Clubhouse is a new audio-only, social networking app that has made news in recent weeks for raising $100 million from investors. Campaigners are always eager to tap into new social media networks that could help them reach more voters.
As we’ve warned before, you should be deliberate about distinguishing fad from phenomenon when deciding to allocate time and resources to a new social platform.
In this article, we’ll explore what Clubhouse is and whether you should start using the new app.
What Do You Do On Clubhouse?
Clubhouse users gather in rooms to have voice-only conversations. There are no videos, images, or text. The chats can be private or public, with as many listeners dropping in. These listeners can ask questions or make comments.
The experience is part podcast and part call-in show. As with any new platform, users are still figuring out the unique culture and etiquette of Clubhouse.
Should Campaigners Use Clubhouse?
If you’re not fully engaged on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram, stop reading this post and go invest time on those established platforms, widely used by voters. According to data from CampaignInnovation.org, more voters use Facebook daily than watch their local news.
At present, Clubhouse is still invite-only so the audience is small and there’s no seamless method for converting borrowed attention on the app to an owned audience of your own. However, this doesn’t mean the platform is a total bust for campaigners.
The app is a novelty and early adopters will get earned media coverage for being first. For candidates and organizations focused on specific issues, especially technology, there are small but influential communities on Clubhouse today.
Additionally, other social platforms with existing networks may copy the voice chat feature so Clubhouse offers an early test-bed for a new content type. Twitter has already launched Spaces, its attempt at a Clubhouse clone.
Clubhouse may not be the winner in the pop-up audio chat social network space, but it has created a new social content type that is worth keeping an eye on for future campaigns.