Listen to Learn: How to Use Clubhouse for Social Listening and Brand Building

“When you know how to listen, everybody is the guru.” ~ Ram Dass

Since I first started using the invite-only audio app, Clubhouse, in December, their user base has grown ten-fold, from a reported 600,000 to 6.0 million users as of February 1, 2021. Likewise, its valuation has gone from $100 million to $1 billion since its launch in the spring of 2020.

The reason I’m hitting you with numbers first is not to wow you with the iOS-only’s turbo-charged growth. Nor am I trying to entice you with buzzy, high-profile happenings on the app, like Elon Musk chatting with Robinhood CEO Vladimir Tenev or Mark Zuckerberg (@Zuck23) popping in on “The Good Time Show.”

Sexy, sure, to some extent — then again, we live in the age of influencer culture. And as an old-school digital community builder, I’d say when the marquee names show up, pure gold experiences usually get tarnished.

But I digress. Audio-driven platforms are social listening 2.0 — it brings in the human connection into a real-time opportunity at your fingertips. While there are other interactive audio platforms beyond Clubhouse, notably Discord (not just for gamers anymore!) and Twitter’s Spaces, Clubhouse skews older and more business-oriented. This means there’s enormous potential for…