It’s not every day that we see an app create waves in the Social Media space and that is what makes Clubhouse so special. While Instagram and TikTok are set in their visual ways, Clubhouse is changing the narrative by focusing on audio, having taken its inspiration from the podcast format. Let’s delve into the workings of this exclusive app to understand how it works. Here’s everything you need to know.
What is the Clubhouse app?
The makers of Clubhouse describe it as a new type of network based on voice. It’s an exciting proposition because the market is saturated with platforms that are so thoroughly focused on visual communication and interaction.
Here is a social media platform that is solely about audio and nothing else. No one will see you, there is no judgment based on appearances and the whole having to make eye contact and focus on the crowd aspect goes away, thus bringing in a new set of users who find this mode of communication most comfortable.
The appeal is rather strong since the app has recorded 6 million users so far and it’s still in beta.
How does Clubhouse work?
If one were to mix the digital version of a conference and an audio version of Snapchat together, the premise behind Clubhouse will become very clear.
In Clubhouse, a user can sign up and access different rooms to enter them as an audience member. Each room has a ‘speaker’ who leads the conversation on a ‘Stage’ and a moderator who organizes the room.
The app has a feature that allows the listeners to ‘raise their hand’ if they have a question or wish to be invited to the stage by the moderator of the room.
As a moderator, a user can take advantage of the app by a variety of means like literally holding an open room meeting to make an announcement or have discussions. A user can also keep a closed room that requires an invite for friends and specific people.
The thrill of it all lies in the fact that these conversations disappear and there is no library or record of them at all. So if you miss an event on the app, then you have truly missed it forever.
Clubhouse Algorithm
When a user joins Clubhouse, they will be prompted to pick their favorite topics and follow their favorite accounts on the app right from the get-go. From these choices, Clubhouse’s algorithm determines what suggestions and recommendations must be shown to users.
Another aspect that the algorithm is focused on is maintaining a diversity of content on the app, without any sort of racial bias. Since the app is still young and not entirely fleshed out, the algorithm is also not as nuanced as that of more established platforms like Instagram and Snapchat. Now is a good time to build followership on the app.
Communities on Clubhouse
Clubhouse is big on creating diverse and harmonious communities. Unlike other platforms that have a tendency to cocoon their users in the comfort of their preferences, Clubhouse encourages users to participate in difficult discussions.
It hopes to become a medium for people of different backgrounds and experiences to come together, voice their thoughts and share their perspectives. Empathy, discussion, and sensemaking are the three important factors that Clubhouse wants its communities to embrace. In times when people are divided, this app hopes that their audio-driven communities will reduce polarization and unite people.
In its current form, it is not as much of a task to weed communities that violate the app’s community guidelines. However, once the app is open to everyone is when we will see the positive and negative sides of communities. A lot is dependent on the evolution of the app and the passage of time.
Content Moderation
Indeed content moderation is a tricky aspect because it’s definitely not easy to control what one says. The app’s premise is such that people should be able to speak freely, maybe even too freely, about topics that are inflammatory and problematic.
There is a legitimate fear regarding the promotion of racist ideas and misinformation because Clubhouse has yet to create an effective mechanism to warns its users.
The responsibility of content moderation lies mostly with the moderator and the speaker of the group for now. It is through one’s own sense of moral responsibility that one must avoid topics that could trigger an audience negatively or create unnecessary conflict.
Even as a listener, one needs to have good sense and judgment to avoid problematic rooms.
Who uses Clubhouse?
On Clubhouse tonight at 10pm LA time
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 31, 2021
Well, Elon Musk definitely uses Clubhouse but it is an undeniable fact that many popular celebrities including Ophrah, Tiffiny Haddish, Kevin Hart, Tyga, Drake, Ashton Kutcher, and many more. Currently, many mega, macro, and micro-influencers are also getting on-board this app to create their own communities. Besides such users, even normal people use Clubhouse.
There is no specific persona in terms of who uses the app. Anyone who is keen to get on board this audio-based social media platform and has an invite can join the app.
How to get an invite to Clubhouse
A major problem for early adopters is that the app requires an invite code for a user to get access to its features. The invite can only be offered by users who have been invited by someone else. It’s important to have a friend or family member with an invite to join the app. We’ve found a few ways for users to join the app including solutions for those who don’t have anyone on the app. You can find out more about how to get an invite here.
RELATED: How To Get Clubhouse App Invite
Is Clubhouse a paid app?
No, you don’t need to purchase the app. However, it is available only for Apple users right now and there is no news regarding when the app will become available for Android users.
How to get followers on Clubhouse
Clubhouse is still not a saturated space because of its invite-only system, so this is a really good time to get on-board to create good followership. One way to make sure that get followers on the app is by creating intriguing subjects for your rooms. Since this app is audio-only, it’s important that you talk about interesting, trendy subjects that will resonate with the audience.
Besides this, do the basics like creating a good bio and visiting other rooms to interact with different audiences. The more you are heard, the higher the chances that someone will follow you.
Can you make money on Clubhouse?
Clubhouse does not offer direct services to make money, nor does it have an advertisement model that pays influencers. It is more of a collaborative platform to help you promote yourself or your product which then users can respond to.
There are Shark Tank-like rooms where creators can pitch their ideas to investors which is a cool idea if you are can handle making a pitch. Besides this, keep an eye out for moderators who are looking for someone to take notes and redirect people to links where they can find out about your services and hire you.
We hope you found this article helpful! Take care and stay safe.
