Why Clubhouse Is The Next Big Thing In Public Relations

There’s a new social media platform rising to popularity, and it comes with an air of mystery and exclusivity. Clubhouse is an audio-only iPhone app that allows you to listen in on other people’s live conversations. This may sound unsettling, but these people want to be heard. The app recently surged in popularity after Elon Musk popped up in a Clubhouse room, as well as Bill Gates. Celebrities are not uncommon on the app. In fact, Clubhouse has become a massively popular way for thought leaders, influencers, and other significant figures in a given industry to share insight and connect with their audience.

You can follow a wide array of topics you’re interested in, including sports, tech, wellness and everything in between. You can browse through conversations on those topics that take the form of live podcasts. After a conversation is over, the chat is discarded. What’s the catch? You have to be invited in by a current member. Each member gets two invites upon joining, with the ability to earn more invites through using the app.

Clubhouse is a live platform, and anyone is free to participate whether you’re a big brand or just starting out. The app presents an incredible opportunity to network in a way that mimics real conversations, fostering connections and discussions with industry thought leaders. The app has proven to be popular with the Silicon Valley elite and a wide array of social media influencers. Already valued at $1 billion, Clubhouse offers you the ability to learn from the very best in your industry, as well as the ability to contribute your expertise and broaden your influence. 

From a public relations standpoint, Clubhouse can help build brand authority and foster meaningful relationships with your audience both on and off the platform. Moderators of a room can position themselves as experts in their community. Through sharing industry knowledge, businesses can simultaneously generate awareness and increase their visibility with a global audience. In a world where traditional networking “schmoozing” tactics are less and less effective, more people are ready and willing to adopt a virtual interface that allows for easy, open discussion to build authority and visibility. 

Best Practices

Understanding your industry’s nuances and outlining your long-term goals with using Clubhouse can help you build a roadmap for success on the platform, whatever that success may look like for you.  Brands who come to Clubhouse with a willingness to share and an openness to receive typically build the most valuable audience long-term. It is also important to ensure that other members of your industry are using Clubhouse, and to come to the app with a willingness to branch out and try something new. Essentially, if you come with the right intentions and position yourself correctly, you’ll be in an optimal position for success.

Avoid The “Hard Sell” Approach

Clubhouse thrives off its giving nature, where numerous established industry leaders share their expertise free of charge, without a self-serving agenda. For brands and businesses looking to utilize the platform to bolster public relations, coming to the table with a genuine desire to share and discuss their area of expertise is integral. The “hard sell” approach is not well received in a community that fosters a sense of open discussion and free exchange of knowledge. Brands and large organizations are also still relatively new to the platform, so ensuring you are strategic in presenting branded content or information will be critical to maintaining good favor with your following.

Have A Strong Bio

One simple way to make your time on Clubhouse more effective is by ensuring your bio paints a clear picture of who you are, what you do, and where to contact you. The app allows you to connect Instagram and Twitter, so ensuring you are linking to your other social media platforms helps build greater interconnectedness and can help you build a following on your brand’s professional sites as well. 

Engage With Professionalism

The app encourages discussion, so don’t shy away from contributing to conversations and asking questions. Just be sure to use the “raise hand” function and write questions down in advance to avoid rambling. This will help you maintain professionalism and build your credibility with listeners. You can also consider creating your own club, which can be public or private. To start a club, you’ll need to commit to at least one recurring conversation. You are only able to apply to be a club founder after hosting at least three conversations.

Be A Moderator, And Collaborate With Others

To get the most out of the app, you have to be engaged. That means moderating rooms of your own to share your expertise, as well as collaborating with other thought leaders in your industry. For PR purposes, this is especially beneficial because partnerships and collaborations give you and your business exposure and credibility through someone else’s already developed network. This means you’ll reach a broader audience on your platform and potentially draw in new business for your brand. 

Practice Your Pitch

When you choose to moderate your own room, make sure you know the topics you want to cover and strike a balance between sharing expertise and sharing sales-oriented information about your business. There’s nothing wrong with an occasional self-promo, but moderation is vital to maintain an engaged audience and establish yourself as an industry expert first and foremost. Practicing a pitch in advance of moderating is a great way to work out any kinks and ensure you’re putting your best foot forward.

Building exceptional public relations is never something that happens overnight. It is an ongoing process and needs to be intentional, honest, and strategic to be most effective. Clubhouse offers businesses the ability to cultivate an audience, establish themselves as industry thought leaders, and connect with others in their industry through a quick, simple interface. Clubhouse may present the perfect playground to cultivate public relations strategies for businesses looking to develop a deeper connection with their audience and build their overall social media presence.

Grace Savage is a public relations and content development intern at Flackable, an award-winning public relations agency representing financial and professional services brands nationwide. To learn more about Flackable, please visit flackable.com.