What I Learned My First Week In The Clubhouse App

by | Jan 8, 2021 | Need to Know

Are you up in the club?  Clubhouse app, I mean? Clubhouse is the latest social media networking app and hotspot for conversations. It launched in invite-only beta in the final few weeks of 2020 and it’s been growing ever since.

Currently, it’s only available to iPhone users but those on different phone operating systems can reserve their username now if they wish. What makes it different from all the other social options out there is that it’s audio-only. So no getting camera-ready or even wearing pants if you don’t want to. The idea is to talk, share expertise, tell stories and generate conversations using your real voice in real-time — making a shift away from pre-produced content and towards high-quality knowledge sharing on the fly. The best part for many…no getting camera-ready or wearing pants to share knowledge, experience and value with others in your target audience.

Clubhouse is currently operating as an invite-only platform, but I was lucky enough reserve my name (@karlyn – come follow me!) and to score an invite as an early adopter. To grab yours, download the app and add your name to the wait list. This will then trigger your contacts who are already inside the app to wave you through if they choose to do so…but there’s a catch there, and you’ll have to keep reading as to why you may need a bit cautious on who you wave through the platform.

The Clubhouse App – a quick primer

Once you’ve downloaded the Clubhouse app and logged in, you’ll see a list of algorithm-recommended chats. These are recommended based on your location and interests, and can be happening right now or scheduled for later. Even better, if you want to manage your time wisely on this app, it syncs with your calendar so you can get reminded when the room you wanted to check out is scheduled. Don’t worry, you’ll also get pinged through the app notifications if you choose to keep them on – and I suggest you do!

When you’re in, it’s all about finding a room that suits your goals. The format varies from podcast style to panel discussions right through to informal networking opportunities, and there are some big names attached. The other day I was in a room with leaders who work for LinkedIn and they were spilling some secrets! The day before that I was in a room with Michelle Williams of the former music group Destiny’s Child talking about goals for the new year and she shared all about her new book from the virtual stage. I’ve also been on stage in a few smaller rooms to share my expertise and knowledge and two cents. The best part is…to chime in, all you have to do is hit the “raised hand” emoji at the bottom of the screen. So easy!

One thing to know: Clubhouse is a bit like Fight Club. Everything said on the app stays on the app, and nothing gets recorded – unless you explicitly get every room member’s permission upfront. So, have a pen and paper handy if you want to take notes. Hint: You’ll want to take notes. I tend to take notes on my phone’s notepad while I’m listening. In my opinion, the smartest thing Clubhouse developers did was allow other apps to run AND be used at the same time theirs is running. Since there’s no chat feature in the app people are connecting through Instagram and LinkedIn and DMing each other to stay in touch.

My Clubhouse Dos and Don’ts

In the first week on Clubhouse, I learned a few things that I wanted to pass along to you should you choose to join the ‘club.’

Dos:

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Optimize Your Bio

Fill out your profile to highlight your expertise and the value you can bring to conversations. Add your Twitter and Instagram handles, too! Share links, use emojis, and think about keywords.
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Set up your interests

Don’t skip this step as you may miss out on interesting conversations that you can give value to and get value from.
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Dive in head first

Join a room of interest, raise your hand and hop on stage to share your expertise or ask a question from those moderators in the room.
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Wait to raise

Observe from afar before pressing that “raised hand” emoji to get a sense of the room’s culture.
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Be patient

Just like most apps in beta, there are bugs. I was in a room the other day with the Gary Vaynerchuk and there were probably 3000 people in the room and it ended suddenly.
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Streamline your story

Nail your intro so that you’re putting your best self forward.
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Pay attention to the room rules

Is it a no-promo zone or can you talk yourself up?

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Focus on making connections

Bring value and conversation, build a following and have a sound strategy if you’re looking to generate leads for your business. 

Don’ts

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Make assumptions

You don’t know the majority of the people in the room with you, it’s best that you don’t make assumptions about who you’re talking to or what they’re getting out of the talk, especially if you’re offering up an answer to their question.
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Record anything without everyone’s explicit permission

This is against Clubhouse rules.
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Be a chatty Kathy or Ken

Taking over a room or monopolizing the conversation is in ill taste. If the moderators of the room are quality, then they’ll make sure to reset the room often to remind others of the rules of the room.
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Invite just anyone!

Be careful with invites, they stay connected to you through their profile forever.
Print these out and save them for when you hop into the Clubhouse app! And again, be sure to give me a follow @karlyn to know when I’m popping into rooms or hosting one of my own!