HelloWoofy.com founder and CEO Arjun shares his personal experience and #Clubhouse tips for small business owners today.
Would spending time on Clubhouse as a small business owner be worth your time and effort? After actively spending about three months as a Clubhouse member, here’s the down-low.
Just do it already! If you’re an #underdog small business owner (SMB), you need to consider joining Clubhouse.
You know how your ears perk up when a friend mentions a great deal or a favorite eatery? You’re going to ask them what and why. Let’s start there.
What is Clubhouse?
It’s an online networking social app. Think of Clubhouse as a combination of a real-time Zoom call and a Facebook room (chat)? You can show up in your pajamas with bed-hair because it’s audio only. The only friend you’ll scare is your furry ones.
(FYI. Right now Clubhouse is only available to Apple users — iPhone or iPad.)
You’ll need an invite to get inside of Clubhouse. Just download the app and get on the waiting list. Once inside you can explore a wide variety of rooms dedicated to many different topics.
When you enter a room, you’ve joined the audience of listeners. You might even be allowed to speak, especially if you’re known to the speaker.
How do you speak?
If you raise your hand and a moderator invites you to the “stage”, you’ll have a minute or two to present your say. (FYI. Right now Clubhouse is only available to Apple users — iPhone or iPad.)
Why join?
First of all, consider Clubhouse as a truly amazing networking opportunity when used strategically. A great network will lead to more business, right?
Based on my personal experience, it takes a bit of courage to speak up in Clubhouse for the first time.
However, it was really fun. I’ve gotten to meet some awesome people.
I’ve even had the honor of co-moderating rooms with Grant Cardone, Tai Lopez, and Billy Gene. Trust me, I’m saving those screenshots. I might frame them someday!
Here’s what I think small business owners need to do on Clubhouse to really be effective and shine.
Consider these Arjun’s best #clubhouseinsider tips and tricks. I’m happy to share what I’ve learned so far!
- Make the first 86 characters of your online bio count. That’s prime online real estate.
Those top three lines are what shows up those searching for connections. So be super clear on what you do and how you help your clients. A friendly, client-facing profile is always important. If you first type up your bio on a separate platform such as Notepad, you’ll be able to sparingly add emojis, too.
- Connect your business IG and Twitter social accounts to your Clubhouse profile at the bottom of your profile.
Your potential network and clients want to check you out. This builds trust with your target market. If you don’t add your social profiles, you’ll look shady. You might be ignored if you raise your hand to speak.
- Follow the right people.
Who would you love to talk to about your business? Or who would you like to learn from? Many highly successful entrepreneurs and SMB’s hang out in Clubhouse.
Once you’re inside a room, you’ll have the opportunity to scan the pics of those already there. Be sure to look for potential networking partners.
Don’t follow just anyone and everyone. Follow those who will help you become more visible to your target audience. The Clubhouse algorithm will reward you.
Clubhouse is also a terrific way to get more followers quickly! Again, just be selective, so that Clubhouse will show you even more great connections, like a self-fulfilling prophecy.
- Be consistent with your branding.
Do your bios on Twitter and Instagram show who you help and how you do this? Create unity across all of your social media platforms to stand out.
- Show up regularly and drop value gems for your audience.
One warning. When you get invited to speak in a room, just answer the questions clearly and concisely. Don’t be “salesy” at all, or you’ll get kicked out. Instead drop valuable, actionable tips for your audience.
Isn’t that what great marketing is always about? Show up where you’re needed by your target market, and always add value!
- Create a room inside of Clubhouse, or volunteer to co-moderate a room with a complementary business person.
For example, in order to show up regularly for our HelloWoofy.com fans, we’ve created two events a week where you can come and learn. One of these rooms is for our very own Content Masters, because we love you #underdogs!
Also, build a complementary business network in a Clubhouse room. If you co-moderate a room with a business buddy — say digital marketers together with content writers — you’ll appeal to more followers.
- *Bonus tip: when you invite a speaker to your room, send them a calendar link, too.
This is one way to ensure they’ll show up to add value. Also, life is just so busy. Who doesn’t need a friendly and helpful reminder?
Need more help with the details of using Clubhouse?
Our friend Naomi wrote an amazing Clubhouse starter guide for Social Media Examiner. Why wait? Get your account set up and start growing connections for your business today.
ALSO, Inc Magazine recently featured tips and tricks for clubhouse 101s and our founder was featured. Here’s a quick excerpt and link to the entire article, thank you Gabrielle for the amazing writing:
“3. Find investors.
Plenty of startup investors spend time on Clubhouse too, offering insider advice on how to navigate the fundraising process. Katherine Lynn, co-founder of Women’s Founder Club and founder and CEO of job application tracking platform NextSteps, says Clubhouse rooms on pitching helped her shift her strategy from reaching out to venture firms to instead targeting angel investors for her pre-seed round. She’s had three or four meetings with investors she met on the platform, one of whom plans to invest.
The trick is to avoid getting lost in investors’ in-boxes after you leave Clubhouse.Arjun Rai, founder and CEO of New York-based marketing company Hellowoofy.com, is raising money through Clubhouse partially by directing people to his company’s crowdfunding campaign. He estimates more than half of the $170,129 he raised came through speaking in Clubhouse, he says. To get investors to follow up, Rai says, he DMs high-profile funders and speakers on Instagram before they appear on stage in a room on the app. He thinks the hand wave emoji in a direct message breaks the ice quickly. Later, he’ll ask people to book appointments with him through the scheduling app Calendly to turn connections on Clubhouse into meetings.” (Article: https://www.inc.com/gabrielle-bienasz/how-to-grow-your-business-on-clubhouse.html)
Best,
Arjun Rai, Founder and CEO
P.S. Don’t forget to follow me inside of Clubhouse. We’d be so excited to have you join us in our Content Master’s room for sizzling hot business tips and networking opportunities.