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Are you considering joining Clubhouse to further your digital reach and presence as a business? With just one year of existence behind it, the audio-only social media site Clubhouse is already creating a storm as it climbs up popularity charts for companies and young professionals. Previously an invite-only platform, Clubhouse has recently become open for all. This has led to the birth of intense competition among Clubhouse users to prove their mettle against each other. But new members of the platform are also often at a loss on what to do to build their brand recognition here. To gain success brand presence on this new website, one needs to stand out from the crowd. A clubhouse creator’s popularity is gauged by the number of followers they have and the kind of content they give their audience. Since it is still a brand-new site, it is a good idea to join in early and set yourself up as an influential active voice in your industry. The potential to expand connections and learn from others on this platform is enormous and yet fully explored. Consider this as you concentrate on using this platform as part of your digital marketing strategy for your business, along with attracting new followers on other social media platforms, such as Instagram or Facebook.
Now it is time to get started on the path of building followers and finding listeners for your Clubhouse events.
Begin with Some Profile Branding
As mentioned already, Clubhouse focuses on only audio content. Moreover, nothing put out on Clubhouse can be saved or shared. This means for a new audience, unless they have heard your content, your profile is the best bet for leaving a strong and lasting first impression. Therefore, having a completed and updated profile is essential for gaining new followers on your account.
Until recently, you needed an invitation to be on the platform. The person whose invitation got you access to the venue would be highlighted on your profile. This already acts as a referral for visitors who are curious to know more about you and your industry contributions. The name of the person inviting you alone can be a magnet for followers. However, that is not enough to set yourself up on the platform.
Optimize your profile to get your visitors to convert into your followers on the platform. Let them know who you are, what you do, and why following you is a great idea. In other words, soft-sell yourself. In addition to outlining your business, mention your social media handles on other platforms. This not only helps you generate more traffic to other sites of your choice, but it also brings credibility to your account as visitors can verify your authenticity themselves before choosing to follow you. Keep in mind that when your profile thumbnail appears, the first three lines of your bio accompany it. Think of ways to pack the most valuable information in this space. Put yourself in your listeners’ shoes and consider what keywords you would use on the Clubhouse Explore page to find someone like yourself. When creating this, think of:
- How do you want to position your brand?
- What is your intent for using Clubhouse as a marketing tool?
- How best can you amplify your credibility and brand value to gain listeners?
Ensure you have added relevant details like:
- How your audience can best reach you.
- What Rooms/Clubs are you a host/contributor to.
- Any other official landing page you want to generate traffic to for finding more information about you.
Understand the 4 Keys to Create a Niche for Yourself
There are four best practices you must adopt simultaneously to improve brand presence on Clubhouse:
Speak: When using an audio-only app, you must find ways to build yourself up as a thought leader in your industry. To make yourself heard is the way to make yourself seen in Clubhouse. So, speak and engage with others. Keep in mind saying it is a people’s skill. Do not simply raise your hand because you want to talk. Doing that will most likely affect your image negatively. Instead, when you engage, ensure:
- You are adding value to the conversation or thought module.
- You are not encouraging deviations from the topic on hand (although there may be exceptions to the rule).
- Participate in open rooms and follow influential powerhouses in your industry to enter their social clubs. Raise your hand to raise opportunities for visibility. Asking insightful questions, for instance, can get other listeners to notice you and build organic curiosity about you, especially when you are yet to establish yourself on the platform. Speaking hence, in all its definitions, can bring you organic growth in your follower count.
Moderate: Do not just join Clubs run by others. Create a few of your own too. You must position yourself as an industry expert and have confidence in your marketing approach. Create opportunities for new thought ideas and conversation starters. Choose exciting and engaging topics from your niche to get the right listeners attending your rooms. Currently, you can create/moderate three types of Club rooms on the platform:
- Open Room: This type of room can be visited by anyone who has an account on Clubhouse.
- Closed Room: This is an invite-only kind of Clubroom. Not every person in the hallway can enter such rooms. You always have the option to turn a closed one into the open.
- Social Room: This type of room is open only to those whose profiles you follow. You can call it a private version of available space.
When you choose to moderate a Room:
- Choose your topic with care;
- Set rules for Clubhouse behavior;
- ● Create events in collaboration with co-hosts;
- Share the event details through emails or other social media platforms to ensure you have the right attendees.
As a moderator, keep in mind that you are responsible for ensuring a safe environment for your attendees. Choose your panel of speakers with care and provide ample opportunities for Q and A to follow. You also get to choose who gets a chance to speak during the event. If you want to increase your follower count, use this as an opportunity for scouting meaningful relations and allow the diverse representation of voices. A great Room Moderator will naturally catch listeners’ interest, and your attendees are likely to return to future events hosted by you. Thus, moderating rooms is a great way to create opportunities for organic growth in your follower count.
Connect: Join Clubs or Rooms about your industry and interact with other professionals from your niche. Build business relationships by humanizing your brand. Share ideas and listen to what others have to bring to the table. Raise your hand when necessary and make a habit out of it to build brand presence. A great way to do so is by joining rooms with a moderate number of audiences. You may wish to enter spaces that already have thousands of listeners but speaking in such rooms may not always be possible. Wait to be given a chance at going on the podium. If not, be an active listener and, post the event, initiate private conversations with speakers that you wish to foster professional relationships. Entrepreneurs and industry giants are on Clubhouse, always seeking to connect with bright minds. Take the initiative to engage with the right persons at the right time. Sharing information and sustaining industry relationships are not mutually exclusive. Take care to do both simultaneously.
Keep in mind that the concept of Clubhouse is based on the idea of socializing that goes alongside attending physical conferences and seminars. Hence how you speak to others is very important alongside what you have to say. A courteous manner of presenting yourself is always advisable. Introduce yourself when making conversation and present context to your thoughts. Conduct yourself as you would in a business conference or seminar.
Promote: Promoting oneself has many definitions here.
While managing the three keys mentioned above to Clubhouse’s success, keep in mind at all times that you are representing your business. You are the voice of your brand. Promote yourself by conducting yourself accordingly. This, of course, does not mean you need to be stiff and impersonal. Humanize your brand but do not lose your professionalism as you interact with others. So:
- When you organize events, ensure you promote them well in advance with an explicit mention of time and topic.
- Participate in trending topics by creating events around them and attending the same hosted by essential members of your professional community.
- Use Clubhouse as a podium for announcing essential events like a product launch, company news, and socially responsible events.
- Create opportunities of generating reviews and feedback to create a solid and sustainable Clubhouse community.
- Use your allotted invitations to add value to the community. Promote yourself as a responsible and genuine member of the industry you belong to.
Conclusion
Clubhouse is an exciting and fresh deviation from the usual social media platforms. Although, like any other platform, building brand consciousness here requires careful and strategic planning and execution, the possibility of connecting and forge important industry relations is much higher owing to the invite-only start of the platform. Clubhouse is teeming with the creme de la creme of most industries. Moreover, being able to tune into their rooms itself is a great learning opportunity for any venture. Besides, the site has a sizable community of venture capitalists and sponsors who can enable you to build your business in the right direction if you can sustain meaningful interactions with them. Concentrate on growing your followers organically and focusing on what value you add to the rich and exciting community of professionals on Clubhouse. You will be able to set yourself up for success on Clubhouse. Use the platform for crowdsourcing and generating leads. You may be surprised by how much of a beneficial power tool this audio-only app can be for your business.
Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay
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