Merry Clubhouse Christmas [LNIM205]

Mark wishes you a Merry Christmas and dives into the Clubhouse app, the audio-only social media platform that was taking the marketing world by storm in late 2020. What made it exciting, what marketers needed to know, and why paying attention to emerging platforms matters for your business.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• What the Clubhouse app was and how its audio-only rooms worked
• Why marketers need to pay attention when new social platforms emerge
• How to evaluate whether a new platform deserves your time and energy
• Mark's holiday gift to listeners and how audience input shapes the podcast

Episode Summary

If you were in the marketing space in late 2020, you could not avoid hearing about the Clubhouse app. Mark breaks down what made it noteworthy and why marketers should always have their radar up for emerging platforms.

Clubhouse was an audio-only social media platform where people started conversations by opening a “room” and setting a topic. You could invite speakers ahead of time or on the spot. Listeners could raise their hand to be given permission to speak, similar to a live conference format. The app was invite-only at the time, which fueled its viral growth.

As a marketer, Mark emphasizes that you need to be aware when a new platform comes along because it may have implications for your business. Clubhouse was going viral and growing exponentially at the time, making it worth understanding even if you were not ready to commit time to it. Mark recommended getting educated about the app, starting with Michael Stelzner's comprehensive article on Social Media Examiner.

Mark also shared a holiday gift for listeners: he was preparing his 2021 content calendar and wanted to create episodes based on exactly what his audience needed. He invited listeners to share their internet marketing questions so he could deliver content tailored to their real challenges.

This kind of audience-driven content creation is a lesson in itself. The best content comes from listening to your audience and serving their actual needs rather than guessing what they want to hear.

Key Takeaways

• Always monitor emerging social media platforms for potential business opportunities
• You do not have to adopt every new platform, but you should understand what it does and who it serves
• Audio-based social content proved to be a lasting trend even after Clubhouse declined
• The best podcast content comes from listening to what your audience actually needs
• Asking your audience for input builds engagement and delivers more relevant content

What's Changed Since This Episode

Mark recorded this episode in December 2020, right as Clubhouse was reaching peak hype. The app experienced explosive growth through early 2021, with celebrity appearances from Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg driving mainstream attention. However, the platform declined sharply after that initial surge.

Clubhouse dropped its invite-only requirement and launched an Android version, but by then competitors had replicated its core feature. Twitter launched Spaces in late 2020 and rolled it out broadly in 2021. Facebook and LinkedIn both introduced their own audio room features. Spotify launched Greenroom (later folded back into its main app). The audio social trend that Clubhouse pioneered became a feature rather than a standalone platform.

By 2023, Clubhouse had laid off more than half its staff and struggled to maintain active users. The app still exists but is a fraction of what it was at its peak. The lesson Mark taught in this episode, about paying attention to emerging platforms, proved even more valuable than the specific platform he was discussing. Marketers who understood the audio-social trend early were better positioned to leverage Twitter Spaces and LinkedIn Audio Events when those tools matured.

Resources Mentioned

• Clubhouse app in the App Store
• Social Media Examiner article on Clubhouse by Michael Stelzner
• Late Night Internet Marketing Facebook Page

Related Episodes

If you found this episode helpful, you might also enjoy:

• LNIM207 — Accomplish Your 2021 Goals in Nine Simple Steps
• LNIM191 — Is It Too Late To Start Your Internet Business?

Listen and Subscribe

Listen to Late Night Internet Marketing on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Have a question for Mark? Call the digital recorder at 214-444-8655 or drop a comment below.