Latest Trends: Clubhouse and Facebook Audio Live Rooms

Imagine this: You are lounging at home, eating your favourite snack while connecting with people from around the world who share the same interests as you, no need to worry about what you look like and there's no pressure for you to participate in the conversation. Well, it’s already possible!

Clubhouse, an audio-based app, has been changing the social media game. The app allows users to gather in virtual rooms to listen and learn from other users. Anyone can also participate in the conversations if they want to. Unlike other platforms, Clubhouse encourages users to focus on quality conversations rather than visuals and highly-edited content. 

Within only one year, the app has reached approximately 16.4 million installs to date and has two million active weekly users. This caught the attention of Facebook who is now following the footsteps of Clubhouse by creating their own live audio features. 

So what’s with the hype?

Since the pandemic, everyone has been online 24/7 and people have been dealing with social media fatigue. But then people can’t just disappear and quit social media right? Everyone craves human connection especially during this time and that’s what Clubhouse offers. Clubhouse provides an opportunity to create and experience truly intimate conversations which evoke feelings of companionship and trust. Users can listen and participate any time of the day whether while they are driving, cooking, or working out. 

Users who have shared interests can create small communities where they can stay connected with like-minded people while still being private. The rise of mental health issues due to the overuse of social media has led people to want to stay private and share less personal information about themselves. This is where Clubhouse differs from other platforms, Clubhouse does not track its user activities nor uses algorithms to recommend virtual rooms to users. However, Clubhouse has been facing some issues as users complain that there are too many notifications and rooms happening at once. 

Facebook joins the trend!

Facebook's Live Audio Rooms, which also focuses on audio sound experiences, was recently tested in Taiwan. According to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, since Facebook already has small communities and groups that are organised based on one’s interests, allowing those group members to come together and talk will provide enjoyable experiences. By using Facebook algorithm, the live audio rooms will be suggested based on each user’s groups and interests. Listeners will be able to support the hosts by sending Stars, which will provide a way for the content creators to monetize their efforts. It will also allow listeners to donate to a nonprofit organisation or a fundraising event chosen by the host. 

The Key Takeaway

The Clubhouse and Live Audio Rooms by Facebook may be the next big thing when it comes to social media. Twitter, Spotify, LinkedIn, and Slack have recently created and revealed their plans for providing their own live audio services. Users who enjoy listening to podcasts and those who love to connect and be heard will definitely appreciate these platforms. What’s more interesting is how brands will be using these new features as part of their marketing strategy. It’s too early to see how it will impact the marketing industry but we should definitely keep an eye out for this new trend and its potential.