Lessons from a Digital Marketing Virtual Assistant who actually does the work:
Let’s learn how to use the Clubhouse App! Adapting to changes in digital marketing and social media is just part of the game. Before you start groaning about having to learn a new social media realize three things:
1. Early adopters get the worm
2. Your clients/peers/students will be coming to you for questions
3. This is an opportunity to help your clients with strategy + implementation and offer services that incorporate Clubhouse.
You got this! Now let’s dive in to how Clubhouse works and a few best practices to help you get started and familiar with the new app.
How to Use Clubhouse App
Business owners, coaches, course creators and influencers are loving the new audio-only social media platform. Clubhouse allows them to connect with real people and hopefully… build their following and attract new leads.
I recently listened in on a room with Gary V and he was saying if he wasn’t booked solid with biz owner meetings and obligations, he would be on the platform every day to grow his audience.
Hint Hint:
He’s saying the new social media app is worth your time.
Quick things to Know about Clubhouse App
- Clubhouse App is only for Apple devices: iphones + ipads. If you have an android cellphone you are out of luck right now.
- The Clubhouse App is invite-only. It’s still in the “beta” testing and restricting the number of users who can sign up. This is also a marketing ploy, but you can only join if you have been invited by a current user.
- You cannot DM people on Clubhouse
How to Get Your Followers on Clubhouse – Clubhouse Invites
If you want to build your following quickly on Clubhouse, get your people over to the platform! This will help you gain traction and when you first host a room, it’s not a ghost town. But it’s difficult when you only get 1 invite at the beginning… so use it wisely and strategically! Aka don’t waste it on someone who won’t use it.
Anyone can go ahead and sign up for Clubhouse and reserve their user name, but until they get a formal invite they can’t use the app.
Also know that Clubhouse invites happen via text. If you have an invite available to you, you’ll see that Clubhouse will encourage you to give it to one of your phone contacts first. If you want to invite someone else, you will have to enter them as a contact in your phone. Then you can pass on the invite.
Invite chains are the way to go. It’s basically a chain mail letter that gets passed on to the next people. Here is an example of one in my FB community, feel free to steal my directions. It will take some effort to moderate and follow up, because, we all know it, sometimes people just don’t read the rules or take quick action. So this is a perfect task for your Facebook Community Manager.
The key is to make sure the invite chain folks are DMing each other their contact numbers so the invite works!
The good news is the more active you are on the platform the more invites you’ll get. Then you can go nuts!
The Party Hat Designates New Users
Whenever you see a party hat by someone’s profile, they are a new user who signed up in the last 7 days.
Here’s an example where the first two users are newbs:
Why is this important?
If you are are hosting or moderating a room, you may have to explain to or remind new users how to do things, like raise their hand if they want to come on stage. You should be extra patient and welcoming to these new Clubhousers! If you see a party hat by your name, think of it as extra forgiveness!
How to Optimize Clubhouse Profile
Most of your profile lookers are going to come from people clicking on your name when you’re inside a room and speaking on stage. So there’s incentive to NOT be shy and raise your hand. Just like a Instagram post caption, Facebook ad or Pinterest pin, users can only see the first line or so of text. So hook them fast.
Links don’t work in the bio so link to your Instagram and make sure your link in bio in Instagram goes to your “funnels” aka offers, lead magnets, free groups, how to work with you, services page, etc.
Your profile is an opportunity to stand out and show off your strengths. If you’re a freelancer – lead with this!
The best thing you can do is look at other people’s profiles and see what you like and don’t like about them.
Emojis, line breaks and fun fonts (via apps like: Fonts or Fonts Keyboard)
Choosing a profile photo:
I suggest using the same picture you have on other social media accounts so your followers can find you. That consistency and face recognition helps. I will tell you now, profile photos that are professional, bright or have a colorful circle frame stand out to me the most when I’m inside a room. So consider that!
Here is my current profile:
Clubhouse Room Breakdown
Your first room can be a little intimidating.
When you first enter you will not be on stage. You’ll be in the bottom half of this photo and at no risk of accidentally speaking or someone hearing you. So don’t sweat that!
The person speaking will have a very subtle beige circle around their profile photo.
The top half of the room will show you who is on stage. Usually these are speakers cued up to ask questions or tell stories. Good etiquette is they are on mute and waiting their turn.
The moderators of the room have the green icon. They are usually helping bring speakers to and from stage, inviting or “pinging” people into the room to get more attendees, taking notes on the topic and questions, and — worst case scenario — removing the hecklers and rule breakers.
SIDE NOTE: As a virtual assistant or teammate, you could be helping with this moderator role.
Sometimes you will hear the room hosts say they are “resetting” the room. If you pull down on the top of the app, it will refresh to reload the newest speakers and room attendees. The hosts usually restate the room mission and what they are doing and who they are, what questions they are taking for all the newbies.
In my humble opinion, it can get annoying when they’re doing this too often and too long-winded. I feel like a good room host will bring reset naturally into the room discussion for obvious context clues. But sometimes when they’re taking on new speakers and new questions it’s just necessary.
Here is a breakdown of a room so you know what’s going on:
How to Speak in a Clubhouse Room
Moderators can turn on and off the ability for participants to raise their hand to ask questions. If you see the little hand icon, they are taking speakers.
1. Press the hand icon and the moderator will admit you to the stage.
2. You’ll get a green bar on the top of your screen that signals you’re waiting to be pulled up and accepted to the stage.
3. Once on stage, you’ll want to click on the little mic icon on your profile to mute yourself and wait to be called on.
Some rooms may have multiple speakers who are cued up to speak. Some rooms it will be a free-for-all. Some rooms you may be the only speaker in a 1:1 situation.
As a speaker in a Q&A style room, it’s common courtesy to remove yourself from the stage when you’re done chatting. You can do this by tapping on your profile.
Moderators can remove you too, so don’t be offended!
How to Show Applause on Clubhouse
If you’re on stage and not actually speaking, you can show your approval of the current speaker by “clapping.” Just turn your mic on and off so it blinks. This is applause. Kinda funny, right?
Note: Everyone else off stage can only watch.
How to Start a Clubhouse Room
- Click the green button “start a room”
- Choose your topic but clicking “Add a Topic.” You have 60 characters to choose your room’s name. Be clear and use keywords!
- Choose your setting. Here you can have it: open, social, closed or part of a larger “club”. If you do a closed room, you can hand select who can enter. If you do a social room, you can invite people who you follow.
- Hit “Let’s Go” and wait for it to load.
Next you’ll want to add your moderators/co-hosts and starting inviting people to join you!
How to Ping People into your Room
This is a task to do right away when you first start a room to get traction. You can also have your room moderators do this while you’re talking. You can be doing this easily throughout the room session and encourage your room attendees to do the same.
If you’re just listening in a room you can still invite your friends to join you the same way!
How to Accept Speakers to Your Stage
As a moderator, you can control who speaks on your stage. You can adjust the settings via the Raised Hand icon on the bottom left.
This could be a setting you adjust.
Some rooms will accept speakers for a short time. They will cue up and mute themselves while on stage and wait their turn. After everyone has spoken, the moderator will “reset” the room and turn on the ability to take speakers again. Fill up the room again and then turn the function completely OFF again.
Sometimes this setting stays on the entire time a room is open. Moderators may just not accept speakers… or they may accept everyone! (That can be a bit chaotic).
It’s a very easy setting to control, just be sure to clearly communicate to your attendees when they will get a chance to speak … or if they won’t.
Tips for Moderators:
- Encourage your room attendees to invite or “ping” others into the room who would enjoy the conversation. This can boost attendance because everyone with notifications on will see what room people are going to.
- Remind your room attendees to connect and follow each other, especially with your stage speakers.
- Restate the rules. Some people will shamelessly plug; if you let one person do this it can open pandora’s box. Set the rules and reprimand quickly. You can always remove those speakers.
- You can remove people from stage by clicking on their name. You can also report speakers who are inappropriate and rude. Click the three dots on the upper right corner to report a speaker.
- You can edit the stage setting to signal if you are taking raised hands or not.
- Check out speakers’ profiles before you call on them. Sometimes they will have a phonetic spelling so you can pronounce their name right!
- You can schedule your rooms in advance. Clubhouse will give you a URL to share but it has a limited function. You can share it on social and when someone clicks on it it will open the app. They can RSVP there.
- You can add your co-hosts as moderators but clicking on their profile and selecting “Make a Moderator”
- You can end the room when you click the three dots on the upper right.
I hope this blog gives you a headstart in using the new clubhouse app, whether for yourself or your clients. Please share it with your friends who are asking questions and a little nervous about trying the app for the first time.
Before you go, I’d love to connect with you. (Of course on Clubhouse @emilyreaganpr) But also over on Instagram @emilyreaganpr
I have been freelancing in the online space for 12 years, and I just love learning and sharing digital marketing tactics … including social media! I teach my friends how to transition into the online world with their skills and get hired as freelancers, virtual assistants and service providers. If you’d like to know more about my comprehensive Digital Media VA Crash Course, visit vacrashcourse.com DM me on Instagram and I’ll tell you more!
If you’re a biz owner thinking you may like a unicorn virtual assistant to help you with all the marketing and admin tasks, please read my latest article: When is it time to hire a Virtual Assistant?
Further Related Reading
Instagram Takeovers: Everything you need to know
4 CRM Tools for Virtual Assistants
5 Must-Have Tools in your Freelance Contractor Business
Build your Digital + Social Media Portfolio to Land Better Clients
How to Get Started as a Virtual Assistant
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-Emily, Digital Media Consultant (and Virtual Assistant …)
“I help smart women learn the in-demand digital marketing strategies and tech skills to get hired as a unicorn virtual assistant.“
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