#163: How to Grow Your Income on Clubhouse

Today we are talking about how to grow your income on Clubhouse, the new, live audio-only platform people are buzzing about.

I’m interviewing social media strategist and Clubhouse expert, Lisa Monks, on creative ways to use Clubhouse to build your blog and online business.

In this interview, we talk about:

• What makes Clubhouse different from other social media platforms
• The nuts and bolts of how it works
• New ways people are making money on Clubhouse
• How you can find new clients on the platform
• How it can you grow your email list
• How to make meaningful business connection on the platform
• How to snag an invitation

I recommend you listen to this episode because it will give you a whole new strategic way to think about Clubhouse.

Show Notes

• MiloTree
• Catch My Party
• Lisa Monks
• Become a Blogger Genius Facebook Group

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Welcome to The Blogger Genius Podcast brought to you by MiloTree. Here’s your host, Jillian Leslie.

Jillian Leslie 0:15
Hello, friends. Welcome back to the show. I am Jillian Leslie, host of the podcast. I am also founder of the Milotree app, founder of Catch My Party, which is the largest party ideas site on the web. I am a business coach.

And I like to call myself a business translator, I take what’s working in blogging and online business today. And I break it down so you can use the strategies yourself. Today, I am interviewing social media strategist Lisa Monks.

And we are talking about Clubhouse which is a new app you might have heard of. It is a cross between, I would say a Facebook Live, and a podcast where many people are talking in real time.

And you can listen to the conversations, you can participate in the conversations. It feels really fresh and new. Before we launch into the interview. I want to say that Clubhouse connects directly to Instagram.

I think Instagram is just becoming more and more powerful. I recommend you grow your Instagram followers using the MiloTree social media pop-up tool because what it does is it converts your visitors, your blog visitors into followers and it grows your authority.

So, go to MiloTree, sign up for your account, install the Instagram pop-up on your blog, you get your first 30 days free, there is no risk. But I think Instagram is taking over the world.

How to Grow Your Income on Clubhouse

I’m excited to get into today’s interview. So, without further delay, here is my interview with Clubhouse expert, Lisa Monks.

Lisa, welcome to the show.

Lisa Monks 2:00
Hello, Jillian, how are you?

Jillian Leslie 2:02
Thank you so much for joining. And what is so fun is it is tomorrow for you. So, today for me, it’s February 23. And for you it is the 24th. And that just, I don’t know boggles my mind.

Lisa Monks 2:17
Yes, it is the 24th. It’s a beautiful Wednesday morning here in Australia, the sun is shining, the birds are singing. It’s gorgeous weather perfect temperatures. And yeah, your future is looking bright.

Starting a Career in Social Media

Jillian Leslie 2:30
I love that. I found you on Clubhouse. And I reached out to you. And I said, “Would you come on the podcast to talk about it?” So, could you share first like your entrepreneurial journey and what you do?

And then how Clubhouse has fit in to your whole kind of business and marketing and social media and all that? That is a big question. So, you can tackle it any way you’d like.

Lisa Monks 3:00
Okay, so my entrepreneurial journey, oh my goodness, that actually it goes back quite a while but it started when I left Australia in 2001, I think it was. And I traveled and I lived in Japan. And then I lived in New York.

And so, I got a very international bill, I made a lot of international friends, a lot of connections. And then I came back to Australia, then I worked for the Tourism Board here in Australia. At the very time when social media was just taking off.

I came back in 2005. And of course, Facebook had just launched and Twitter was actually at that stage more prominent than what Facebook was. And I started the social media channels when I was working in the Tourism Board.

It was mainly Twitter. So, I got that whole feel that connection of international connections. And I really loved how the whole social aspect and connecting even though we were in Australia.

And I was able to reach, tourism bloggers from around the world. And that’s how my passion for social media started. I’m a social media strategist now. So, when I left the Tourism Board in 2011, I started my own business ChipMonk media.

And it was initially helping other tourism operators get into the social media space and to understand the social media space.

And I’ve just grown with the social media platforms as they have evolved since 2009 pretty much and then into 2011 when I started my own business. So, it’s been quite a journey to see where it all started and where we are now.

And the growth has been like unbelievably fast. What we’ve seen in the in the online digital space how it has grown so fast in the last 8 to 10 years or so is unbelievable. And it’ll be exciting to see where it goes.

The New Trend in Social Media is Audio with Clubhouse

And it’s interesting to see it’s gone from visual with your social media platforms and then the growth of your videos, your Facebook Lives, your Instagram Live, YouTube Live, everybody started going live. And now it’s reverted back to audio.

So, in a sense, we’ve gone back to ground roots so that the old radio days and in a way where people are communicating with their voice. And now we find ourselves here, talking about Clubhouse.

Jillian Leslie 5:24
Do you have a theory as to why this is? And I have a theory. So, you share first if you have one.

Lisa Monks 5:29
Oh, my goodness, to be quite honest, I haven’t dug in and thought too deep about it. It’s just been an evolution. But I really do think that there’s been that element of connection missing.

I do believe and especially now we’re hooking into it. It’s very timely, this whole rise of Clubhouse and the audio is exceptionally timely, given the situation, that global pandemic that we all find ourselves in.

So, I just think people, this is a way where they can communicate very authentically, very real in the moment. And that whole development towards audio, I don’t know where the crossover really went.

And why there has now just been this overwhelming pull towards audio. So, I welcome your theory on this.

Why Social Live Audio Has Lower Stakes

Jillian Leslie 6:23
I don’t know if I’m right. But I think it is lower stakes to show up with audio than with video, that we’re all in our pajamas. And like I haven’t showered and the idea that I could still connect without having to be on video.

And also, it takes all of my attention you were talking about how you’ll put Clubhouse on in the car, because you’re driving. I will listen to Clubhouse when I’m cooking, or when I’m unpacking dishes.

And whereas if I were doing a video chat. It’s funny, like I talked to my mom every day, and I don’t like do FaceTime. I don’t FaceTime her; I just call her because I’m usually getting food together for my daughter, my husband, or I’m busy. Who knows.

And so, I don’t have to focus as much with video. So, I feel like it’s lower stakes, but you get somebody in your ear. So, they’re still that really strong connection, you can tell when you hear it.

One thing that I think is so powerful, for example, about podcasts is, I invite somebody into my ears, like into my brain. So, there’s still such a connection. But I don’t have to worry about what I look like; I don’t have to stop everything and show up with video.

So, for me, I think it’s lower stakes, but still really powerful connection.

Lisa Monks 7:57
Absolutely. The whole easy access at any point, wherever you are, you’re absolutely spot on there. Sometimes when I’m walking my dog on an afternoon, I’ll jump onto Clubhouse. And I’ll be having conversations.

I’ll be up on stage talking to people, whilst I’m out walking my dog. Or as you said, when you’re cooking, and you don’t have to worry about, showing up in front of the camera, putting the makeup on getting camera ready, it’s easily accessible.

My goodness, you could sit in bed every morning, and you could still be having a conversation with someone like you’re sitting in a boardroom, it’s easy access, it’s easy entry. Anybody can, basically just turn it on.

Of course, if you have the app because currently as you know it, iOS device only. So, there is those restrictions currently, but that will definitely open up very soon.

But no, you’re right. If there’s no boundary, it’s so easy to just switch it on and have a conversation wherever you are, whatever you are doing.

Jillian Leslie 8:57
It reminds me of when I was young, and I used to phone rot with my girlfriends. And there’s something very intimate about that of just hours on the phone, holding the phone to my head.

And I think that texting is just a little more distant than say, we’re having this little conversation. There’s something very personal about it.

Lisa Monks 9:21
And what I find is quite interesting as well, when you start having a conversation on stage. So, you go up on stage to talk to people. People in the audience are in listen only mode. So, when you come up on stage, that’s the only opportunity you have to chat.

And there could be hundreds of people in the audience. But when you get up on stage and you start chatting, it’s like the rest of the audience disappears. And it’s like you are having this one-on-one conversation.

You are still on a big stage essentially, because you could be on a stage with hundreds of people. So, how often do you get the ability to get one-on-one with somebody. And you’ve got all these people listening.

But for whatever reason, you can tend to kind of just forget that there’s all these people listening, and you get absorbed in this one-on-one conversation with what is happening.

So, I think it’s very real, it connects people in ways that we don’t generally see in some of the other social media platforms. Because even though say for example, Facebook Live or live video became and still is exceptionally popular.

It’s still really a one way unless you bring people up on into your live and that maxes out at a certain amount depending on what platform you use. So, there still are those limitations.

Whereas on Clubhouse, you can literally bring as many people as you want up onto a stage. And you can have this conversation where you’re all interacting with one another. So, having in time real conversations.

Jillian Leslie 10:56
Can we now back up? And can we start at the beginning? And can you explain what Clubhouse is? What it what it feels like and how it works? Like you host a room in Clubhouse for newbies?

What is Clubhouse and How Does it Work?

Lisa Monks 11:14
Yes.

Jillian Leslie 11:14
So, you know what the questions are over and over again, of people who have just joined the platform. Let’s say I’m listening to this podcast, and I don’t even have an invite what is an invite? What is this thing?

Lisa Monks 11:28
Okay, so Clubhouse is an audio only, invite only, social media platform. Brand new platform, it actually launched in March last year. But it wasn’t until probably December, January, that it really got its wings and started to fly, essentially.

When I joined in early December, there was about 600,000 people or so on the app, it’s now nearing around 10 million is what the founder said, just in the in the town hall the other day.

So, it is invite only which makes it the FOMO real, the fear of missing out people are just like, “Want to get on this app, want to get in on this app.” It’s an amazing platform, obviously to connect with people.

That you would never in your life have had the opportunity to connect with before. The serendipitous moments that are occurring on the platform are amazing when you get in this room.

When I talk about a room on Clubhouse, it is basically like if you’re on Facebook. You open up a Facebook Live and you have a conversation. That’s sort of like a room but in Clubhouse, it is you hoppin “on stage,” and you have a discussion with people.

Lisa Monks

So, when you join, you have to be invited to the app for a start to be able to get up on those stages. And beyond that, you have to receive an invite from someone. And generally, that’s somebody you know.

It could be a friend, it could be a work colleague, but they need to send you an invite. And that invite is by text messaging.

And your number has to be in their phone, their number has to be in your phone, and then you send them an invite, and then they join the app.

Jillian Leslie 13:10
And you have to be iOS. So, iPhones only. Androids coming but it’s not here yet.

Lisa Monks 13:16
Yes, androids coming. So, it’s iOS device. It can be an iPhone or an iPad. So, it doesn’t matter. It can be either one of those. And, yes, Android is coming.

They have taken on board their first Android developer; I think it was last week or the week before to start the build. And they were saying they’re expecting it two to three months’ time, we should see Android users being able to access the platform.

Jillian Leslie 13:41
One thing that I wanted to share is on your phone, you can see rooms to join. And when you join, there’s like a little photo of you and all the people in the room that you can see. So, there’s no video.

And when you talk about the stage, that just means that you’re in a special little category, where your photos at the top with whoever is on the stage. So, there’s no real stage. But on the app, you’re just way at the top of that room.

What is a Moderator’s Role on Clubhouse?

And if you’re a moderator, that means you’re in charge of the room, you can call people up on the stage, if you’re a moderator. You can make them a moderator if you want and they can have some controls over the room.

But it’s like what you were saying there’s an audience but the audience can’t talk, they can raise their hand and then you can call on them and maybe bring and bring them up on the stage and then they can talk.

But I totally agree with you when you are talking because there are only however many people you allow to talk at once it can feel very intimate and there can be 1,000 people in the audience.

Lisa Monks 14:44
Yes, absolutely. And, what you’ve got is, you mentioned the stage and the audience. And there’s generally three layers to your room. So, you’ve got this stage where there’s the moderator.

And of course, the moderator can assign moderator status to anybody else that they wish. And that just means that they have exactly the same power to bring people up onto stage to mute them to close the room, etc,

Then they can invite other people up on stage who are just speakers that don’t have the moderator status. And then underneath the stage is what I call the front row. And so, what the front row is, is anybody who the speakers follow.

So, if I were to follow you, and you jumped into my room, I would see you sitting in the front row. So, I’d see you very clearly, you’d be right there. And everybody else in the audience would basically look up and see you in the front row as well.

So, what that tells the audience is like, oh, there’s all these people in the front row, they must be really cool, because this thing is full of them. It’s not really like that. But you get the gist of like, you get eyes on you purely by sitting in the front row.

The Importance of your Bio on Clubhouse

And how Clubhouse works, as you mentioned about the buyer, obviously it’s just a screen of faces, you see everybody’s profile picture, in order of where they’re on the stage, the front row or in the audience.

And what people do is when they tap on people’s bio, so they tap on those photos, it opens up their bio, and it tells you who they are what they’re all about. And essentially, what you’ll see is just the first three lines first.

And then if you tap more, you open up their whole bio, and then you can get a real feel for who that person is. So what you will find when you’re sitting in an audience and you’re listening to people up on stage, you’re tapping people’s bio.

And you’re just looking around, it’s very similar to if you were in a conference. It’s exactly like if you’re in a real conference, you can’t obviously, they’re not real people in front of you, they’re in your device,.

But you see their faces, you’ve got the people up on stage, you’ve got the cool kids that are sitting up the front row, and then you’ve got everyone listening into the back. And then you might turn around to the person next to you and start a conversation.

Well, it’s very similar on clubhouse. Now you can’t obviously start a conversation with the person who’s sitting next to you, because you’re listen only mode. But you can tap on their bio, you can scroll down to the bottom.

See their social media channels that they have attached to it. Tap on their Instagram, and then reach out to them on another platform and start a one-on-one conversation from someone who you would never have met in real life.

Except for the fact that you’ve looked around and they’re sitting next to you in Clubhouse. And you’ve tapped on your bio, and you think oh my goodness, that person sounds really interesting.

I’m going to go jump into Instagram and have a chat to them. So, there are so many different layers and levels to edit. It’s really quite amazing.

Jillian Leslie 17:46
By the way, that is how I found you, you were speaking and I tapped on your bio, and I listened to you. And I thought, ooh, she knows what she’s talking about. I would love to interview her. And I reached out to you, I DM you on Instagram.

How to Connect with People on Clubhouse

So, you can connect Instagram right now and Twitter. And that’s it, there are no links in your bio, you can write, I think there is a limit to how much you can write in your bio. But it’s a lot and you can put offers in your bio, but no hot links.

So, I can put a URL, but somebody would have to copy it and paste it. But I can reach out to you. And this is where like Instagram I have found becomes even more powerful. I reached out to most people on Instagram.

And I reached out to you and I said, “Hey, Lisa.” Literally, I think you might have been in the midst of talking. And I was like, “Hey, Lisa, would you come on my podcast?” And you said, “Yes.” And I said, “Great.”

“DM me your email address, and I’ll send you a bunch of information about it and how to pick a time.” And boom, here you are. This conversation would have never existed if I hadn’t found you on Clubhouse.

Lisa Monks 18:56
Exactly. And these are the sorts of instances we’re hearing all the time about people connecting. I would probably never have met you never. Because our paths, our worlds just would not have crossed.

And I’m seeing so many, hearing really cool stories about that. These serendipitous moments where it might be you’re up on stage having a conversation and someone else said something and you’re like, oh my goodness, that person can help me.

That’s what I’ve been looking for. And then you tap on their bio, you send them a quick message in Instagram, and start that conversation off of line. And that is where the magic is happening, it’s offline.

It’s not happening. Of course you’re making those initial connections on Clubhouse, you’re starting the dialogue. You’re having those conversations on Clubhouse, but I think the magic is happening in the conversations that are happening off platform.

Jillian Leslie 19:51
And again, I think it speaks to the power of what we were talking about. I heard you, so you weren’t just a photo. I didn’t end up on your blog. Even reading your words, I heard you and I thought, “Ooh, I like her. I’d love to talk to her more.”

And I think again, it speaks to that like quick intimacy, you didn’t know me, but I heard you. And I was like, we could be friends. And that was what caused me to reach out to you versus, I come to your web.

Ultimately, I ended up on your website, but I had a context. I knew what you sounded like. I got to see how you thought. And so it filled in the details. Whereas had I come to your website?

I’d be like, you’re one of many social media, people, how do I know who’s going to be a good guest.

Lisa Monks 20:45
And that’s so true. And you really hit it, the thing when you said, it was like talking to a friend. I think what Clubhouse really facilitates is very quick authentic connections.

Because it is audio, because it is in the moment, you can really gauge in a very, very short amount of time, whether that person is somebody who you want to connect with more. Whether you gel with that person.

Because what I find is, you can’t hide behind the voice. On other social media platforms whether it be Facebook or Instagram and even to a degree on like when you do Facebook Lives, etc. It’s still very curated.

You still have control of the conversation, when you are doing a Facebook Live, you have control basically of the conversation.

When you’re up on stage on Clubhouse, you don’t know what somebody is going to say.

Lisa monks

You don’t know the questions that somebody is going to ask you and you are in the moment there. And it will be known very, very quickly if you know your stuff or not. It is very transparent, very real. And that’s what I’m loving about the platform.

I think it’s a very real and authentic platform. Of course, you’ve got rooms in there that are going to be full of any sort of topic, you You name it, you think of a topic, there will be a room on it.

And so, you jump into the rooms that you get involved in the conversations that you choose to get involved in. But it doesn’t take long to really find out what somebody is about.

Jillian Leslie 22:25
I think that’s true.

How to Make Authentic Connections on Clubhouse

Lisa Monks 22:26
You’re cutting through the mess or whatever, very, very, very quickly. So, okay, yes, this is someone who I want to connect with. No, I’m moving on, I’m going to find somebody else. It happens very, very quickly. It’s very time efficient. In that sense.

If you have an agenda to connect with somebody, if you are saying, okay, well, I want to meet this type of person on this app. Once you find that person, it won’t take you long to know whether you want to take that conversation further.

Jillian Leslie 22:57
Absolutely. And I have found for me, I’ve reached out to maybe three or four guests on Clubhouse. And because I’ve heard them and because my podcast is audio like I can tell who would make a good guest just by listening.

Other times, somebody might reach out to me about being a guest. And I’m like, I don’t know who you are. I don’t know what you sound like, I don’t know how you think. And so you’re right, it cuts through the noise. You get, like, “Are you real? Are you authentic?”

What Are Followers on Clubhouse?

And do I feel that connection? Now let’s talk about followers on Clubhouse. And I will say too that there’s an element of high school to Clubhouse, just even you saying the people sitting in the front row and the people up on the stage. It can feel like that.

So, talk to me. And again, you need an invitation to get in. And you better have an iPhone or an iPad, like there are these screens that you have to pass through.

So, I don’t want people to feel intimidated or anything because you can get out of it what you want. And you don’t have to buy into all of these elements. But let’s talk about followers and what that is.

Lisa Monks 24:21
Okay, so how clubhouse works is totally dependent on who you follow. There are the rooms and the conversations that you have. The rooms that appear in your hallway.

Now your hallway is when you come onto the app, it’s where all the rooms are. So, it’s just like you’re walking down a hallway in a conference room and you’ve got all these different rooms and they appear in your hallway.

Jillian Leslie 24:46
It is a list with some information and who started the room and what time it’s going to be and that kind of thing.

Lisa Monks 24:54
Yeah, it’s an event list. Exactly. But to see events appear in your hallway, you have to be following somebody who has created that event. So, you get followers by basically getting involved in a conversation.

So, you as the person, we all start with zero followers. And depending on how you choose to interact on the app will depend on how many follows you actually get.

Now, if you are putting your hand up, meaning that you have said that you wish to speak on stage, or whether you start your own room.

The more you start getting involved in the app, the more that you give on the app, the more value you share on the app. And that is when you will start seeing your followers increase.

Followers vs. People You Follow

For you to see the room, there are two elements, you’ve got people who follow you. And then of course, there’s people that you follow, to get those amazing rooms in your hallway is totally dependent on the rooms that you follow.

Jillian Leslie 25:58
Or the people you follow.

Lisa Monks 26:00
It can be the club you follow or the people that you follow, or the interest that you select to follow. That is how your your hallway is curated. The algorithm will decide what rules to show you.

Based on one; the people that you follow the clubs that you follow. And just to clarify, clubs are much like Facebook groups where you create a group and then you have conversations inside the group. So, that’s what a clubhouse is.

And then of course, you can select all your interests. So, when you sign up to the app, you can go through and select all your interests. So, that will help curate your conversation.

That will help with your followers is definitely how you have to see those rooms. But then you have your people following you. And as I just mentioned, that happens when you start really getting involved in the app.

When you start having conversations with people, when you start giving value. So, e.g. you mentioned earlier that I have a daily room that I conduct. It’s clubhouse for newbies, we do it every single day, except Sundays here in Australia.

And just by way of, being present, consistently, and every day and giving value and helping every day, I have accumulated followers.

I’m only getting those followers because of the value that I give, and the stages that I’m on, and I’m making myself very visible. So, there are many different ways that people seem to be accumulating followers.

As like any other social media platform, there is always this sense of oh, I need to get lots of followers. I need to get lots of followers. But what I do say to people is, don’t get caught up in how many people are following you focus on who you are following.

Because when you focus on who you’re following, that is where everything else is going to come along for the ride. You are going to accumulate more followers.

Because if you’re following good, interesting people, that means that you’re getting up on stage and having good interesting conversations. And when you do that your follower count will increase.

Jillian Leslie 28:07
Yes. I like what you said. It can feel like Instagram, oh my god, how many followers do I have? And we were talking offline that you have to be really intentional with say, Instagram.

Instagram, you have 100,000 followers, that doesn’t mean you’re making $100,000. You have to really figure out how to translate that into money. And it’s the same thing on Clubhouse.

So, just because you’re on the platform 24-hours a day, and you’ve now accumulated all of these followers, you’ve got to connect the dots to make sure that you are able to monetize this.

And I don’t recommend you think to yourself, well you know what I’m going to do. I’m going to spend the first couple months growing my followers and then I’ll figure that out.

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I wanted to take a short break to again mention MiloTree and how powerful it is. Not only will it grow your real followers on Instagram, it will grow your real followers on Pinterest, YouTube, Facebook, email subscribers.

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How Clubhouse Can Grow Your Instagram Followers

Lisa Monks 29:29
What you want to do with Clubhouse is, it’s in its infancy stages. It is in its early days, it is still in beta and right now is an amazing time to grow as the platform grows and connect with people and start building those relationships.

And you’re right when you say that there are people that are monetizing it and when you talk about Instagram.

What is interesting about Clubhouse because of that whole element that there is no internal model messaging system within Clubhouse, you do have to connect your social media channels.

I have found that my Instagram is growing as a result of being on Clubhouse. But the difference is, generally your Instagram account will grow either through the value that you’re sharing on the platform.

Or the bot system that someone else has set up that they started following you. Whatever the case may be, your numbers on Instagram don’t really mean anything in my view. Unless it’s a very engaged connected 40 years.

Because anyone can have 100,000 followers does not translate as you said, they’re getting $100,000 in their bank account. But what I will say about people who connect from Clubhouse to Instagram, it’s a conversation that starts straight away.

There’s actually a conversation happening. it’s not just a follow, it’s a conversation that generally takes takes you somewhere else. Because for people to go from one platform to the other. It’s an effort.

Jillian Leslie 31:05
It is.

Lisa Monks 31:06
In a in a sense, it’s really not such an issue, you press a button and you’re there. But what I mean is, there’s not really many social media platforms that jump platform to talk to somebody else.

So, when you get somebody from Clubhouse over on your Instagram, you know that you’ve got a good follow up, you’ve got an engaged following. You’re having a conversation in direct messaging.

And as I say, the gold is in the DM’s. That’s where the magic happens is in the direct messages on any platform, really. So, that is where I’m seeing the opportunity. You are taking an engaged person who has heard you speak.

Who has wanted to hear more about you. Will connect with you on a level that you don’t generally get in a lot of the other platforms. And then you can develop that on it. So, you’re building two platforms, essentially.

You’re building your following on Clubhouse, and then it is just by way of that it’s growing on Instagram as well.

Jillian Leslie 32:05
Yeah, it’s like trickling down. It’s like the the juice happens on Clubhouse, and then it spreads to Instagram or Twitter.

And I’ve been using a lot more Instagram to connect off of Clubhouse. So, let’s talk about how people are making money on Clubhouse. What is your thought about that?

How to Monetize on Clubhouse

Lisa Monks 32:25
What I am saying, in the rooms that I am in and lucky that there are literally thousands of rooms happening any given moment, but I only see a tiny fraction of that. And it’s guided by the people that I follow. So, everybody’s hallway will look different.

And it’s totally, curated by the people that you follow. But some of the things that I’m seeing is it’s off platform that the monetization is happening, and we touch base on people connecting on Instagram.

So, there are various ways that people are monetizing. One of the most important aspects on how to grow your following on Clubhouse is your moderating skills in a room.

When you start your own room. How you moderate a room, how you run that room, how you get that conversation going. So, it was quickly identified early in the pace that if you were really really good moderator, you could conduct and hold a room very well.

And you can control the audience in the discussion in a very efficient and interesting way. People found that those moderating skills were highly sought out. If you were a good moderator people are reaching out to you to help moderate their rooms.

And there’s quite a few people on the platform who have exceptional moderating skills. And they have been helping other people who are perhaps very high level businessmen, entrepreneurs.

Your millionaires out there, the people who have high profiles are looking to have people control their rooms by them. So, they have monetized this and they are getting paid to be moderators on the platform.

And some people, I have heard. No, I don’t know numbers, but I’ve heard they’re earning a substantial income purely by having developed that skill as a moderator.

Now, this is quite interesting, because it’s opening up a whole new income stream for work. Like you had when social media started and you had your social media managers. That opened up a whole new career for many, many people.

This I can see the same thing happening in Clubhouse, your moderating skills are going to be so sought after. People will be paying for it. So, that’s one aspect that I’m seeing people monetize now.

Jillian Leslie 34:41
A moderator has to manage people raising their hands and helping the conversation move smoothly. And there are a lot of logistics. What does it take to be a good moderator? There are a variety of skills.

Lisa Monks 34:57
And of course it’s sort of very similar to an emcee. So if you were to bring an emcee to an actual event. That’s how our moderator works. You can have slightly different duties, on stages, what you could call.

You could align yourself like a really good moderator could be seen as an emcee as well. So, you are facilitating the conversation. But you’re also moving people around the stage. And it’s a really interesting concept.

There are people that are exceptionally good at it. And now they have monetized it in the sense that they’re getting paid to do that.

Taking that the next level, there are people have now put together courses, to train people to be moderators. So, they have monetized it in that way. That’s just one example of how people are monetizing the platform.

And you’ve got, obviously those that are very entrepreneurial, and they’re creating apps that help you with your profile picture.

Jillian Leslie 35:55
Yes.

Lisa Monks 35:57
On Clubhouse. And then of course, there’s just the natural, if you share value on the app, in whatever niche, whatever industry that you’re in, you’re obviously going to attract an audience.

And they’re going to tap away to your Instagram account or your Twitter account. See what you’re about, and then perhaps connect with you in the area that you are actually working in.

Whether for example, it might be social media strategy. If people know where to find me on Clubhouse, they would know that I’m a social media strategist. So, then I might touch base with me and say, Look, I need a strategy.

And that has happened. I’ve had a couple of people touch base with me, and and basically say, “Can you help me, I need to put a strategy in place for my social media?” So, there are those elements.

There are some monetization, there are other opportunities. Like, right now, I’m on your podcast, because you found me on Clubhouse. And so there are those sorts of opportunities that are opening up all the time.

I’m also thinking you’re going to see a lot of brand sponsorship.

Jillian Leslie 37:03
Yes.

Are Brands on Clubhouse?

Lisa Monks 37:04
And I think that’s definitely going to be an opportunity, I saw the first brand on there, just two days ago, MailChimp. MailChimp, is on as MailChimp.

Now, when the app first started, they said it was just going to be real people, like you and I on there having these conversations, because, as I said, it’s all audio. It’s difficult for a brand to have a voice because it is the person, it’s one person.

I did say MailChimp was on there. And the founders have said that there are a select few brands. So, I can see that really, becoming quite big in this space, as with every other social media platform. And the app itself is going to monetize.

So, you will see individuals harnessing the opportunities themselves individually. But you’re also going to see the app monetizing down the track that you currently cannot monetize on.

And what I mean by that is there’s going to be people will have clubs and there will be able to monetize their clubs. Whether that be by memberships or a tipping system, or whatever the case may be that is coming down.

And that is going to be built into the system for them to be able to do that. Currently it’s not there, but it is coming. The founders have said that is definitely in their plan to have a monetizing program for creators on this system.

Now a creator is somebody who has their own club, and start building up a community in the club and then providing value in content. So, they will down the track be able to monetize that.

Grow Your Email List with Clubhouse

Jillian Leslie 38:41
A couple things. A lot of what I have seen is if you have an opt-in, for example, and in your bio, you can put say, “Hey, if you want my guide to Clubhouse or to be a moderator, DM me the word moderator. And then I will send you a link to my free guide.”

And it’s a great way to grow your email list. And notice there are these shortcuts like DM me this word. And then I will look through my DM’s see that you DM-ed me. Send you that thing and also then I’ve built this relationship and I’ve gotten you on my email list.

Again, I think there is so much potential money in your email list is a way to sell. Or let’s say you sell a product, and you could say, “Hey, I’m talking about this product and if it looks good, DM me info or something and I will send you a link to the product.”

So, again it’s this weird roundabout way of conducting business, but because it slows it down. Like you and I having an individual conversation to get you on my podcast. All of a sudden you are building that know, like and trust along the way.

So, can you scale that, you might need an assistant who is going through your DM’s and responding to you if so many people are reaching out to you. But it’s a really interesting way to grow your business.

How to Get New Clients on Clubhouse

And the other thing is, I think if you are a coach, or you do any sort of teaching, those kinds of things, are great for you getting clients. So, I’m a yoga teacher and I talk about yoga and then hey, what I offer one-on-one Zoom yoga.com.

Book a free session with me and then hire me, I think there is a great way to be able to reach out to people one-on-one and sell your services.

Lisa Monks 40:36
Absolutely. And I guess that the benefit of Clubhouse and how I’m seeing a lot of people are using it and how it will definitely benefit them offline in their core work.

When I got on to the app, when it first started, what I was blown away by is the amount of information people were openly sharing.

Now, why were they sharing this because literally, you could jump into a room and it was like a high end mastermind that people would literally pay thosands and thousands of dollars for.

Because these experts in their particular field, were giving step-by-step strategy on how to do something. And you would think why are they giving that? Well, of course, because Clubhouse is ephemeral content.

And what does that mean is it disappears, as soon as that room closes, it is gone. You cannot record so, you can’t screen share on your mobile device and record it.

So, if you were not in the room, when you heard that information, and you weren’t taking notes, it is gone. I think that really added to well, it is part of what Clubhouse is. It enhances the desire, I think for people to openly share and be more giving.

Very much not so protective of their of their content. Because it disappears.

What we are seeing in Clubhouse is people giving, giving, giving huge amounts of value and information and teaching.

Lisa Monk

And by way of that you’re really building up that like and trust factor because you’re not asking for anything, you’re just giving, you’re sharing your information. As soon as you do that, people are going to jump onto your bio.

They’re going to want more of what you’re giving. And that’s where you capture the Legion that you were talking about like getting somebody into your email sequence. Getting them into the funnel to be able to then if they so desire, start working with you.

Or even just getting your freebie, your downloadable whatever the case may be. But what I have seen and I actually got delivered one just this morning, funny enough.

There’s somebody who I’ve been following on the app, and he is consistently giving value not only in Clubhouse, but on Facebook groups as well, sharing everything that he knows about Clubhouse.

And then he has generated and built all this information out and for the first time today, I see he has put it all together into a program that he is monetizing it. So, well, you can get this abcdefg. And it’s going to cost you xyz.

But because he has given so much value up until now you know it’s real, you know it’s genuine, you know it’s good stuff. So, you’re more inclined then to spend the money after you have seen them and heard what they share on Clubhouse.

People Share Unconditionally on Clubhouse

So, I guess what I’m saying is, the more that you give unconditionally on the platform, the more you are going to receive off of the platform. And that is where I’m seeing the benefit of Clubhouse.

Jillian Leslie 43:44
I couldn’t agree more.

Lisa Monks 43:46
It’s not a platform to sell on. It is a platform to help people to give to be open to facilitate conversations to introduce other people to other people who might be able to help each other. It really is a connecting and building relationship platform.

And when you do that, you feel that you get the benefits off of the platform. That’s where all the magic happens is off the platform.

Jillian Leslie 44:12
Absolutely.

Lisa Monks 44:13
You nurture those relationships from Clubhouse. And then it’s the opportunity outside of that really is amazing.

Jillian Leslie 44:20
Absolutely. It’s like test driving. It’s like, people are selling their $1,000 course and you’re like, oh my God, I’m going to put down $1,000. How do I know if this is really what this person says?

Well, then all of a sudden you get to hear that person and you again have that instinct, that feeling of like, do I like this person? Do I trust this person and do I think this person knows what he or she is talking about?

We do coaching and I say this to my group, give give give and I think it makes you start to believe in karma. That what you put out you get back. I believe this. And I think it’s a really good belief system to have in business.

So, that you’re not looking at the world through the lens of scarcity, you’re looking at the world through the lens of abundance. And I think Clubhouse is a perfect example of that. And the fact that people are having success on the platform really speaks to that.

Lisa Monks 45:25
Absolutely. But I will also say that Clubhouse can be a rabbit hole.

How to Avoid Getting Sucked Into Clubhouse

Jillian Leslie 45:30
That’s what I wanted to talk about next. Let’s talk about that, yes.

Lisa Monks 45:34
You can get on Clubhouse, and you can go down the rabbit hole, and hours and hours later, you can still be in rooms, you can be jumping from one room to the next. So, my recommendation is just to be intentional.

Because even though you can receive so much amazing information, you also have the opportunity to give and share and, teach other people and help other people.

But whatever course you choose to go in, be intentional about it, otherwise, you will lose yourself on Clubhouse. And you touched on it a short while ago with regards to the list, you know, building up a list.

So, if you’re on it for business, the intention should be there to obviously, put parameters in place for how long you’re spending and what you’re getting out of it.

Because there’s really no point you sitting in a room for hours and hours, if you don’t do anything with the value that you are receiving or giving in that room, it goes both ways.

So, if you are giving, giving, giving, that is wonderful, but be intentional on how you can then use that. And you touched on making sure that the email lists. People will say email is dead; it is not. It is not dead, you need to be growing your list.

And if you aren’t there for business, you are missing a massive opportunity. If you are not being intentional and connecting with people offline and nurturing them through a sequence.

Jillian Leslie 47:06
We can fall into the trap of thinking we’re building our businesses by quote unquote “learning.” And oh, I got to listen in this room about building courses. And then I got to listen in this room about TikTok and Instagram.

And weirdly, we can feel like we’re really working. And as you were saying, you’ve also got to take that knowledge and do something with it. So, if you are finding yourself in this feeling of like, no, no, this is like college.

I sit here, and I’m absorbing all of this knowledge, you have to also be honest with yourself to say, are you hiding behind quote unquote, “Learning?” And is there a certain point at which you’ve got to take this learning and put it into action?

Lisa Monks 47:56
Yes, yes, absolutely. So, if you are on the app for business purposes, definitely you need to be honest with yourself. You need to have a strategy, I guess, is what I’m saying and be very, very intentional with it.

Clubhouse Has Conversations About Every Topic

But I will also say Clubhouse is not just for the business operators. I know that we’re marketers. That’s the sort of area that we get drawn into is the whole marketing area. But there’s a whole other ecosystem there that is completely personal.

Whatever you want to talk about whether you are a mom and you want a mother’s support group, whether you are into a sporting activity. You love hiking, there’s hiking groups.

Whether you are into meditation, and you just want to sit in a room with others, that are meditating, there are these rooms. So, there’s not only the business aspect and the marketing aspect, that’s just an area that I’m drawn into.

But there’s just this whole ecosystem whatever conversation you want to have. You have the ability to either join a room, that is actually holding these conversations.

Or starting your own room and starting a conversation around whatever, it is that you wish to talk about.

Jillian Leslie 49:08
I love that, yes, yes. So, this is not just a business platform, any interest that you have. If you want to find other Australians, or if you want to speak a language, or anything, it’s like Facebook groups, it really is.

So, you’re a knitter, go find the other knitters and talk about it. And again, in this time where we are isolated, and we don’t have that same level of connection that we’re used to.

People on Clubhouse Are Kind and Considerate

It’s a really nice platform and people on it, for the most part I have found are very kind. Do you agree?

Lisa Monks 49:46
Oh, my goodness. I’m so glad that you touched on that because that is what I’m finding so refreshing about the app. Now, I’m going to be in all transparency and honesty. I’m going to say Facebook has been my jam.

It’s been my baby for many years, but especially the last year or so with what’s happening in the world. The political sphere, the COVID, everything, it just got a very noisy intolerant space to be in.

There was not a lot of empathy in a lot of what people put out there and it got very draining and very tiring. And what I am loving about Clubhouse is, I have not seen any of that. I’m sure there are rooms that do have that.

But all I have seen are people being very considerate of each other. People having dialogue like discussion, people are actually coming back to the table to have discussions, as opposed to posting your opinion on Facebook, or Instagram or Twitter.

And being very opinionated and not being accepting of anybody else’s views. What I am loving about Clubhouse is that people are being inclusive of other people’s views, and being able to have a discussion about it.

Regardless of what side of the discussion, you sit on what side of the table you’re sitting on. I’m seeing people come together for the first time and actually discuss, say, for example, politics.

I’m not going to talk about politics, but we all know it’s been a hot mess especially the last six months or so. And there are people that are now able to sit and actually have a conversation with each other.

Without it getting nasty, without it getting heated with bothunderstanding each other side or both being maybe not understanding it, but being respectful of it.

Jillian Leslie 51:40
Absolutely. So here is my last question. If I want an invitation, and I don’t have one, how do I get one?

How to Get an Invitation to Clubhouse

Lisa Monks 51:49
Okay, so if you want an invitation to Clubhouse, and you do not have one. Well, first of all, as we’ve stipulated really, you have to have an iOS device currently to be able to even receive an invitation.

So, what I would say to people is, let others know that one; you’re looking for an invitation. If you’re wanting to get on Clubhouse, put it out on your socials that you would love to get on Clubhouse.

Does anybody have an invitation to share because you need to be connected to somebody to get an invitation. What I would say is if you download the app, on your mobile device, and you can secure your username.

So, everybody can do that. Regardless of whether you’ve got an invitation or not, you can go essentially onto a waitlist. So, you go into your iOS app store, you download Clubhouse, you save your username.

Then you might say to a friend, if you have an invite, can you send it to me and then they will text message you the invite if they are on the platform. So, there’s that way of doing it.

Now, once you are connected, you both have to have your mobile number in each other’s phones to be able to. And just make sure your friends have got your current mobile number.

Because if they’ve got your work number in their in their mobile device, and they send it to your work number as opposed to your your mobile number, you’ve lost that invite, it’s gone, you can’t get it back.

So, always make sure if you’re connecting with your friends to make sure that the right telephone number, your mobile device number is in. So, there’s that way it’s invite only. So, your friends, invite your other friends.

If you’re in a group, if you’re a group of friends, and you want to get on what you can do is like an invite train. So, if you’ve got one friend that’s on the app, and you’ve got five friends that are dying to get on the app.

That one friend that is on the app can invite one friend, and then they can invite their next friend, and then they can invite their next friend. So, that’s a way of bringing your network of people onto the app.

Because as you know, you only get a limited amount of invites. When you first join you get two invites to share with your network.

Jillian Leslie 54:00
I keep getting invites and giving them out. So, reach out to me jillian@milotree.com and you can ask me if I have any invites and if I do I will happily share them with you.

So, Lisa share how people can follow you on Clubhouse.

I am @Jillian Leslie super easy to follow me on Clubhouse. And Lisa, how can people follow you on Clubhouse and then how can people reach out to you?

Lisa Monks 54:27
Okay, so you can follow me on Clubhouse by either just @LisaMonks or 2Socialmediagal. That’s my user handle is @Socialmediagal. That’s G-A-L on clubhouse or offline I’m ChipMonkMedia. Lisa Monks @ChipMonkMedia, on Instagram and on my Facebook.

So, you can reach out to me connect with me on Clubhouse and if you connect with me on Clubhouse and because you’ve heard us here on this podcast.

Then do send me a message on Instagram and say, I heard you on Jillian’s podcast. I’d love to connect with you on Clubhouse.

Jillian Leslie 55:08
Lisa, thank you so much for coming on the show.

Lisa Monks 55:11
Oh, it’s been an absolute pleasure, Jillian, thank you for reaching out.

Jillian Leslie 55:14
I hope you guys like that episode. I personally am finding Clubhouse to be a really interesting platform. It doesn’t feel like anything else. If you are on it and exploring it. I would love to hear what you think.

Please email me at Jillian@milotree.com and tell me how you’re using it. Also, please follow me on Clubhouse @JillianLeslie. I think it would be awesome to connect with you over there.

And I will see you here again next week.

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