Why People Are Flocking to the Audio-Only Clubhouse (and What’s in it for Brands?)

Photo by Erin Kwon/Unsplash

Summary

• Clubhouse is the ‘app dujour.’ A throwback, it is audio-only for drop-in discussions, serendipitous meetings, and eavesdropping without shame.
• Invitation- and IOS-only, exclusivity, celebrity, and FOMO fuel its appeal; voice transmits emotion without the distraction of video, creating a sense of intimacy.
• Popular with marketers and Influencers, there is a heavy undercurrent of purposeful audience building for monetization.
• Wherever there are Influencers, brands will follow, but so far, they haven’t figured out how to capitalize on the all-audio format.
• Topics range from business strategies, global wellness, and individual empowerment self-help to inspiration. Be aware, however, there have been reports of abuse, misogyny, anti-Semitism, and racism, in spite of community standards.

The Rise of Clubhouse

In the wake of Zoom fatigue, the rising popularity of the social audio (aka voice-only) app Clubhouse makes a lot of sense. Clubhouse sounds like an app for kids. It’s not. There’s nothing to watch, no dancing, no lip-syncs, and no funny cat videos. It is a throwback: audio-only. You can move from room to room, listen or speak and…