As we embark on 2021, there is an ever-increasing need for connectivity, especially as society is still experiencing the limitations of social distancing. We are craving community more than ever before, and technology has always been a great innovative solution to bring people together globally. We are socially inclined creatures, which makes us inept to heightened inventions to meet this basic need for community. Social media is a product of technological advancements through increased internet accessibility and smartphone usage. Influencer Marketing Hub anticipates more than 3 billion people will be using social media by 2021, therefore an increase of new social media sites is on the rise. 

Because social media is the fastest way to get in front of an active audience, there are hundreds of social media sites to choose from for your connectivity fix, however, only a few make the top of this list in terms of popularity and being buzzworthy. Clubhouse is now topping this chart of socials sites, emerging on the scene in 2020 after a call for ingenuity and a declaration that it was a time to build by founder, Marc Andreessen (New York Times, 5/16/2020). Clubhouse is a result of his call to action to Silicon Valley as a partnership among venture capitalists and quickly turned to an exclusive audio social platform for influencers and the elite. Clubhouse could not have had more impeccable timing to enhance community and connectivity during a pandemic. 

How Clubhouse Enhances Creativity and Community

The Appeal of Exclusivity

Everyone wants to get into the party with the long line. Clubhouse knows how to draw this type of appeal by being inclusive to iPhone users at this time. You also receive a limited number of invitations to share with friends based on your activity within the platform. Once invited, you can join a world of vast topics from marketing, media, life, family, and anything you can imagine.

There are no limits as you may have celebrities hosting rooms to share insight into their thoughts and ideas, or an influencer leading a chat with a panel of friends on how to leverage opportunities. You have the option to just listen in, much like tuning in to your favorite unscripted podcast, or you can select the option to raise your hand and be elevated to the speakers. There is even the option of exclusivity within the app to start closed rooms with people that you mutually follow.  

Courtesy of my personal Clubhouse account for one of my favorite clubs to help learn how to navigate the Clubhouse experience.

Feeding the Fix of Normal Conversation

As many of us have missed social gatherings out with our friends and family or making new connections at cocktail parties and networking events, Clubhouse is positioned to feed this fix exponentially by opening a world of conversations with thought leaders whom you may never really encounter in a normal setting. Clubhouse interaction is described as the party line of the elite, and an open peek into the conversations of venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, noteworthy celebrities, and growing. 

There are multiple ways to interact in this space by following others, joining rooms, or joining clubs. Rooms are temporary spaces to share an audio conversation. They are literally like an audible chat room with no time limitation. Upon entering the room, you are initially a listener. If you are feeling really confident and want to add value and increase connectivity, you can raise your hand on the bottom right to be elevated to the speaker’s panel and come off mute to speak once the host calls on you. Different from rooms, clubs are ongoing experiences where people can follow and be a part of a community. A club may be centered around specific topics or interest that you want to follow. To create your own club and see more helpful tips, visit ClubhouseGuide.com. You must host a room for three consecutive sessions to create your own club. 

The calendar feature allows you to plan your interaction on Clubhouse by adding reminders for the rooms you want to join for that day.

Humanizing Us All Through Audible Voice

Clubhouse did for audible connection what Instagram did for pictures and visible awareness. No comments, no direct messaging, all voice makes for a powerful undistracted platform for you to be heard. The autonomy for anyone to start their own rooms with rich conversations is an open invitation to add value to the world, and you just never know who may pop in to listen or raise their hands to contribute to your conversation. This app does not include a vanity matrix that limits who you see and what content you can follow. It is literally an open world to listen, contribute and share your voice with anyone in the world on this app. This in itself is an exclusive feature that gives this app appeal and staying power. It’s no wonder that millions are chomping at the bit to get the coveted invitation to the growing Clubhouse community.