Episode 176: Why Every Entrepreneur Should Be On Clubhouse with Megan Porta

Hey Eat Blog Talkers! It’s just you and me today and in this solo episode I am going to tell you why I think food bloggers should be on Clubhouse, as well as quick tips about how to navigate the platform. 

If you would head over to itunes to subscribe, rate and review EBT I’d be so grateful. It literally takes 2 minutes to do this.. Those 2 minutes of your time are SO appreciated.. And they also add value to EBT, so thank you.. I’m really so grateful for every single person who takes the time to do this.

I’m going to throw in a plug for the EBT membership here because NOW is the time to join.. if it has been on your radar AT ALL. I will tell you that I have some really big plans coming up for members.. I will also tell you that because of the increase in value that will be going inside the membership in the next few months, the cost will be increasing. If you’d like to lock yourself in for a year at $170, do that now because this price will be going away soon. 

Just to give you a few little teasers to get your interest piqued (and this is all stuff coming SOON, but that is not quite available YET).. We will be doing one-on-one strategy calls to ensure you are actually MEETING those big goals you have for your business. We will be doing more mastermind-style calls where you can work through challenges with me, as well as your peers. We will be bringing in guest speakers who bring serious VALUE to the table. As well as some other goodies..

Go to EBT.com to secure the lowest price you are ever going to get as a member. I can’t wait to see you inside!

It’s time to chat CLUBHOUSE!

What is Clubhouse? 

If you aren’t on the platform, a quick description might be in order. Clubhouse is an audio-only app that allows you to listen in on conversations about a variety of topics. Think of it as an audio-only conference where you can peek into any room to hear what is being discussed. You can duck out any time, you can listen and absorb the information shared, and you can even raise your hand and potentially get called up on stage and chime in on conversations. 

Why Clubhouse?

I want to preface this next part by telling you that I was REALLY hesitant at first to get on board because I have an extremely full plate and I couldn’t fathom adding one more thing to my list. I’ve avoided tiktok for this same reason and I’m always eager to ELIMINATE distractions from my life instead of ADDING them.

There is a membership I am a part of that is totally unrelated to food blogging and the people inside this group kept talking about the value of Clubhouse and how every entrepreneur should be on the platform. I heard this talked about at least 4 times before I even began considering checking it out myself.

Here is what these fellow entrepreneurs were telling me about the platform and these are the same things I’ll tell you about why I think you should join.

• Be an early adopter. It’s a relatively new platform (created during the initial 2020 quarantine), so being an early adopter will benefit you. Remember when Instagram and Pinterest were new? The bloggers who leveraged that “newness” and swept into the scene early were rewarded with traction, views and traffic. I was one of those bloggers talking about Pinterest specifically and it is the top reason I have managed to get so much traffic over the years (because I literally didn’t put effort in anywhere else for a very long time). I believe this same concept will apply to Clubhouse. Get in early before weird algorithms complicate things!
• Expand your brand. There is so much opportunity to expand your brand QUICKLY in Clubhouse. I have only been on the platform for a few weeks and I have been live in rooms with Amy Porterfield, Tiffany Haddish, Pat Flynn, John Lee Dumas and SO many other wildly successful people. These people are SMART, SUCCESSFUL and they are inside the platform, willingly providing FREE information in real time. There is no other way in the world to get direct access to people like that. I’ll talk about how the rooms work in a bit, but depending on the size of a room you are in there is even opportunity to TALK to these amazing people and ask them direct questions about your business. I was in a large room the other day, in all honesty because I saw that John Lee Dumas was inside and I do my best to listen to everything he has to say. In the room, he mentioned that he was offering to be a guest on a select number of other podcasts as a way to promote his book. I immediately sent him an email and got on his calendar. Having him as a guest on Eat Blog Talk has always been a dream of mine and it wouldn’t have come to fruition without being on Clubhouse. Or maybe it would have eventually, but it would have been a lot harder to do.
• Networking. Networking is huge on Clubhouse. As I mentioned, I have only been using it for a few weeks and have already connected with people who were not at all on my radar. It is a place for like-minded people to meet, and on a wide array of topics. I recommend going there to acquire food blogging information, but there’s so much more than that. If you have an interest in absolutely anything, you will find other people on Clubhouse who want to know about it, too. As you already know, networking is so important for staying mentally healthy as well as for growing a business.

How do I get on?

There are a few things you need to know before you sign up:

1. It is an invite-only platform.
2. You need to own an iphone.

Why the exclusivity? My guess is that creating a sort of secret, guarded place stirs up intrigue. And it’s working because so many people want in.

Existing CH users can extend invites to other iphone users, but invites aren’t given out freely. Users need to “earn” invites by engaging inside rooms or hosting rooms of their own.

If you want to gain access to CH and know an existing member (and have an iphone!), ask them to extend an invitation to you. They will also need to know your cell phone number. It’s as easy as that.

Clubhouse Tips

Once you’re inside, it can be a little bit overwhelming at first just as any new place can be. Here are a few tips:

• Fill out your profile immediately. Other members will get to know you by viewing your profile, so be sure to do this right away. Explain what you do, what your interests are and what your most prized accomplishments are. It doesn’t need to be long, just give an overview of yourself and your business. Think of it like this.. If you were in a live room with your favorite successful entrepreneur, what would you want him or her to know about you in 10 seconds or less? 
• There is no video. The entire platform is audio-only, so no one will ever be able to see you. 
• Entering rooms doesn’t mean you’re walking onto a stage. When you enter a room, you cannot be heard right away. This was a worry of mine at first. Once you enter, your profile picture pops up at the bottom of the audience list. You can then listen to people talk and determine if it’s a topic you want to continue listening to. If you enter a small room (less than 50ish people), there is a good chance you could go up “on stage” and ask questions or contribute to the conversation. In larger rooms, there is usually a queue of people waiting to go on stage so your chances of engaging with the speakers is less likely. 
• How to get on stage. When you‘re ready to speak, “raise your hand” by tapping the hand icon at the lower right portion of your screen. That alerts the moderators that you’d like to go on stage. By the way, “stage” is the area at the top of each room where people can converse with one another. If you are in the audience, at the bottom of your screen, you cannot converse. Once the moderator approves your request, your photo moves from the audience section to the speakers’ panel and you can unmute your mic when prompted to ask your question. Side note: This is something I learned the hard way. When you are approved to come onto stage, your microphone automatically turns on. Be aware of that so you can mute until the moderator prompts you to speak. 
• The moderators are in charge. Rooms have different rules, but generally speaking you should allow the moderators to prompt you to speak, once you’ve been brought on stage. You wouldn’t step onto a physical stage at an in-person conference and take over the conversation. It’s the same thing with Clubhouse. The moderators are in charge of their rooms, so allow them to guide you about how and when to speak.
• Fill out your interests. When you sign up for Clubhouse you will have the opportunity to select a few topics you are interested in. CH will prioritize these topics for you and offer rooms in your feed that align with your interests. 
• Don’t be afraid to speak! There’s value in listening, but you will quickly expand your circle when you bravely put yourself in a place where you can interact with experts. When you’re comfortable, raise your hand and join in on a discussion. You will earn invites this way and like I’ve already mentioned, it’s a great way to get direct access to some really smart people and really great advice. 
• Host a room of your own. After you speak in a few different rooms, your CH confidence will be built up a bit and you’ll be ready to host your own room. Click the green “start a room” button at the bottom of your screen, type in a title/date/time and invite like-minded friends or peers in to discuss your topic of choice with you. 
• Follow people whose information you love. Be sure to follow people whose information you trust and respect. The more follows you give, the more you get. Also, the more you put yourself out there by either speaking or hosting a room, the more follows you will get.

People are on CH to LEARN and you have something to teach! We all do. Even if you think nobody could possibly care to learn about the things you have to share, you are wrong. You’ll be amazed at the niches you can find on CH. There’s something for everyone.

Which leads me to the last thing I’m going to say about CH, which is this: push past the boundaries of food blogging and involve yourself in “bigger” discussions. A lot of us are business owners and there are a LOT of discussions that fall under that very broad category that can help to propel your food blogging business forward. Join a discussion about email marketing or mindset or self care or photography or anything else that is going to help you grow and learn. It all counts and it will all collectively contribute to your success.

I’ve started hosting food blogging themed rooms, so follow EBT on Instagram to get more information about those, but I so strongly encourage you to get to know people on the platform who have nothing to do with food blogging. You might find that you learn even more from them than you do from someone fully immersed in our world. 

I’m @meganporta on CH, so hop on and find me when you’re ready! If you’re already there, find me now and let’s connect. I’m happy to join any room you host to support you. I’d also love for you to contribute to rooms I host, but mostly, I’m just excited to see your business grow immensely from this platform. It’s not just another distraction. It’s 100% worth your time, in my opinion.

See you guys over there! And back here on the podcast, too, obviously. Thank you so much for listening, amazing food bloggers. See you next time!

176: Why Every Entrepreneur Should Be On Clubhouse with Megan Porta

Clubhouse is the new, audio invite-only platform that everyone is talking about. You might be avoiding it because it’s ONE MORE THING to distract you, but if you are an entrepreneur who is serious about growing your brand, you should be on Clubhouse.

– Being an early adopter will benefit you.

– It will help you expand your brand.

– Your circle of influence will grow rapidly.

– You’ll find that there are people wanting to learn what YOU have to offer, too.

Don’t push this one aside! Ask a friend for an invite today and listen in on some truly valuable real-time discussions.