With the advent of the Clubhouse app in March 2020, the world of social audio grew dramatically practically overnight — and it certainly isn’t going anywhere.
If you haven’t been including social audio in your business’s social media marketing strategy, now is the time to change that.
This guide will teach you everything you need to know about social audio, from what it is to the benefits of each social platform and why you ought to incorporate it into your marketing strategy.
What Is Social Audio?
The term “social audio” refers to a type of social networking in which members use voices to interact rather than text or images.
Also known as voice-based social media, social audio allows users to record themselves telling stories or discussing trending topics. Members can also host “rooms” in which others can join them — either by listening to their stories or participating in the conversation.
Top Social Audio Platforms
Of all the social audio platforms, Clubhouse is easily one of the most popular. In March 2020, this invite-only app was launched as a way for users to talk to each other in virtual rooms.
This app gained a lot of traction, in part because of the COVID-19 pandemic. People were desperate for social connection during this time of stay-at-home orders, and the idea of joining in on conversations in a virtual room was very appealing.
Beyond Clubhouse, there are plenty of other social audio apps worth using, including the following:
Facebook Audio Rooms
In 2021, Facebook decided to expand its reach by introducing a variety of audio services. This includes live audio rooms, which created spaces for Facebook users to connect with and talk to people on their friends list.
Twitter Spaces
Twitter Spaces came on the scene in June 2021. This service lets members who have 600 or more followers host their own audio spaces, similar to Clubhouse rooms.
Spotify Greenroom
Spotify Greenroom is the popular music and podcasting app’s response to the growing social audio trend. It is a live social audio app that allows artists, athletes, podcasters, and their fans to have conversations about the topics that matter most to them.
Discord
The Discord platform features voice channels, which allow users who are part of the same chat server to communicate via voice rather than typing. This feature is particularly popular for gamers who want to talk with other players.
Social Audio
Social audio is a new app that’s similar in many ways to Clubhouse. It is unique, though, because its creators aim to establish a safer social audio space with ongoing moderation. The app’s abuse reporting system is up 24 hours per day, 365 days per year, which helps to protect creators from potentially being harassed or bothered by listeners.
Benefits of Social Audio
Have you been on the fence about using social audio as part of your business’s marketing strategy? Are you confused about how it can help you to build your brand?
If you said “yes” to either of these questions, consider the following benefits:
Less Competition
Social audio is definitely trending in 2022. However, lots of businesses are still hesitant about jumping into this new style of content creation.
This is good news for you because it means there’s less competition on the platform.
Think about how hard it can be to get noticed on saturated platforms like Instagram or Facebook. The situation is totally different when it comes to newer platforms like Clubhouse and Spotify Greenroom.
More Nuanced Conversations
Social audio creates a space for you and your team to have more nuanced conversations with your audience.
There’s only so much information you can fit into an Instagram caption or even a blog post. When you host conversations in a Clubhouse room or a Facebook audio room, though, you have plenty of time to talk about issues that are relevant to your business or provide value to your audience.
Increased Credibility
By going in-depth and creating more nuanced content for your audience, you will be able to increase your business’s credibility and show people that you know what you’re talking about. Establishing and increasing your credibility may make it easier for you to attract new customers, increase customer loyalty, and boost conversions over time.
Expanded Reach
Hosting discussions on social audio platforms allows you to expand your reach and connect with people who may never have known about your business otherwise.
Some people might not be interested in apps like Facebook or Twitter. However, they may be interested in listening to in-depth discussions on apps like Clubhouse or Social Audio.
Increased Engagement
Engaged audiences have stronger and more meaningful relationships with their favorite brands.
When you create new ways for your audience to engage with your business and connect with your team, you increase the likelihood that they will choose your brand over another. You’ll also increase the likelihood that they will recommend your brand — as well as your social audio content — to their friends and family members.
Less Ad Saturation
Right now, there are not as many ads on social audio platforms as there are on other social media channels.
The users of these apps, in general, are not fans of ads, and they may even steer clear of them because they’re tired of feeling like they’re constantly being sold new products or services. Because there are fewer ads on social audio platforms, there is less of a chance of users developing ad fatigue.
Furthermore, you can also use social audio platforms to promote your brand in new ways.
You don’t have to directly advertise a particular product or service to get people interested in what your business has to offer. You can use indirect methods — such as casually mentioning a product when answering a user’s question — and catch people’s attention more subtly.
Increased Learning Opportunities
Finally, social audio gives you a chance to learn from your audience and find out what they value.
When you interact with your audience in real-time, it’s easier to connect with them, learn about their preferences, and gain ideas for how you can improve your content — and your business as a whole — moving forward.
How to Use Social Audio for Marketing
Do any of these benefits appeal to you? If so, it might be worth it for you to spend some time creating a social audio marketing strategy.
Here are some tips to help you get started:
Choose the Right Platforms
Start by deciding which social audio platforms you want to use for your brand.
You don’t have to have a presence on every single platform right off the bat. However, you should pick a few that you think are most relevant to your audience.
You may even want to poll them on social media or via email to find out which platforms they’re already using.
Listen First
Before you dive in and start posting content on certain social audio platforms, it’s important to listen and find out what kinds of content is already being posted.
Drop into some rooms or spaces that are relevant to your business or your audience and take note of the topics they’re discussing. Consider joining in the conversations, too (in a non-salesy way, of course), so you can start building relationships.
Create a Discussion Schedule
Sit down with your team and create a discussion schedule for the next few months.
Think about how often you want to host discussions on the platform, then decide which topic you want to cover during each discussion. You may want to create an outline or some talking points to keep you on track during the conversation as well.
Establish Ground Rules
Many conversation hosts create ground rules to ensure their rooms or spaces are safe places for productive discussions. For example, you might set rules like “be kind to others,” “be respectful to those who are speaking,” “do not interrupt,” or “do not use explicit language.”
Partner with Influencers and Experts
If you’re looking for an easy way to expand your reach and attract more people to your social audio content, consider partnering with influencers or experts in your field. Letting people know that they’ll be attending your discussions will increase the likelihood that they’ll want to show up and hear what you have to say.
Be Consistent
Remember, it may take a while before you start to build an audience and get a significant response from your social audio content. Be consistent and stick with it, though.
Over time, people will start to show up regularly and in larger numbers, and you’ll begin seeing more engagement and conversions from your efforts.
Get Started with Social Audio Today
Are you ready to tackle the world of social audio and use it to take your marketing strategy to the next level?
If so, start by following the steps outlined above. They’ll help you to create a social audio plan and set your business up for long-term success.
For more information on using audio to increase your reach, check out the Socialistics podcast. Start by heading to this blog post to access our episode on leveraging public speaking to build your brand.
