Articles: Blogs

five reasons why travel brands should use Clubhouse

Social Media - 13th October 2021
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We all know the marketing benefits of Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok, Twitter and LinkedIn. The latest addition to the list of must-have social networks for travel brands is Clubhouse. And with it, comes new opportunities.

What is Clubhouse?

Clubhouse is an audio-only social media app first introduced in March 2020. Originally invite-only, it is now open to all.

Since the beginning of 2021, the app has experienced a surge in popularity, now counting more than 10 million downloads.

‘Rooms’ are the main feature of Clubhouse. Users can decide to listen to live conversations, discussions and interviews about a wide range of topics. They can also actively participate in a conversation or create a room themselves to start a conversation about a specific interest.

Why should travel brands use Clubhouse?

So, what’s in it for travel brands? Many already recognise the importance of social media and are already exploring Clubhouse as part of their Travel PR strategy. Take our client DRCT, whose involvement in corporate travel discussions on Clubhouse has led to future partnerships, increased awareness of DRCT within the market and deeper industry insights. This has been particularly successful for the team in the US where Clubhouse has more active users than in Europe.

For those who need a little bit more convincing, here are five reasons why travel brands should get started on Clubhouse now.

    1. Getting your business in front of the right people

Clubhouse is all about building, engaging and collaborating with your community.

By joining and participating in Clubhouse rooms, a brand can be exposed to many potential customers, investors and journalists that all share an interest. This results in endless opportunities for valuable conversation and effective promotion.

So as an example, travel trade magazine Travel Trade Gazette (TTG) runs the Travel Hour room. Every Friday at 1pm UK time, Clubhouse users can join a discussion on the latest travel news and trends with the publication’s editors. For travel brands, this offers the opportunity to meet journalists, build relationships and represent their organisation.

    1. Expert talks on Clubhouse

Clubhouse brings together experts to exchange knowledge and give advice. Users can listen in or participate, giving them the opportunity to get useful insights from industry leaders. For brands, Clubhouse has another advantage: they can start their own discussions or let brand representatives participate in existing rooms to position themselves as industry experts.

    1. Everyone is accountable on Clubhouse

Due to the nature of the sign-up process, users must verify who they are through other social handles. Plus, any bad behaviour is likely to result in that person being removed from a room.

As a result, Clubhouse is developing a reputation for being one of the most transparent platforms, and encourages users to speak openly and honestly, without the fear of ‘trolling’ or being met with people who are not there for the right reasons.

    1. Clubhouse gives instant feedback

Nothing is more valuable to a travel business than genuine feedback from their customers.

Feedback is crucial to determine what people value in your brand but also to find out what they wish would improve. Clubhouse offers the perfect platform for companies to have valuable conversations with their customers and get instant feedback.

    1. Clubhouse is live

Everything that happens on Clubhouse is live and there is usually no script. All talks and discussions are very raw but that’s what makes Clubhouse authentic.

There is currently no possibility to record or save any conversations on Clubhouse so, if you don’t join you miss out on all the news and insights. Whilst this can make it difficult for brands to track and share any coverage after the event, it is still possible to promote your room beforehand and get valuable conversations out of it.

Now is the time for travel brands to join Clubhouse

Social media is a fantastic channel for travel brands to represent themselves in front of a growing audience. Clubhouse gives the chance to explore a new format and investigate the possibilities that this new platform has to offer. The app is on the rise and especially in times where people experience a ‘zoom fatigue’ and podcasts are more popular than ever, the audio-based social media model is a refreshing alternative.

Caroline Reich