Clubhouse. It’s the new kid on the block. The audio-only platform allows participants to listen and engage in live talks, virtual events, classes and panel discussions. It feels like an interactive podcast and it’s gaining traction as a tool to market and expand businesses.
When users log onto the app, they can join different “rooms,” each focused around a specific topic. Conversely, users are also able to moderate their own rooms on the topics of their choice. Both types of engagement are the foundation of leveraging the tool to grow your business.
I joined Clubhouse in January 2021 and saw an opportunity to use it to promote my career consulting business. In a short time, I’ve signed new clients, increased my social media following, expanded my professional network and grown revenue. In fact, 39% of my revenue has come from Clubhouse leads so far this year.
If you’re not familiar with the app or curious as to how Clubhouse can boost your business, here’s a quick-start guide to using it as a launch pad for growth.
Write a compelling Clubhouse profile bio
Before you dive into the vast world of Clubhouse, you need to properly introduce yourself by creating an impactful profile bio. I recommend using your real name as your username. You could opt to use your business name but beware, you can only change your username once.
Upload a professional photo, preferably the same headshot you use on LinkedIn. Your bio has links to your Twitter and Instagram accounts, and it’s ideal to use the same photo across all platforms for branding. Make sure your face takes up 70-80% of the frame so it can be seen clearly.
Include key information such as your title, the name of your business, what you’re professionally known for or your niche. Be mindful that only the first three lines of your bio are visible to others in a room, unless they open your profile, so make those lines count! Check out other career professionals’ bios for inspiration.
Since the only live links in Clubhouse bios are to Twitter and Instagram, make sure they’re connected. By linking my Instagram account and participating in rooms, I grew my Instagram followers by over 40% in a month. If you don’t have either social media account, include your email address, website or another way for people to contact you.
Clubhouse is searchable through keywords and emojis. If you’re not a fan of emojis, it might be time to give them one more shot, because more people will find your profile and rooms if you do.
Don’t forget to add a call to action. Tell people what you want them to do after they’ve viewed your profile. Do you want them to visit your website? Attend one of your paid webinars? Connect with you on Twitter? They won’t take action unless you tell them what to do.
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Expand your network and reap the rewards
With over 10 million users on Clubhouse and counting, the app offers prime opportunities to find employees, experts and potential clients. The app is also an excellent platform for meeting other career professionals to collaborate, exchange ideas and share best practices.
For example, I attended a room set up to facilitate connections between those in the career space. A fellow professional who attended the room reached out to me afterward to discuss possible collaborations. We’ve since teamed up to begin offering a live online resume writing and interviewing masterclass that’s generating revenue and new leads for both of our businesses.
Another way to benefit from your career colleagues is to join their rooms and gain new best practices, ideas and client stories that will add value to your audience. All of us have room to grow; learning from your peers on Clubhouse is an easy way to bolster your know-how and expertise.
Position yourself as a career thought leader and attract potential clients
With a little creativity, there are ample ways to leverage Clubhouse to attract potential clients. One is to position yourself as an authority in your area of expertise by leading discussions on that topic. By sharing my career tips and hacks with jobseekers, I’ve increased my LinkedIn network, boosted resume writing and coaching revenue, and built a robust community on Clubhouse.
Room formats that have worked for me are Q&A sessions, workshops and classes, and live resume or LinkedIn profile reviews. To build your reputation as a career thought leader, host your own rooms on relevant topics and provide an abundance of value. You don’t have to give away everything, but sharing your knowledge and experiences will appeal to your audience because you’re demonstrating command of your subject matter. To reach a larger audience and add more value, partner with other career professionals to host rooms.
Access business experts, coaches and potential employees
In my first week on Clubhouse, I’d estimate I received at least $2,000 worth of expert advice (for free!) on marketing my business on social media, crafting a more impactful Clubhouse profile bio and promoting a webinar I created.
Forget googling for hours. Hop on Clubhouse and search keywords to find rooms where you can find professionals with expertise in the areas in which you need help. You might even find your next mentor or coach.
If you’re looking to outsource work or find an employee, such as a virtual assistant, social media specialist or branding expert, Clubhouse is a great place to find top candidates through rooms that match recruiters or hiring managers with active jobseekers.
While I’m excited about the business benefits joining Clubhouse has afforded me, I’m also grateful to be able to use the platform as a tool to help a larger, more diverse group of people than I’d ordinarily have access to. It’s allowed me to advise many jobseekers who might not otherwise have the means to work with a career professional – and that feels pretty good, too.
