Clubhouse - Is It Worth The FOMO?

So unless you’ve been buried under a rock, the chances are you’ve heard about Clubhouse.

Clubhouse is the hottest new app on the social media scene. Everyone wants to win a golden ticket to get in. Mainly because, once in, you could be rubbing shoulders with anyone from top entrepreneurs to your favourite celebrities. You can access seriously thought-provoking chat from people at the top of their game.

So what’s the deal?

Audio-Only

Clubhouse is an audio-only app, so basically it’s like listening to a fabulous podcast by some of your favourite thought leaders but you can actually join the conversation in real-time. You can stumble into a room with some of your favourite speakers, raise your hand to be invited onto the ‘stage’ to ask questions and speak with them.

You can also host your own room for others to join.

The unique thing about this audio-only app is you are not permitted to record anything, it goes against Clubhouse policy. If you miss the chat, you miss it for good. There is no replay. It’s definitely a case of ‘be there or be square’.

Invite Only

The driving force of its success and buzz so far is the apps exclusivity. The app is currently in Beta phase so is invite-only. It’s also only available to iPhone users currently but with a view to open up to everyone in the near future.

Some top tips on getting in and inviting others:

• Make sure you give the correct mobile number to the person who is inviting you. If the invite goes to the wrong number by mistake, there is no way to revoke that it. You will need to wait for another invite to become available to you.

• Make sure anyone you invite is an iPhone user before sending the precious invite. I have heard many a story of people wasting their gold dust invites on invitees who are on Android by mistake 😩

Once You Are In

Once in, you can connect with other users in your field or niche. You will find yourself connecting with countless experts, peers and new people that you would never otherwise have met. It really is quite a unique experience when you first arrive.

I felt quite bewildered as I scrolled through the ‘hallway’ (newsfeed) for the first time. However, the apps simplicity means it doesn’t take too long to get the hang of it. You literally find a ‘room’ with a topic you are interested in and join. If you have something to add or ask simply raise your hand ✋.

If you want to take it the next level, you can host your own room, either on your own or with hand-picked moderators in your field/niche.

There are 3 types of rooms you can create:

• Open rooms - anyone can join.

• Social rooms - people you follow can join.

• Closed rooms - you select the people that can join.

Your Profile

Once you’ve familiarised yourself with the initial workings of the app, you’ll want to set up your profile.

You’ll need all the usuals, name, profile pic etc but the main event here is your bio.

Your bio has a few jobs on this platform. It should:

• Tell a story of what you do and why you are there rather than just bullet points

• Explain who you can help

• Attract potential clients, experts & peers in your field

• Direct users to your other social platforms - Twitter & Instagram currently are the only clickable links.

Once you’ve got that down, you’re ready to go forth and make tons of valuable connections.

Additional Info

A few additional points to mention:

• For the first 7 days on Clubhouse your profile pic will feature a confetti canon icon 🎉to indicate to other users you are a new member. After 7 days it will disappear and you can then consider yourself a bonafide member 🙌.

• New users are given 1 invite only - use it wisely (as per points above👆) After this, you are awarded further invites based on your usage of the app and that of those you invite.

• If you think a ‘room’ would be of interest to someone else you know you can ‘ping’ them which will send that person a notification of your suggestion.

• If you notice the muted microphone icon of a moderator flashing, that signals that they are clapping the current speaker. I learned this just the other day and it really made me giggle. The simplicity if it is genius!

Conclusion

My personal experience of Clubhouse, thus far, has been pretty good. I have joined some really thought-provoking ‘rooms’ and picked up some incredibly helpful tips along the way. All in just 7 days!

That said, I have stumbled into some pretty lame ‘rooms’ where the chat hasn’t been as professional as I’d have liked. So my advice is to be on your guard and if the content doesn’t offer high quality value simply hit the ‘✌🏼leave quietly’ button.

I have connected with some brilliant new accounts who I have followed on their other platforms too (mainly Instagram). This has resulted in lots of new engagement with people I would not have found ordinarily.

The app offers a very raw and simple approach to social media. I have joined conversations where the main host has been in their car and their toddler has kicked off in the back so they disappear quickly and pop back in when they can. Sound familiar? It’s very relatable. We’ve all been there and it’s this accessibility that will appeal to people.

That, and its ability to allow users to gain incredible insight from experts that they would not otherwise have access to.

On the flip side prominent ‘room’ hosts offering the most value to their listeners will gain much credibility and exposure from a new found audience. Not just in Clubhouse but on Instagram and Twitter also.

I can see Clubhouse catapulting early adopters who bring their A-game into a new realm of social media popularity, winning new business and generating quality leads.

So, in answer to the title question, I believe the Clubhouse FOMO is worth the hype.

The future for Clubhouse looks bright. I’m excited to see how the platform develops over time as it expands its user base.

If you are on Clubhouse and would like to connect my username is @mariellebaylis. It would be great to meet/hear you!

Marielle x