Tobacco Business

[ 12 ] TOBACCO BUSINESS [ SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER | 21 ] STARTUP / MARKETING T There’s a new social media platform that businesses and consumers are clamoring to get involved with: Clubhouse. This invite-only platform banks on FOMO (fear of missing out) to grow its following, and its unique features set it apart from Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, three of the most popular social media platforms—each of which have attempted to launch new features in recent months to capture some of Clubhouse’s audience. Clubhouse is strictly audio-based, and users can start or take part in chat rooms built around any topic they want. This has turned Clubhouse into a hybrid of podcast and LinkedIn where entrepreneurs, professionals and celebrities alike are all creating mini lectures and discussion panels during which they dish out advice and offer tips and information on a wide array of topics. For tobacco industry professionals, Clubhouse is providing businesses and professionals with a new way to connect with new customers and to build a loyal audience with nothing more than spoken words. Amy Tejada, a tobacconist and the co-host of “The Lounge Experience” (TLE) podcast has been actively taking part in Clubhouse for months. When she and her co-host first found out about Clubhouse, they were instantly intrigued. “We explored the platform and felt like we were part of an interactive podcast,” Tejada says. “Clubhouse takes the best part of other platforms, such as Zoom, Instagram and Facebook, and gives themmuch more structure. That being said, we felt this was a great opportunity to be able to bring “The Lounge Experience” podcast to another level of interaction. As we interacted in different rooms, Clubhouse’s culture of allowing individuals to easily promote and expose their businesses felt like the perfect way to evolve much faster than the word-of-mouth marketing technique. Also, the fact that Clubhouse made it super simple to link to your other social media platforms on your profile made it very simple for other entrepreneurs to follow our business with a simple click or tap.” By actively taking part in Clubhouse and tapping into the different discussions taking place in various user-generated rooms, Tejada has discovered new professionals and entrepreneurs that have expressed an interest in learning more about her podcast. This is the great potential that Clubhouse has to offer tobacco businesses, which are constantly in search of new customers and connections across different business categories. Just by being an active Clubhouse user, you’re bound to make new connections through networking that can later be converted into new opportunities in different industries. Amy Tejada is a tobacconist and co-host of “The Lounge Experience” (TLE), a podcast that is available on Apple Podcasts and other podcasting platforms. How to Grow Your Business with Clubhouse Clubhouse is the new audio-based social media platform that everyone is talking about. Learn how to leverage Clubhouse’s best features to give your tobacco business a boost. Tejada offers the following three tips for ways that tobacco business owners and other professionals can go from Clubhouse newbie to Clubhouse pro in no time: • Keep your profile simple but clear. Your profile should be focused on your business and what your interests are. This will allow other followers and/or individuals to be able to learn right away if you are someone that will bring value and interest to their business or help them achieve their goal. • Be an active participant. When being part of a Clubhouse room, you need to interact, but most importantly, you need to get others in the room involved in the conversation. Your goal should be to learn about and highlight other users’ interests. You never know who you might be able to connect with in a Clubhouse room! People never forget the connections that are created. • Build a room for everyone. As with any social media platform, you should build a platform that is inclusive, fun and respectful. People will always be attracted to a space where everyone is listened to and appreciated. No matter who it is and what they do, the more inclusive you are, the more everyone will be willing to participate and be part of it. If you are invited to be part of Clubhouse, go all in and reap the benefits. Be willing to offer other users insight into your business, its brands and your professional expertise—this is one exclusive club that it pays to be part of. TB