ClubHouse is one of the newest social networks.
It differs from other platforms in that it is audio-based — users access chat rooms to participate in conversations actively or just as listeners.
Despite the great repercussion, membership is limited in several ways: ClubHouse is exclusive to the iOS operating system — only for Apple device owners — and access is only granted upon presentation of an invitation, given to the potential user by someone already registered.
In this article, we talk more about this social network and what you can expect in terms of content and user experience. Namely:
What is Clubhouse?
Created by Paul Davison and Rohan Seth, and funded by the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, Clubhouse is a platform where users can participate in different chat rooms sorted according to a wide range of topics.
The launch of this innovative format for the social media context is based on the current multitasking trend in our society: the user has less time or patience to perform one activity and, therefore, tends to do several things simultaneously.
The audio format was well accepted to meet this demand — podcasts have grown dramatically in recent years, which anticipated the potential success of Clubhouse.
What is the secret to Clubhouse’s roaring success?
Many external factors have contributed to the resounding success of Clubhouse: the platform was initially used by successful players from the tech industry and celebrities such as Oprah, Ashton Kutcher, and Chris Rock.
This awakened the curiosity of most users, who sought to find an invitation at all costs.
But the key point of the social network is its usability: the platform allows you to interact with friends and strangers while doing physical activities, in traffic, between appointments, or performing less complex tasks.
Thus, the platform can be accessed in various contexts without compromising the access or the experience of content consumption.
The peculiarity in the way users obtain access also creates a perception of value for everyone who is part of the network — and even for those who are left out.
This exclusivity and the limited number of invitations are a strategic aspect to enhance the importance of the chat channel and its appeal among businesspeople, members of the elite, and even anonymous people.
Who wouldn’t want to show their friends that they have a free pass to participate in an unusual conversation with an idol on a social network?
The fact that it is based on an audio-only platform also eliminates the media sensation associated with other social networks, which forces many users to create Digital Marketing strategies or perform crazy practices in search of success and engagement.
This increases the originality of the content, which can be created more naturally, with fewer criteria and pre-made solutions to catch other participants’ interest.
Despite being a channel with great potential for truly authentic and valuable conversations, Clubhouse does not store its content, which means the user cannot replay a conversation.
How does it work?
After joining Clubhouse, the user finds a list of rooms, centered around topics that can be accessed according to individual interests.
The room is defined by the person assuming the role of speaker. So, you could receive a notification to enter a conversation with very famous people without even realizing it.
From a basic user interaction point of view, Clubhouse is like a group audio call.
The iOS operating system offers native support for the platform just as WhatsApp, FaceTime, or Discord already do.
The platform is responsible for curating the content, and they claim to value the quality of the experiences and the spontaneity of the interactions.
Unlike other social networks, there are no profile pages or long explanations about the Clubhouse participants.
So, while on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, there is much room for vanity, on Clubhouse, this is somewhat limited to those already relevant on other channels.
This can be a negative factor for some but extremely positive for others, who miss the true essence of social networks: socializing without having to pretend to be who you are not, or dress up in a costume to meet others’ expectations.
Other strengths of Clubhouse include:
- the possibility to connect and interact with professionals outside your industry or niche;
- maintaining the primary focus on high-value conversations, rather than content strategically produced to impact and engage the audience;
- greater commitment from users to maintain the quality of the experience and the coexistence in the network: with this, invitations are delivered only to people with the potential to add more value to what is already being shared.
How do you use the app?
Since access is limited to people who have been invited, each invitation needs to be planned.
New users receive a link and are given a tour of the application, where they are guided through how the whole thing is supposed to work.
The user adds a profile picture and fills in their name.
You also need to choose a username. It is important to notice that the platform encourages the use of a real name — this is to inhibit the use of aliases that prevent identification by other users or hinder the supervision of the platform’s terms of service.
Next, the application requests access to your contacts to check if users from your contact network are registered on the platform.
You can choose topics of interest, such as places, well-being, arts, books, dance, theater, and knowledge areas — science, technology, architecture, history, psychology, for example.
Your choices will be used to select people with common interests and the potential to add value to your online experience in the application. You can edit this selection at any time.
Clubhouse also suggests connections that might be of interest to you, based on the information collected and marked on your first access.
Users can then freely create, view, and access rooms.
During access, they can also receive notifications whenever someone enters the app or starts a new conversation, segmented according to predetermined interests.
In the Clubhouse live chat, users are initially included only as listeners. As soon as the topic flows, they can activate the microphone to participate actively and contribute to the conversation by sharing their experiences and insights.
As with calls in meeting apps, users can raise their hand to politely interrupt a speaker or request a speaking place.
It is also possible to announce the exit from the room and invite other users to participate in the conversation.
What are the challenges for the continued success of Clubhouse?
As the application grows, it will be necessary to create a more precise mechanism for forming communities, based on the identification of users who are more likely to “match” personal preferences and subjects of interest.
This will guarantee that the access is valuable for the stage of the content consumption journey where the buyer persona is.
In addition, new users will need more efficient mechanisms to identify the most suitable rooms for their profile.
This way, it will be easier to maintain each participant’s interest in new experiences since access must be continuous to justify the continuation of the platform.
Another necessary feature to increase Clubhouse’s usability is external alerts so that the user knows exactly when a conversation regarding their interest is about to start.
This can be done by integrating the platform with other social networks or by sending email notifications.
Despite the platform’s exclusivity, it is essential to create a moderation mechanism that prevents malicious users from undermining the quality of the experience and the security of access to Clubhouse.
Other features still need to be implemented, such as the ability for hosts to decide who can speak, remove a listener from the room, or assign moderation privileges to other users.
But this may be just a start to building scalable and differentiated experiences, which would not have been possible prior to the development of the technology.
In the very near future, it might be possible to increase usability with features such as augmented reality and simultaneous alternation between content formats (video, audio, and perhaps sensory experiences, for example).
Now that you are familiar with some of the strategic aspects of Clubhouse and the changes expected for it to continue growing, how about learning more about social media strategies?
Find out how to implement a valuable social media strategy to create better engagement in this article that we have selected to complement your reading!
