B2B marketers' newest venture: Clubhouse

As the exclusive invite-only app soars in popularity, we take a look at the key ways B2B companies can benefit from using this new social media platform.

What is Clubhouse and why is it ideal for B2B marketers?

Clubhouse is an invite-only social media app that is exclusively audio-led. As the audio format has boomed in recent times, this app taps into consumers’ new need to connect with people via the sound waves - forget the days when you had to switch between different podcasts or audio mediums, Clubhouse presents one platform where you can listen to industry experts under one roof. Once an existing user invites you to join the app, you can access rooms, with different conversation themes for you to interact with.

The app has already gained icon startup status by achieving a $1 billion valuation in its first year, joining the likes of Uber and Snapchat, and this new way of consuming audio content, where users can insert themselves into conversations rather than listen passively, has been very well received; in December the app had 3,500 users and today it has over 600,000.

One key difference between Clubhouse and other audio platforms is that anyone can create their own content very easily; this app is a safespace where people can answer questions, present ideas and share stories without dealing with the technicalities of it being recorded. This democratisation of audio content lends itself to B2B marketing, as users are free to build their personal brand, become an expert in their field and share this knowledge to an established audience on the app.

Therefore, opportunities to share your brand story and message, connect with customers, get product feedback or promote an upcoming event, are there at your fingertips. There are five main ways Clubhouse could benefit a B2B company.

Deliver interactive experiences

One of the key benefits of using Clubhouse in B2B marketing is that your audience can easily get involved with the conversation. Unlike podcasts, people can jump in and offer their thoughts in real-time. This allows you to build your network and strengthen your relationships, whilst also having genuinely helpful business conversations with other experts in your field. People love this way of interacting, and this is proven by Clubhouse’s 4.9 star rating.

As well as this, with off-the-record chats due to the ‘no recording’ policy, Clubhouse offers far more personalised and authentic experiences between the brand and consumer. This aligns nicely with current demand, as 73% of B2B executives have claimed that consumer expectations for more personalized experiences are higher than ever.

Reach an already engaged audience

This app offers what every B2B marketer wants: a highly engaged audience who are interested in what you are talking about. If they weren’t, they simply wouldn’t be there. For example, if you create a room on Clubhouse on a topic that relates to your offering and people join the chat, you know that they are genuinely interested in the topic.

This gives B2B marketers a ripe opportunity to initiate ad and brand activations to a room that has a vested interest in the topic at hand. Not only are Clubhouse users engaged on the topic, the average user is spending between 11 and 20 hours a week on the app. Therefore, by joining and creating rooms that are tailored towards your brand's offering, you can be confident knowing that you are reaching an engaged audience from the outset.

Allows sponsored rooms and brand ambassadors

There is an opportunity for brands to sponsor rooms where their ad will feature at the beginning, or their product might feature in the talk. Brands can enter into a conversation by using paid brand ambassadors that mention the company and their offering in rooms and conversations. Sponsorship and ambassadors are relatively new concepts that aren't being widely used on Clubhouse at the moment, however, it can be predicted that there will be a natural evolution of paid marketing seen on this app in the future.

Grow a community

Building a community on social media platforms isn’t easy, and in the past LinkedIn and podcasts have been the main channels that B2B companies have used for marketing and advertising activations. On Clubhouse, businesses can build brand awareness in a natural and organic way by creating content around their offering without pushing the offering itself. This new form of content marketing allows brands to build a community in a relaxed way.

Build brand credibility

With celebrities and the business elite all using the platform to share their audio content, you can elevate your brand's credibility simply by being on the platform. The likes of Elon Musk, Oprah Winfrey, Drake, Kevin Hart and Chris Rock are hosting conversations on the app, building Clubhouse’s elite reputation. B2B marketers can capitalise on this quite simply - if you position yourself amongst this caliber of people, you will be able to build brand credibility with relative ease!

Whilst this app is so new and fresh some are unsure of what to expect from it, it is clear that Clubhouse will become a significant avenue that B2B marketers should capitalise on. So, if you are a B2B marketer or advertiser, get in touch with our team to discuss how you can make the most of this new app and find new B2B marketing strategies that work for you.