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Social media app Clubhouse has been making waves since its launch. Abra Dunsby hears from three travel professionals who have joined the Club
Fancy listening to Elon Musk’s musings on business? Or hearing marketers’ tips on sharpening your social media skills? You can hear it all for free on Clubhouse, a social audio app where you join “rooms” and can take part in discussions with everyone from influencers to entrepreneurs.
The app launched in April last year and has since boomed, with 10 million users.
Savvy travel professionals are tuning in to gain knowledge, forge connections, establish expertise – and even win bookings. Here, we catch up with three agents who share their thoughts on the platform and explain how others can also harness it as a business tool.
Duncan Greenfield-Turk, founder of @luxurylondonguy and member of the Global Travel Collection, joined Clubhouse last April “to connect with people and see what opportunities it would bring”. Now, he speaks regularly on the platform as a panellist and has secured new business from it.
“I converted around seven enquiries early on, which was great – it was more than I’d had through Facebook and Instagram in the last 18 months,” he says.
While generating sales is an obvious perk, Greenfield-Turk says it’s not his main reason for using the app. “I use [it] to connect with peers and open conversations that fuel positive change in our industry and the wider world,” he explains, adding that he has focused on talking about his niche of selling luxury-focused LGBT+ travel, as well as offering listeners travel advice during the pandemic.
The opportunities for networking on Clubhouse are impressive, he adds. “You can network with suppliers and the agent community, and also engage with customers on a more personal level as the conversation is live,” he says.
“For example, I met someone who runs a safari DMC in South Africa – I’d never have met him otherwise and hopefully we can start working together.”
Kate Holroyd, director of Strawberry Holidays, also joined Clubhouse last spring and regularly listens and contributes to discussions around her niches of cruise and Disney.
“I diarise and join around three or four discussions a week: The Disney Travel Club, Disney Addicts Club and The Atrium Cruise Chat or Cruise Hour. They’ve been fab for up-to-date training, and it’s a fun way to make connections,” she says.
She adds the audio-only format makes it easier to join than video-focused platforms. “I like that you get to be live without showing your face. For people who feel comfortable on the phone, like agents, it’s a really good channel.”
She also believes it’s a great platform to help agents build credibility as experts. “You can build authority very quickly by taking part in discussions,” she says.
Holroyd ensures her clients and contacts know when she is joining a Clubhouse room by taking pictures of the sessions or making short video snippets and posting them on her social channels. “People that run the rooms will then share my posts. It widens our audience and builds authority,” she explains.
As well as joining travel-related rooms, Holroyd has joined a North-west Business Board room. “I’ve connected with various people on there including a law firm director who is keen to use me for the company’s travel,” she says.
Meanwhile, the travel-related Clubhouse rooms have helped connect her with influencers. “They can recommend me or refer questions to me from their community,” she says, adding that joining the platform will “lead to sales, through me promoting I’m on there to clients or through the platform itself”.
She advises other agents to “join rooms related to their niche” and look out for GMT times, as some room discussions are on US time.
“I really enjoy immersing myself in the platform,” she concludes.
Keith Herman is chief executive of Trending Travel, an agency that launched during the pandemic, working with influencers to promote holidays.
He says joining Clubhouse as a listener and on panels was a no-brainer for a company that champions social media. “I’ve listened to loads of social media Clubhouse rooms and gone back to my team saying, ‘we need to do X, Y and Z.’ It’s great for gaining knowledge. It’s also helped me build my brand.”
He agrees with Greenfield-Turk and Holroyd that making connections is another perk. “I’d describe it as an audio LinkedIn. I’ve come across some interesting people on the platform and connected with suppliers and hotel representation companies,” he says.
He believes it is a great tool for agents to inspire and reach potential new customers too. “If you can get a following, start a Clubhouse room with interesting inspirational content,” he advises, adding that it’s best to run a room at the same time every week to secure a loyal following.
Herman plans to create his own room for Trending Travel, where the team will “help customers every week by offering holiday tips and hints, even prizes”.
He adds that making points on Clubhouse has helped him acquire confidence as a public speaker. “It’s subconscious media training; you learn to listen to people, and have awareness about what you’re saying. “I’d advise agents to try it out for a month,” he says. ”You’ll definitely get something out of it.”
TTG IS ON CLUBHOUSE! Join TTG Travel Hour on Fridays at 1pm to join the travel discussion and hear news updates and commentary from the TTG team.
Be yourself: On Clubhouse, people are looking for an escape from the polished nature of other social platforms. Drop the persona and be yourself and you’ll attract others on your wavelength, relationships will form and rewards will follow.
Learn from the experts: Join rooms focused on your knowledge gap or participate in those beyond the realms of travel and gain wider perspectives. You’ll be surprised how much valuable information industry leaders relay in these conversations, so be sure to take notes!
Get involved: When you participate in a room, add value to it. Ask a thought-provoking question, share a tip or offer your solution to a problem. One great question or point can often lead to a number of followers.
Find your niche: Create a bio that tells people exactly who you are and what they’ll gain from joining your room, and use it to light up conversations that reflect your USPs.
Don’t sell: This is a platform to contribute to and learn from. Hard sells are off-putting, plus if you’re savvy in your approach, sales will follow naturally. Be strategic and tactful with your communications, position yourself as an expert, build trust and nurture relationships. The return for this is far larger than your sales pitch.
