby; finding those rooms and being an active participant is necessary for positioning yourself as an expert in your field.
When people hear you speak and bring value to them, connecting on your other socials is a no-brainer. Now you have an influx of new followers who are more engaged and likely to continue to engage with you and your content if it speaks to their interests. Once you have those new followers, here are some free templates that you can use to keep them engaged on your Instagram stories!
3. Bring Value in the Conversation & Sell Yourself (when the conversation permits)
The last but most crucial step in this strategy is to bring value! This could include providing your opinion on a particular topic or giving people advice on things you're knowledgeable about. A listener will be more inclined to connect with you elsewhere if they see that you can thoughtfully speak on your niche. By bringing value and contributing to the community and conversation, it's easy to then plug in what you are trying to do with your brand. The conversation is often incredibly organic as the listeners feel like they got to know the speakers in some capacity. Often, individuals will ask you to elaborate on what you do, but you can plug your brand in when it makes sense if they don't.
Final Thoughts
With any emerging platform, there are infinite opportunities to make your mark early on. This app is less than a year old, and once out of beta, there will be an influx of users. Having a strategy set out and keeping these three steps in mind will ensure that you can capitalize on Clubhouse's popularity and build your personal brand!
If you haven't gotten that golden ticket yet (i.e., an invite) and are experiencing FOMO, I’ve been there. Given the hype surrounding the app, I’m hopeful that it will be released to the general public soon so you all can hit the ground running and implement these strategies. For more tips and tricks on social media marketing, check out our other blog posts.