Clubhouse Might Be a Game Changer for Freelancers, Here’s Why

Your audience is your podcast guest on Clubhouse

Clubhouse, an audio based social media platform, is one of the hottest startups in the market. Launched in April 2020, it went from only 1500 users in May 2020 to 6 million users in Feb 2021. It is valued at $1 billion.

This is a phenomenal growth given that it is available only for iOS users and is invite only!

Freelancers can tap into the benefits of this exclusive audio based social media to revive organic marketing. During the early days of social media, organic marketing was vital for the growth of small businesses. But the changes in social media algorithms have limited the organic reach of content.

If you have a Facebook page of 5,000 followers, you will be lucky if 150 people saw your post. Organic marketing is on a life support, surviving on email marketing.

Clubhouse, being a new platform focused on audio interactions in virtual “rooms”, is a shot in the arm for organic marketing. You can explain your offerings and get real-time feedback.

Conversations in Clubhouse end when the room is ended. There are no follow-ups and back-and-forth comments. This provides you with an opportunity to connect with those who are hesitant to express themselves on Twitter and Facebook. The fear of harassment has marginalized many users.

Clubhouse is a potential podcast with your clients

All human interactions are either an opportunity to learn or teach- M. Scott Peck

Social media has revolutionized marketing for small businesses and freelancers. Newer markets, new customers, better analytics and faster growth are the norms in the digital age. But it has come at the cost of less human interactions between the business and its customers. Traditionally freelancers relied on personal interaction with their clients for their growth.

According to a report by Rival IQ on social media engagement across social media platforms for different industries:

• Engagement rate was down on Instagram, with a 23% drop since 2020. The median engagement rate across all industries was 1.22% compared to 1.6% in 2019.
• The median engagement rate on Facebook is 0.09% while Twitter scored a median engagement rate of 0.045%
• Posting frequency was down across all channels and platforms. Brands were posting less.

The report presents a bleak picture for small businesses. Brands who have greater advertising budgets are struggling with user engagement. What about entrepreneurs and freelancers who do not have such budgets? An engagement rate of 0.045%-1.22% is not good news for organic marketing.

Clubhouse offers a glimmer of hope. It can revive the traditional human interaction between businesses and customers. You can now explain the benefits of their services and products in a room. Your potential clients can engage in lively discussions. The environment is like a virtual Townhall, making it a game changer in organic marketing. Dilution of your brand message is lower in Clubhouse.

Being an audio based platform, it allows you to focus on the discussion topic without prejudice. Your potential clients will judge you for your content, not your looks, ethnicity, where you live or what you are wearing. If they dislike what you are saying, they can “leave the room quietly”.

This allows your potential customers to understand you better and will help them make an informed choice. It is difficult to “fake it” in a voice interaction in front of many people.

In the digital age, the demand for authentic voices conveying a message has never been more. Clubhouse provides you a perfect way to amplify your originality. A perfect platform for brand building without spending a ton on advertising.

You can make an impact and influence the perception of your brand during a discussion in a virtual room.

You are also receiving a first hand feedback on your offerings. Since you can invite anyone who has joined the room to speak, they can offer their views on how they perceive your products.

Anyone you invite can either accept or choose not to speak.

Potential Challenges.

Connecting with your followers can have some drawbacks in Clubhouse. The platform has faced moderation issues and depends on the hosts of the virtual rooms to moderate the content. But that is a risk worth taking. One cannot be thin skinned when you are a freelancer, and you must risk a few haters to connect with hundreds of loyal followers. The platform is in its early stages and it will develop stronger checks and balances as the product improves.

Exclusivity and limited time offerings

Social media companies have thrived on the FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) factor to keep users hooked on to their platform. Conversations on viral cat videos are common among your friends, colleagues, and family members. As users do not want to miss out on what their peers are talking about, they get hooked to social media.

Marketers have used FOMO in social media by advertising their time limited offers. But the low engagement rate is a concern.

Users are looking for parties, pet pictures and travel videos which their friends or celebrities post. They are not looking for the latest offer on e-books or consulting services on social media.

According to Strategy Online, 60% millennials purchased a product after experiencing FOMO. Thus, capturing the attention of potential consumers is a prime challenge in marketing.

Since Clubhouse offers a platform with better engagement, you can host exclusive giveaways and offers, which are for only those who attend your virtual rooms. This creates a loyal following and is perfect for word-of-mouth marketing. If your offerings provide value to your potential clients, they will refer you.

Hosting exclusive giveaways in the virtual rooms will be a useful tool in your toolbox for organic marketing. Since the conversation ends when you stop hosting the room, potential clients will have to be present during the discussion to avail a hot deal. They cannot avail the offer at a later time or date.

The virtual rooms are a blessing for entrepreneurs who do not have large advertising budgets.

Potential Challenges

The exclusivity of the platform limits the reach of your marketing strategies. For now only iOS users can avail the same. Hence at the beginning the data may not give you a complete picture. Once the app is open to all, a better understanding of your customer base will become clear.

Clubhouse Can Direct Traffic To Your Website

Like any other social media platform, you can use Clubhouse to drive traffic to your website. But you cannot do this directly.

Currently, Clubhouse does not allow links except connecting your Twitter and Instagram handles. Those who listen to you in a room and find you interesting will check you out on Instagram and Twitter. Hence, having a detailed bio in both platforms with links to your website will help.

Clubhouse allows you to have a bio where you can mention your website. Some participants in the room will look you up from your bio.

Unlike other social media platforms, the only individuals who will look you up from Clubhouse are those who you connect with during a discussion. They will look forward to your emails and your other offerings.

They key difference here is a loyal fan base who interacts with you like one would during a group discussion. The traffic you get to your website has better potential for sales and conversions.

Potential Challenges.

Clubhouse does not allow text links. Hence participants in a room who are on the fence cannot visit your website or sign up for your newsletter. There are no CTAs or provisions for the same. You will have to rely on their memory or your Twitter and Instagram handles to drive web traffic.

Clubhouse has witnessed a meteoric rise in users interest since the beginning of the year.

The exclusivity of the platform along with an audio only approach offers a hope for the revival of organic marketing. There are teething issues which are normal with any platform in their early stages. But now would be a good time for freelancers to secure an invitation to the platform.

Organic marketing is vital for those of us working with tight budgets. A new platform offering a better customer engagement provides a lifeline for freelancers.