Clubhouse: The Invite-Only Chat App Explained
Clubhouse has come a long way since last summer with only a few thousand users to now with millions of users worldwide and a valuation of roughly $1 billion.
Plus you’ve heard the hype right? It’s invite-only meaning if you know, you know. And as more people hunt and farm for limited platform invites to even see WHAT the hype is about, the momentum and interest is growing. And it’s growing fast.
What is Clubhouse?
Simply put, Clubhouse is a basic social networking app that lets people gather in audio chat rooms to discuss various topics. From dating to finding a job, there are people in the world of Clubhouse likely talking about it.
You need only get an invite, create a profile and start exploring rooms (where the chatting happens) to see a plethora of subjects and interests available literally 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Clubs, Rooms and Mods!
Clubhouse is 100% socially constructed, meaning what people bring to the conversation directly drives the energy and flow of the room. It is not scripted, edited or polished like say a podcast or YouTube channel.
In rooms, you’ll find yourself in one of two camps when it comes to participation: those talking and those listening. As a listener you can see everyone else in the room and click right into their profile to learn more or connect. In order to speak, you need to “raise your hand” and a moderator will invite you onto the “stage” so you can unmute yourself.
Moderators guide room conversation, and rules, to ensure the vibe of the room is kept in check and on task. Compared to other platforms, moderators have a lot of control on who gets to speak and when in a room.
This means you have to be on your best behavior and fully participatory in the room in order to get speaking time. Some argue the moderator-style-set-up has kept room conversations genuine and of high quality where those speaking are providing real value and impact to those listening. I tend to agree.
Outside of clubs organized by topic, any two or more people can start their own chat room allowing others to join and grow the topic dialogue. You can be part of clubs focusing on general topics that have multiple rooms, narrowing the focus to particular topic relevant issues such as belonging in a “new business owner” club and attending room discussions titled “new business marketing” or “new business finances”. You can stay broad with your topic scope or get very strategic and micro with it.
Clubs and rooms reflect very specific topic areas based on location, identity or networking goals. Each club and room has its own set of rules, expectations and community guidelines to ensure listeners and contributors know what is expected and how to act.
This sounds interesting. How do I get on Clubhouse?
Right now, Clubhouse is only available for iOS. I have an Android but use Clubhouse on my iPad and I actually prefer that option as the screen is bigger and I can see user profiles more easily and jump in and out of rooms decently fast.
Invites are given out once a user joins the platform. You are then meant to give your invite credits to your friends and connections you feel would provide value to the platform and community.
From my experience, there seem not to be many casual users of Clubhouse compared to open platforms like Instagram or Facebook. Folks on Clubhouse are there for the networking and conversation and are pretty active. I’ve not noticed too much “lurking” about which I see a lot of on Instagram for example.
If you’re seeking an invite, I suggest posting on other platforms like LinkedIn or Instagram and asking your network if anyone you know has invites to send. Not that it really much matters, but the person who invites you to Clubhouse will forever appear at the bottom of your profile and you will be “connected” to that person.
I personally loved the feeling of having a “sponsor” and advocate when I first started on Clubhouse. It kind of reminds me of MySpace with having Tom as your guaranteed first friend. Sigh, ‘twas a simpler time. If you know, you know.
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Meet The Writer!
Hi! My name is Nadia Ibrahim-Taney and I help people design happy and fulfilling careers through authentic career coaching. My expertise includes career exploration guidance, resume writing, interview prep and LinkedIn profile optimization. My pronouns are She/ Her/ Hers and as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I focus on how diverse identities impact and influence folks holistically and professionally. Please connect with me on LinkedIn or at Nadia@beyonddiscoverycoaching.com
