Clubhouse and the craze for audio-only social content

Have you heard of Clubhouse?

If you follow me on social media, you’ve probably seen me mention this innovative audio-only social platform a few times already.

For years, we’ve all been thinking of social media content as something we can see – not necessarily something we can hear. But Clubhouse has turned that idea on its head by basing its entire proposition on audio chat between its users.

Clubhouse lets you listen in to conversation and interviews between different people on pretty much any topic you can think of. It’s a bit like tuning into a podcast, in real time.

How does Clubhouse work?

Log into the app, and you can jump into any room you like, or create a new room to get your own conversation flowing.

Only a certain number of people are able to speak in any given room, but everyone else has the option to listen in. You can raise your hand virtually and ask to talk, but it’s up to the host(s) to let you chip in! You can also leave and head into another room whenever you like; there’s no obligation to stay until the recording is over.

There are no images or videos to engage with, and very minimal text across the platform as a whole. It’s very much voice-focused. Clubhouse is also unique in that it doesn’t allow you to save conversations and play them back later, which in itself creates a sense of FOMO and encourages users to be completely present in the moment.

Who is using Clubhouse?

Clubhouse has attracted a lot of attention in the media because it’s quickly been adopted by swathes of celebrities and thought leaders, including the likes of Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Oprah Winfrey and Kanye West. People have been clamouring to sign up and hear nuggets of wisdom from some of the most influential people on the planet.

Clubhouse does have its downsides

One of the biggest drawbacks of Clubhouse right now is that it’s only available to iPhone users. Those of you with Android phones won’t be able to download it at all.

And even if you do have the right device to hand, there’s no guarantee you’ll be able to start using Clubhouse as soon as you’ve got hold of it – because at the moment, you can only gain access once you have been invited to the app by an existing user.

(You can, however, reserve a handle and put your name on a waiting list, so that you’re ready to go when the app becomes more widely available.)

What does the future hold for audio social content?

Clubhouse has big plans to open its app up to the masses, so its user base is likely to skyrocket in the next few months. Couple this with the fact that Twitter has also started rolling out audio tweets on its iOS systems, and it’s clear that the trend for audio-only social media content won’t be disappearing any time soon!

Audio social networks can be a lot of fun, but, like all social media sites, they can be more valuable to certain businesses than others. It’s going to be interesting to see which types of brands benefit the most from voice-only platforms, and also how apps like Clubhouse will decide to moderate their communities to ensure their members are only engaging in healthy, respectful debates.

If you’d like to explore how you may be able to use audio social media content to boost your business’s visibility and get your messages out to a wider audience, drop me a message and let’s chat about your options!