Social Media has been an integral part of everyone’s life for some time now and several companies and startups have tried to take on the established names in the social media sphere but failed.
Carving a name for yourself as a social media platform is a herculean task but the new kid on the block- Clubhouse has been making some waves.
For the uninitiated, Clubhouse is an audio-only app that aims to facilitate conversations on topics as vast as the universe through ‘rooms’- digital spaces where individuals come together and share their thoughts and opinions.
Humans are social beings and with the onset of the global lockdowns, barriers to socializing and communication left many longing for social interactions and connectivity.
While all digital communications and social media platforms globally saw a bump up in user activity and time spent on-app, Clubhouse offered a refreshing and unique approach to social interactions, making it an attractive medium.
Here are 5 reasons why the rise of Clubhouse makes sense:
01. Authenticity
In the current social media ecosystem, popular social media apps like Facebook and Instagram have become stagnant and complacent in offering an evolving or distinctive user experience.
Users often approach these platforms as a campaign and thus, digital socialization has become a multistep process.
The process of uploading one post looks like a swarm of bees hard at work.
Not to mention bots and black-hat techniques utilization at deceiving the algorithm that hamper the user experience.
On Clubhouse, however, a third-person cannot engage or engage on behalf of the user. This brings in authenticity, genuine communication and exchange of ideas. The person has to show up themselves to interact and communicate with the audience.
02. FOMO
For long, Clubhouse was available only on the iOS app store, and to be granted access, non-users had to be invited by existing clubhouse members. This created a sense of curiosity, and a fear of missing out among individuals who did not have access to try to find a way to use the social media app making sudden waves.
Long before Clubhouse, businesses have resorted to the allure of exclusivity to position their product as a premium and pristine offering, and time and again seen business success. No two business models are the same in this regard, and copy-pasting this model does not guarantee mass user adoption.
Offering a high quality product, that delivers value and respects the time of the user and positioning it as a pristine offering has worked in the favor of Clubhouse.
With some celebrities like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg also dropping in on the platform to share their thoughts, the audio community app become even more desirable.
03. Niche Communities
Conversations as vast as the universe, and no ceiling to ideas of what to discuss, clubhouse has opened a digital space that feels intriguing and conversational. Information flow is not uni-lateral but multilateral, with individuals in the room feeling connected through the underlining topic, delivering a sense of belonging and sparking spontaneous conversations.
What also adds brownie points is that individuals can interact with thought leaders, coaches, influencers 1-on-1 and strike up a meaningful conversation, which may otherwise be a roll of dice play.
04. The obvious bridge
Video, of late, has become a popular format for content consumption, but it comes with unique challenges and hurdles. Most individuals have to step out of their comfort zones to create engaging and impactful content.
Not to forget that content cannot be directly translated from one format to the other. One cannot simply just copy and paste blogging or copywriting tactics to a video.
Even then, it takes considerably more resources to produce one piece of video content as compared to simply writing or clicking an image, which tends to drive up costs of content production and ends up in frustration.
The gap between image content and video content is very subtly filled by audio content. It is more engaging than images and puts across the tone and emotions of the person more prominently, making it the obvious bridge between these content formats.
Moreover, individuals who are camera shy can also feel comfortable conversing in rooms where they don’t have to front an inauthentic appearance.
05. Clubhouse Icons
Clubhouse has unlocked a unique way of letting individuals feel a sense of belonging while they use the audio platform, i.e., via app icons.
Its community is the platform’s biggest asset, and what other way to show appreciation and support for the community than to pick a fan favorite artist as the product logo?
This is a humble ode that appeals to each individual.
To Conclude
In the face of limiting social interactions, individuals longed for a way to stay in touch with their communities and their loved ones, and Clubhouse rose to the challenge. Great personalization, close-knit communities and multi-directional conversations are at the core of what makes this app a resounding success.
The app breaks free from the clutter and gets eyeballs on its offerings through community advocacy, fresh design and outside the box thinking.
Take Notes!
