Maddie Raedts is Founder & CCO at IMA || Global Head of Social for Fashion & Luxury at MediaMonks || Forbes 30 Under 30.
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At this point, you’ve almost certainly heard about Clubhouse and the interest that it’s inspired both for marketers and celebrities. Mark Zuckerberg is on there, Virgil Abloh is on there, Oprah is on there — so what’s all the hype? In short, it’s all about the intimate sense of connection it offers between people in real time, as well as access to today’s modern thinkers.
This audio-based app works as a social media platform where people can gather in virtual rooms to talk to one another or listen and learn from experts in their respective fields. There’s no algorithm to follow here; instead of basing its content on polished visuals and vanity posts, Clubhouse prompts users to focus on quality of conversation, placing the importance on what people have to say instead of what they want to (visually) show.
While Clubhouse has incredible popularity now, it’s just the latest platform in the trend of social going private, whether that’s people connecting over interests in Discord chat rooms, chatting over group calls on Spoon, paying to access a writer’s private newsletter on Substack, or listening to podcasts on Stitcher. Even Twitter is testing the model with its pay-to-access “super follows” feature.
Conversations are shifting on social — so what does it mean for brands, especially when advertising formats on these channels are still in their infancy? Here are a few things to consider.
People Are Gravitating Toward Niche Communities
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After years of cultivating large followings and social feeds filled with news and media content, some users are making the move to smaller communities. Although they are no replacement for the traditional social media channels (in fact, communities can be formed within these platforms), we’re seeing a new interest in engaging with more private groups focused on shared interests, gravitating as a community toward trustworthy voices on specific subjects.
This shift in user behavior connects to the fact that privacy rights are now top of mind for users everywhere, a concern that’s underscored in Google’s recent refusal to support user-level identifiers. People are favoring apps that allow them to stay connected while safeguarding their privacy, and although there’s still a long way to go in this regard, the platforms where they can enjoy content without having to share much of themselves — or where content remains ephemeral — are looking more and more attractive.
Also, it is worth considering that in 2020, the steep increase in technology usage was drastic, and it strongly pushed digital transformation forward. This means people have spent more and more time staring at screens. For those who want to reduce screen time, audio formats like podcasts and conversation-focused platforms like Clubhouse offer a nice alternative.
That considered, it’s no wonder audio-based platforms have grown exponentially in the past few months. The numbers can attest: Clubhouse opened the gates to new consumption methods, garnering increasing popularity with its 2 million weekly active users as of February 2021. Meanwhile, podcasts filled the need for trustworthy voices communities can gravitate to, with an ad spend of $800 million in 2020.
New People Have a Voice — Literally
Both Clubhouse and podcasts offer the opportunity to address audiences through longer-form content, uncluttered ad space and niche communities. Instead of picture-based feeds, content creators can attract listeners through thought leadership, creating smaller communities with like-minded people.
One of the biggest changes in influencer marketing through the years was the shift from macro to micro — from focusing on who has the largest followings to who is driving real engagement. This was prompted both by the phaseout of Instagram likes and a concerning amount of fake followers, and was a necessary change to help brands get better ROI out of their influencer marketing strategies by catering to a smaller (though more interested and engaged) audience. Now, more private networks, like voice chats or the listener base of a podcast, reinforce that approach.
With experts and industry professionals leading the conversation while others listen, it’s fair to say Clubhouse thrives on influence. Moderators on the platform facilitate discussions on specific topics and, much like with podcasts, share their knowledge for others to learn from. And because so many areas of interest exist on the platform, there are great opportunities for a variety of influencers to cultivate passionate audiences, thus allowing brands to tap into those who may be difficult to reach on more established, conventional channels. Again, brands need to speak their language — and this will come down to strengthening their message to consumers in ways that authentically add to the conversation.
Quality and Intimacy Are Forging Engagement
In addition to the need for more private social media platforms, both Clubhouse and podcasts give brands the opportunity to create truly intimate experiences. This type of content fills a unique time in a consumer’s day, such as driving, doing the dishes or cooking, thus evoking feelings of companionship, friendship and trust.
As such an intimate medium, audio content captivates an audience that explicitly chooses to carve out time to listen. Consumer attention in social media tends to be fleeting. Podcasts, however, can engage audiences and keep them coming back for more as new episodes release. For marketers across the digital ecosystem, this habitual engagement can prove fertile for building stronger consumer relationships.
Whether on the lookout for more intimate experiences or seeking safer networks, there’s never been a more pressing need for new ways to engage, and the more private platforms, like Clubhouse, Spoon, Substack and podcasts in general, have everything in their favor to become audiences’ preferred consumption method. And while ad formats are still green in these apps, it’s still a valuable opportunity for brands to build, engage and show up for their audience with authenticity — leveraging influencers as they appear and creating meaningful experiences for niche communities.
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Author: Maddie Raedts, Forbes Councils Member
