Clubhouse and Tourism: Huge Potential for Engagement
What is Clubhouse?
Clubhouse is an audio-based social media application which enables its users to listen to live conversations, interviews, and presentations within chat rooms. Clubhouse users are able to start rooms about topics of interest and open the room to guests to contribute.
While the application was introduced this past March, Clubhouse is still not available to the public. In order to gain access to chatrooms, guests must receive invitations from existing Clubhouse users. In the past few months, the Clubhouse community has grown significantly in popularity from a few thousand to several million.
Why does Clubhouse matter for organizations?
Clubhouse offers a unique digital experience for virtual events on a larger scale. At any time, there are a few thousand chat rooms that people hold discussing various industries, professions, and interests.
Despite its audio-only nature, members are attracted to use the application in real time because conversations are live and recordings are not archives to be played in the future. Such restrictions play on people’s fear-of-missing-out (FOMO). As such, it encourages users to spend a large amount of time on the application to find and partake in conversations of interest.
For marketing executives and business owners, Clubhouse creates an opportunity for free branding in niche interest and chat rooms. Such opportunities include sharing founding stories, connecting with customers, getting product feedback, running focus groups, and generating marketing awareness on the release of new products, services, and upcoming events.
An example of this is seen with Former CEO and President of Focus Brands, the parent company of Cinnabon, Kat Cole who hosts weekly office hour rooms to help business people and entrepreneurs build their brand.
How can Clubhouse be used in the tourism industry?
(1) Learning from experts
One of the draws of Clubhouse is the ability to connect with prominent business leaders and entrepreneurs around the world. MeiMei Fox, a writer for Forbes, found that “the exclusivity of Clubhouse means that you’ll have access to virtually every other user and everyone is on Clubhouse to give value.” Mei Mei attended a room focused on business growth and was amazed by the presentations she heard from Grant Cardone, Tiffany Haddish, Jim Kwik, and USA Shark Tank investors.
(2) Finding people with skills you need
Beyond mentorship potential, Clubhouse allows companies to present themselves as thought leaders. As more users receive invites to join chat rooms, people can position themselves as an expert in the field to gain a larger following. In addition, it allows the opportunity to market for contractors, staff, and other potential hires that one may need for upcoming projects.
(3) Getting new business
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries have made the decision to close borders to international travel and aid existing tourists to leave the country. Digital innovations in the travel industry have made a disruption in the way people use information and services. The rise of internet and travel software development has taken away any geographic challenges and allows for marketing on a global scale.
There have already been large increases in the use of technology in the travel industry for online booking, travel portals, and personalization of customer experience. Clubhouse is another social media platform that can be used by players in the travel industry as both a convenient and accessible approach to booking trips and embracing a digital travel experience.
An example of a country leveraging the digital tourism experience is Israel, who has been hosting webinars with experts and promoting Israeli culture and food to support the tourism industry marketing the slogan Even as the borders are closed for travel, you can still travel to Israel from your home.
Clubhouse has great potential for tourism boards, tourism associations and tour companies. We can help you navigate this new social media platform and others. Learn more about our Online Marketing & Social Media consulting offering, where we help destinations and tour companies navigate social media platforms to generate the most effective strategy and execution plan to achieve real results.