What is this Clubhouse? Is it another fad or the next hottest app?

The Audio-Based Clubhouse is a social media app I would best describe as an interactive podcast. There are chat rooms with a moderator, influencer, or speaker, per se, and an audience. The rooms have topics from real estate to mediation, Shark Tank investing, and more.

You have the freedom to come and go from chat rooms to find one that interests you. The chat rooms are similar to a Zoom room with no video. If you want to share your input, you must be a panelist or raise your hand and join the stage of speakers. The hosts range from entry-level entrepreneurs to Oprah, GaryVee, and everyone in between. Imagine speaking with them and players such as Glen Sandford, Grant Cordone, Tristian Ahumada, and Tyrese Gibson all on one platform. Each room is different, with everyone sharing their wealth of knowledge. Think of Clubhouse as a free education source with more than one opinion on a topic. It’s not just a platform for listening, it’s also to be heard, whether you start your own room, or even better, are invited to guest speak. My colleague Larry Hales who has been asked to speak several times says that having something of value to say is key to being asked to speak and recommends starting in a room with a smaller audience and having notes ready when you’re asked. There’s no recording of conversations, and they’re not saved.

So why aren’t you in the Clubhouse yet? Well, you likely haven’t heard of it until now, you weren’t invited (that’s right, it’s exclusive), or you don’t have an iPhone. Okay, let’s back up on the exclusivity. When I signed up for the Clubhouse app, I was told I would be on a waiting list. My friend Sue “Pinky” Benson (who says “I think it will be interesting to watch it grow and see what becomes of it), moved me to the top of the list within 45 minutes, and I hadn’t even asked her to. Because the platform started with high-profilers in beta, it has been exclusive. It has started growing faster than anticipated through the mass invitations. On Tuesday, January 5th, it took me several tries over 10 minutes to get in because of the servers being overloaded. Despite having a small team, the app has only had one major crash with roughly 1.2 million users.

So, what is the draw to the new app? Is it the exclusivity? The ability to listen to free knowledge and real conversations from some of the world’s best and brightest? I love the access to jump on anytime and find a topic that I’m interested in, being discussed by people that I look up to, and I don’t have to have makeup on or my hair done.

I spoke to Andrew Bayon with A Impact Media, A Digital Marketing Firm for Real Estate Teams, to find out his thoughts regarding the platform. Andrew told me that one of the reasons it’s likely blown up so quickly is because of the pandemic. It came when everyone was disconnected, and most of the apps out there like IG and TikTok are somewhat fake. Clubhouse is real, raw conversations where you can sit in your PJs with no video, listen, and be heard. In these divisive times, people want to have their voices heard, and the conversation cannot be edited. Andrew made a great point on the misuse of the platform. Many are going in with the mindset of “How can I make money from the platform?” Rather than how they can contribute to the conversation. Too many people are spending time saying who they are, what they do, and how they can help, instead of asking how they can give.

So, the question remains, is Clubhouse just another fad? I think not, but time will tell.

Co-Contributor, Andrew Bayon with A Impact Media