Melissa Litchfield is founder and CEO of Litchfield Media, a digital advertising agency for online entrepreneurs and course creators.
Let me guess: You’re a small business owner looking to drive more leads and sales for your business. (Couldn’t we all benefit from more leads and sales for our business?) Or maybe you’re looking to scale your business after one heck of a year in 2020. I’m right there with you! After spending years working at a large marketing agency and consulting for other small businesses, I ditched my 9-to-5 in 2019 in order to follow my dream of launching a digital marketing agency.
Scaling an Agency During a Pandemic
My first year going full-time in my business was rough figuring out how to wear all the hats. I suddenly wasn’t just a wife, mother and employee, but a CEO trying to learn all the things. By 2020, however, I scaled my business even amid a pandemic by utilizing Instagram as my primary lead generation source. Instagram is still my main lead generator, but as of Fall 2020, I noticed a huge dip in my reach and engagement on this platform. My content wasn’t reaching thousands like before, and it seemed like everyone had access to Instagram Reels while I was still waiting. Talk about frustrating!
Enter Clubhouse.
I was simply fed up, and Clubhouse came into the scene at the perfect time. Honestly, weren’t we all diagnosing ourselves with Zoom fatigue at this point in 2020? An audio-only-based app was refreshing and allowed me to connect with others on the platform outside of my Instagram connection bubble.
But what is Clubhouse?
Clubhouse is a new social networking app that is invite-only and now both iOS and Android-friendly. There are no secrets here: Having a presence on the new audio-only app has been a game-changer for me over the last four months. Yes, you heard me right. This one-year-old, invite-only, exclusive app has drastically increased revenue for my agency. After only 30 days on Clubhouse, I saw a 400% increase in content interactions on Instagram, 400-plus new followers, $3,500 in passive income from this channel, plus six new high-ticket client inquiries — all just from sharing what I know in Clubhouse rooms.
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I see some people griping about the exclusivity of Clubhouse, but honestly, I think it’s genius and reminds me of when Facebook was only available to college students. Remember that? Only those with an “.edu” email address were allowed to join, resulting in hype and FOMO. Pinterest launched as an invite-only platform as well. In due time, Clubhouse will be released to the public. (At a recent town hall within the app, creators said this was coming soon.)
Tips for Landing Paid Clients on Clubhouse
Without further ado, here are my tips for landing paying clients on Clubhouse, based on what’s worked for me so far:
• Find co-moderators and schedule your first Clubhouse room. This allows you to collaborate with others in your industry, and you both benefit by leveraging each others’ audiences, therefore maximizing your exposure and visibility within the app. Networking is a must here! But what makes a great co-moderator? Look for people who know how to “read the room.” Great moderators can tell when the room is falling flat and can take the lead if needed.
• Don’t just pitch yourself, your business or your services in a Clubhouse room. Instead, use a call to action (CTA) at the end of your room, and always provide incredible value in the rooms you are part of. This is key, regardless if you’re moderating or speaking as an audience member. To ensure you are providing value, concentrate on helping others — shift the focus from you to them. Start every room with a goal to help as many people as possible (this could be offering tips, answering questions or providing breakthroughs).
• Utilize a direct message strategy at the end of your Clubhouse rooms and connect with leads on Instagram. Be genuine and ask questions! Get to know your leads and take an interest in who they are and their work. Seek out where you can provide helpful information within your means — without giving them a free one-on-one session, but just enough for them to recognize your expertise and want more. Ask them if they would like to book with you, or send them a discovery call link.
• Once the lead has found their way to your Instagram Direct Messages (DMs), don’t pitch right away — instead, start a conversation. Thank them for attending your room. Nurture and invite them to a free Facebook group or send them a free resource you already have in your back pocket.
• Currently, the only option to engage privately with a Clubhouse user is to take the conversation off of the app. This is why it’s important to link your Instagram or Twitter account. I prefer to direct audience members to my Instagram DMs. Here is where you can retarget Clubhouse leads with Facebook and Instagram ads. Utilizing Facebook ads manager, you can retarget your Instagram DM audience. This is another reason why you want to get ideal clients in your DMs, because of the ease in retargeting them with ads once they are identified. This audience is 100% your warmest leads, and people coming from Clubhouse will be coming straight to your DMs after you host rooms.
Will you consider leveraging Clubhouse as a lead generator for your business?
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Author: Melissa Litchfield, Forbes Councils Member