Listen up! We’ve all heard the phrase “What’s old is new again.”
- Bell bottom = flares
- Midriff tops = crop tops
- Telephone party line = live audio rooms
Live audio is all the rage now. It’s the mash-up of old school and new school. First off the block was Clubhouse, now comes Live Audio Rooms from Facebook.
Tune in for a quick low-down on these 2 popular platforms.
Clubhouse Basics
While we were all in lockdown at the beginning of 2021, Clubhouse burst onto the scene. As an alternative to staring at a screen all day, Clubhouse provided an audio-only alternative.
This app allows you to drop in and listen while walking the dog, riding the train, or enjoying a break from webinars. In short: Clubhouse is an audio-based social media app. The company describes itself as “a new type of social product based on voice [that] allows people everywhere to talk, tell stories, develop ideas, deepen friendships, and meet interesting new people around the world.”
Listeners have the option to jump in and comment, come and go as they please. It’s almost like being at a travel industry mixer and working the room; joining conversations and moving along.
A cool option is available to host a fundraiser by using text-to-donate. Since there’s no in-app linking, 3rd party options like Pledge and others have cropped up.
Facebook’s Live Audio Rooms Basics
In addition to the basic features of Clubhouse, Facebook is also making podcasts available on the platform. Facebook users will find information on podcasts in the news feed and can comment, bookmark, and share their favourites. (Podcasting doesn’t have to be hard, tune in for tips to get started.)
The main difference between Clubhouse and Live Audio is that Facebook features notifications when your friends or followers join a room. The other main difference is that live captions are baked in. Plus, there’s a “raise a hand” button to request to join the conversation, and reactions will be available to interact throughout the chat.
Another difference is that hosts can select a charity or non-profit to support and the button to donate is baked right into the chat. No 3rd party tool is needed.
Other Audio Options
- Spotify has debuted its own live audio app, Greenroom;
- Stage Channels is now on Discord;
- Reddit introduced Reddit Talk;
- Twitter launched Spaces;
- LinkedIn and Slack are, reportedly, working on developing their own versions of an audio product
Bottom Line
Popular with celebrities, thought leaders, influencers and content creators, the question is whether you want to invest time and effort into this new opportunity. Is it just a flash in the pan? Will your fans and clients flock there?
The bottom line is to find where your tribe hangs out and be there! A simple survey will help discover if your peeps are tuning in to live social audio.
Catherine Heeg, International speaker & trainer, focuses on social media marketing strategies for the tourism and hospitality industry. Connect with her at www.cmsspeaking.com and socially.
