At first when I went into Clubhouse, I sat in a few "rooms", and then I left. There was way too much rapping going on in the first few times I went in for me to get into it. But just two weeks ago, I returned and everything changed. Businesses were there in droves, people where talking marketing, sales, cooking, music, investment, finance and so many other really great topics.  The rise of Clubhouse has at lightning speed become every B2B marketers dream - but only if you get in early.


Clever B2B marketers are using Clubhouse as an early mover advantage platform, whereby if you are part of the growing pack to leverage Clubhouse for influence, you are more likely to have a lot of people following you in a very short time. 

What is Clubhouse?

"Clubhouse - the social media newbie that has huge potential for B2B. ... By way of background, Clubhouse is a voice-only social media platform. It works by allowing users to create a group or set up a new room within an existing group, where they take to the stage and talk about whatever they choose."  www.diginomica.com

How is Clubhouse used?

As an invite-only platform, there is a certain sense of exclusivity but with over 5 million users already, this is fast changing. 

Once on, a user can follow topics of interest to them and join clubs. With access to different chat rooms, users can augment the experience that they want to have at any given time. In some rooms, there are a few people, and others thousands of people listening to speakers across various industries, politicians, celebrities and thought-leaders. It's fast become obvious, that if you are a speaker, you need to be fairly accomplished at doing so. I was taken aback when I sent into a 'sales themed' room and heard a speaker talk for 40 minutes on how to build a successful sales strategy. He was as good, if not better, than any speaker I had ever heard on the topic. It made me sit back and ponder how this is best used for a business purpose if the calibre is this high.

Once in a 'room', you are given the opportunity to “raise your hand” if you have something to say. The speaker of the room can then give you speaking access or you can just simply eavesdropping as much as you want, or don't want. Some conversations are informative, educational, relevant and quite fascinating. Others, well, you know what happens when the conversation is quite dull, the speaker monotone etc.

Where does Clubhouse fit into B2B marketing?

Firstly;

• First mover advantage means that when others you know are invited to the platform, they are most likely going to get a push-out message from Clubhouse to "show you the ropes" or follow you. This will allow you to build audience fast.
• Use other social media platforms to invite people to presentations, similar to what you would do for a webinar or conference.
• Start following people fast, as chances are that they will follow you back. At some point, this will become tired, so get in fast.
• Check your settings otherwise Clubhouse will drive you wild with constant messaging and prompting, and I have had more than my fair share of exit failures on the platform whereby I have been stuck listening to something that I don't want to hear because I can't work out how to turn it off. Learn these things fast!!! 

From a B2B marketing perspective it's important to;

• Use the Clubhouse platform to build a community. Clubhouse is all about community, so be targeted in building an audience.
• Set up rooms based on topics that resonate with your audience and also complement your service/product offerings.
• Engage with other users. Unless you are a 'guru' or 'celebrity', people want a two-way street. 
• Build communities with other like-minded individuals.
• Ensure if you have a product that you would like feedback on, that you ask people what they think.
• Ensure that there is a call to action after the fact, but also remember to remind people during the 'meet' to take action.

Best use of Clubhouse so far for B2B marketing;

• Conferences; don't be surprised if big brands start having their conferences on Clubhouse. Not only is it the hottest social media platform on the planet right now, it's very easy for people to host a conference in a moments notice and you are more likely than ever to achieve maximum crowds right now, while people are testing Clubhouse.
• Sales meetings; invite your customers to a sales meeting through Clubhouse. Not only is it novel, but it allows for everyone to interact freely and helps with the issue of people talking over each other. You simply put up your hand.
• Thought leadership; when it comes to marketing strategy, there probably isn't a company on the planet that has moved into the future of how strategies more than Marketing Eye. We use Robotic Marketer, an AI powered marketing strategy technology platform that literally writes a strategy without a human. So, for us, it's a no-brainer to start the conversation in a room about marketing strategies.

Remember in part, it's who your community is, but it's also about click bait. That means it's equally as important that you name your room topic with click bait in mind. Once you have someone in the room, it's all about keeping them there.

Engagement is important. Don't just be a broadcaster. Interact with those in your room and ask their opinions and experiences.

Now, it's off to the Clubhouse for me!