Have you joined Clubhouse – the Audio only Social App?

I’ve been on the Clubhouse App for a month now and been enjoying listening and engaging on topics including property investment, talented photographers discussing their technique, nutrition, business mindset and sustainability.
 
What is Clubhouse?
 
Part talkback radio, part conference call, Clubhouse is an invite only social networking app currently only on Apple iOS based on audio-chat.
 
Users can listen in to conversations, interviews and discussions between interesting people on various topics – it is just like tuning in to a podcast but live and with an added layer of exclusivity.
 
Some tips for getting started:  
 
You need an iPhone or an iPad also works.  Sorry, Android users have to wait.
 
You need an invite to jump the queue!  – I currently have 7 invites available…
 
When registering you create your username (ideally a personal one, not a product or company). I tried paulscott but this was taken so used paul-scott.  You can change your name only once on the app so best to try and get it right first time!
 
Next you need to create your Bio, the top three lines of which are what people see first when browsing so get your key points in there. This tool is great for quickly creating an engaging bio:  https://clubhousebio.xyz/
 
Clubhouse doesn’t have direct messaging however it allows you to connect your Instagram or Twitter account which other users can then click on to follow you or send you a message.  This is the best way to take topics off room and build connections too, so it’s important to give your Instagram ( It needs to be public not in private mode ) or Twitter account a spring clean if you haven’t used them for a while.
 
Next think about your profile photograph. If its colourful then people can quickly locate you on the screen, I’ve edited mine on LinkedIn as an example. You will notice that some users have added a colourful ring or edited their background for visual effect, this can be easily done on Canva free software or app: www.canva.com. Here is a quick video to show you how it can be done; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYQqla7rBtI
 
When you first login you will notice that the app searches your contacts and notes their connections to other members in Clubhouse… Then click on the search glass icon in the top right-hand corner – you need to follow people or search for clubs, you can also see at the bottom of people’s bio’s what clubs they are in and you can join these.
 
Once you find some rooms to join you can add them to your calendar and share them externally to your contacts or social media.
 
When you join a room as a listener the moderators and organiser are at the top and the person that is speaking will have a grey ring around their image, sometimes not easy to see.  You can also see who has their mics muted or not.
 
In your first week your profile will have a party hat icon next to it showing everyone that you are new.
 

You can put your hand up to speak (bottom right-hand corner) and the organiser will then bring you up to the stage (If it’s a small room they may invite you up to speak straight away), it is worth checking the rules of the room beforehand, so you understand the format as some are more formal than others.  I recommend doing a quick intro and asking a short question of the panel as a good starting point.  Be aware of background sound and mute your mic when not speaking, also be aware that the moderators may close you down if you are not on topic, waffling or are too sales orientated.  
 
Overall, I’ve found the rooms I’m on have been supportive and there is a good community spirit.
 
You can also invite other members from your network to rooms that you are listening to using the plus button.
 
Have fun and I look forward to seeing you on a room!