Is Clubhouse the Next Great Channel for Engaging Your Members?

“The first rule of Fight Club is you don’t talk about Fight Club.” ~ Chuck Palahniuk

The idea of adding one more social media platform to the mix sounded about as appealing as pouring kerosene into my coffee, but I was curious anyway.

It was the tweet from one very visible “influencer” singing Clubhouse’s praises that caught my attention. He’d said that being on Clubhouse (or “CH” as it’s sometimes referred to) had led directly to him meeting new people who gave him business. He shared that he was officially hooked.

But I wasn’t sold. Not at first.

Over the years, we’ve seen many promises about up-and-coming social media platforms rise and fall. Was this just going to be another one? Meerkat or Google Plus, anyone?

Putting Clubhouse to the Test

Users can create public or closed rooms for discussions with people.

But my ability to test out the channel was put on hold while I languished on the app’s waiting list. You see, I had to be invited on after applying to join so that I could even see, er “hear,” what all the fuss was about!

Why? Because controlling who gets in is part of the app’s quality control and at the same time a clever marketing play for exclusivity. And it works.

My cynicism faded after I listened in on my first conversation happening in one of Clubhouse’s public “rooms” where anyone could listen and raise their hand using the CH iPhone app hand icon on the bottom of their screens.

Clicking on the hand would allow the moderators to grant them the ability to speak or become a moderator themselves. Others could comfortably remain listeners and no one would call them out. A listener might be invited to speak, but they don’t have any requirement to accept. There can be a role for everyone.

The whole thing feels a little like a call-in radio show. Except the moderators aren’t expected to entertain. They are simply moderating the discussion and keeping order.

You Can’t Take It With You

I think the thing I like most about Clubhouse is the exclusivity of the moment. Dialogues are not pre-recorded. They are not recorded and then reposted elsewhere (to do so would be in direct violation of the user agreement and could get you kicked off the platform). If you want to take part or listen to a conversation happening on CH, you have to be there, fully present, in the moment. And that is annoying and awesome all at the same time.

After repurposing content and stretching it to the nth degree, how nice is it to have something that is only available when it is happening? And building on that…in a time like the one we are in now – sitting in front of screens for longer than many of us ever have in our lives – how pleasant is it to have a different sense of ours engaged? Our ears! We can fold laundry and listen in on conversations happening in CH and then jump in when we feel inspired and all of that is perfectly fine. We don’t have to be camera ready. We just have to be listening.

Is It Right for Everyone?

Still, I’m reminded of Susan Cain’s words about whenever people come together.

She said, “any time people come together in a meeting, we’re not necessarily getting the best ideas; we’re just getting the ideas of the best talkers.” And that is certainly a valid concern for CH. Without a visual cue, you can’t see the nonverbal signals from the quiet people who might have valuable information to share.

And what about the inevitable creeps who always tend to spoil the good times and ruin everything? Well, there is only so much damage that can be done. First, every single person who is invited onto the platform shows the individual who invited *them* to be there on the bottom of their profile. Someone who, in essence, vouches for them. So…if John Doe ends up being a jerk, it is easy to see (and impossible to remove) who exactly is responsible for John Doe being on the platform in the first place. This puts social pressure on both John Doe *and* the person who brought him to the CH party. John better behave!

Users are also able to block individuals so that they don’t see any of their activity. So…if someone is very negative in discussions you are a part of and you decide you need to keep your distance from that person, you can.

Where are We Going? Where Have We Been?

There has been some discussion about CH going downhill since so many new people are joining now, but these are normal growing pains for any app or venue where people are having a good time and the numbers of other people around them keep growing.

“This place used to be cool!” is a plaintive cry that we’ve all gotten used to. Ain’t that always the way?

I’ve been excited by the idea of hosting my own discussion on CH. I’m testing the waters to find out who might be interested in what is probably still too niche of a topic for a public room on CH: “the future of associations in 2021.”

I’ve invited some of the people I know from the association and events industries to join me for this 1-hour discussion and if 2 people show up I will consider it a successful test.

The idea that we can each take turns and allow everyone to have a voice in a discussion (without the distraction of video and all that additional visual elements entails) is wonderful.

Could this help us connect in deeper ways with people we normally wouldn’t be talking with? It certainly seems that way so far.

If you’d like to join me (and you are on the Clubhouse app, which is iOS only at the time of this writing), then please follow me on Clubhouse and join me for my first hosted discussion on Wednesday, December 30 at 11 am ET

Sometimes the intimacy of a voice allows you to focus more on what’s being said. In that way, a channel like Clubhouse might be the perfect vehicle for creating connection and meaningful dialogue for members – and between members – of our online communities and associations.

Let’s test that theory out and post a follow-up on what we find! If you’d like to connect on CH, my username is @kikilitalien and DMs are welcome!

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