There’s no question that 2020 was a challenging year, and its reverberations of it are still being
felt in the early days of 2021. One of the main casualties of the pandemic was regular human
interaction. Many of us have felt isolated, yearning for a way to reach out and touch a loved one.
Some apps helped a bit over the holidays, but it’s just not the same. That’s why Silicon Valley
has fallen in love with Clubhouse, the new social media app that focuses on what’s most
important; Your voice, and the power that connection truly brings.

What is Clubhouse?

It’s best to think of Clubhouse like a party, where you’re capable of drifting in and out of various
rooms at will, picking up on bits of conversation and joining in wherever you feel appropriate.
But unlike a crowded party, you never have to be worried about your attire.
Clubhouse is a new kind of social network that bases itself entirely on voice. Rather than the
hassle of setting up your work area and dressing right to sit in front of a camera and chat,
Clubhouse has no camera. Instead, you can drop in on audio conversations in rooms related to
a variety of subjects.

There, you and your friends can connect with fascinating people around the world. People have
used Clubhouse to talk about the election, Supreme Court decisions, and world issues that
affect every one of us. They’ve also used it to brainstorm ideas for work and creative projects.
Anything you want to talk about, it’s just an app away.
Part of what makes Clubhouse unique is its’ exclusivity. You have to be invited, and the
limitations on invitations have made it a hot property in Silicon Valley. Entrepreneurs and tech
elites relish the private club-like settings.

How to use Clubhouse

Social media platforms are a dime a dozen. Remember when myspace was the king? 

It’s a difficult market to stay on top, with users often being loyal as long as the features work to their liking. But here are just a few reasons why Clubhouse may turn out to be the next big thing in social media.

Professional Connection: Facebook may do what it can to post jobs in your area, but Clubhouse actually connects you with professionals and experts in your field, giving you an inside edge.

Important Conversations: Social media algorithms tend to keep users in a bubble of information, creating an echo chamber where only one line of thought is heard. Clubhouse replaces those algorithms with real-time chatrooms on a variety of topics that change with the news. This places the main focus on the news, not produced content.

Loyalty and Exclusivity: Clubhouse users have already shown themselves to be incredibly loyal and selective, choosing who they offer invitations to carefully.

Hands-free: You don’t have to sit in front of a keyboard. The voice feature allows you to use Clubhouse while doing the laundry, cooking, or other household chores.

But the key feature is the audio capability. While other social media platforms are driven mainly by visual and written media, Clubhouse focuses on audio-only.

Applications

The main room in Clubhouse is known as the hallway. And like a real hallway, it branches out to other rooms, each labeled with a purpose.

While Clubhouse is excellent for just talking about the events of the day, it has plenty of practical applications you may not have thought of at first blush.

Community Building: Once Clubhouse launches publically, it’ll be a great place for coaches and community organizers to meet and plan events.

Virtual Events: 2020 saw the rise of virtual meetings, parties, and family gatherings out of a necessity to stay safe but a desire to keep in touch. Clubhouse offers the intimate, exclusive kind of community you want to join together for work or play.

Curating Content: Recording a Clubhouse meeting without permission of all in attendance is a strict violation of the terms of service; however, one can create a room for the express purpose of recording it. You can then use the room to host a class, ask questions, interview other members, or get advice – whatever you need it for.

Collaborate on Projects: Set up a private room to work on the big presentation at work, or get DIY tips from professionals on building or whatever your hobby may be. And once the chatroom closes, nothing is saved, protecting anything confidential you might have shared during the meeting.

Podcast Communities: Build a community related to your podcast, set up a live Q&A for fans who want to ask you questions. Whatever you need to do to keep your audience engaged because podcasts, Clubhouse is a great place to do it.

How to Join

Clubhouse is currently still in Beta, available only to iPhone users, which continues to promote its exclusivity. For now, there are two ways to join.

Personal Invitation: When a member joins, they are granted one free invitation to give to a friend. Once they’re on the platform for a while, they’re granted more invitations; but the first is meant to be exclusive, given to a close friend or family member.

Exclusive Side Door: If you go to Clubhouse’s website, you have the option of downloading it from the app store so you can reserve a username. Depending on how many friends you have on the platform already, they may get a notification that you’ve reserved. At this point, they have the option of waving you through the invitation process.

Setting Up Your Profile

Like any social media platform, setting up your profile involves letting the system know a little about yourself. You have plenty of room to write a bio, the first three lines of which will appear in a preview.

It’s important to let people know what you can bring to a conversation in those three lines. List topics that interest you or that you’re well-spoken on, and use keywords strategically to help users find you easily.

Standard rules apply for a photo. Make sure it’s one you like, and that it looks good in three sizes as it’ll appear in different ways through the platform. The background colours on Clubhouse are white to off-white and light beige, so it’s best that your photo has a clear background with contrasting colours.

You’ll also be able to connect your Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook accounts with just a few clicks.

Final Thoughts

Social networks come and go, and it’s hard to catch on to what the next big thing will be. But Clubhouse is already seeing a lot of positive response in beta testing, and it won’t be long before it’s launched at full capacity for all to see.

Be sure to download the app today so that you can register and reserve your username early. We’ll be sure to notify you when Clubhouse goes live!