How Creators Are Earning Money Through Clubhouse

YouTube and Instagram have long been considered effective platforms for generating brand awareness via influencer campaigns. Now, just as marketers are getting a grasp on the ins and outs of influencer marketing on TikTok, a new audio-only app is paving the way for brand sponsorships.

According to Business Insider, Clubhouse, an invite-only app, is the latest to attract paid influencer content via sponsored rooms, event planning and tips through third-party services such as Cash App.

Sponsored live audio is still in the beginning stages, but with the number of weekly podcast listeners in the US having recently reached 80 million, it may behoove brands to consider how, and if, Clubhouse will fit into their influencer marketing mix.

For the uninitiated, Clubhouse was launched in April of last year and has since garnered over 2 million users. The app enables users to join rooms and listen in as moderators host conversations with invited guests. 

In February, Clubhouse announced the launch of its inaugural creator accelerator program. The app says it will mentor and sponsor 20 influencers via content creation guidance and equipment, plus a monthly stipend of $5,000.

Early influencer partnerships on Clubhouse have varied considerably, from beauty round tables to helping brand executives grow their audience in the Clubhouse community, influencers told Business Insider.

For makeup artist and micro-influencer Jaleesa Jaikaran, who has 27,000 Instagram followers and over 35,000 Clubhouse followers, the foray into Clubhouse meant a sponsored room in which she, the founder of a skincare brand and others had a conversation that “wasn’t trying to sell anything” and “felt very natural.” Jaikaran is also the founder of a Clubhouse room called “The Beauty Room” club, which has amassed 53,000 followers and 18,000 members.

According to Business Insider, one of Jaikaran’s previous sponsorships includes hosting a room with Business Wars podcast. In addition, an upcoming room she’ll host, “Beauty Trivia Night,” will be sponsored by O.P.I.

Micro-influencer and content creator coach Lisette Calveiro recently hosted her first sponsored room on Clubhouse, “The Value of Influencer Platforms.” She tells Business Insider that her starting rate for a sponsored Clubhouse room is $1,000, which includes an hour-long session with up to five panelists and at least four mentions of the brand. Whereas for an Instagram campaign, Calveiro charges between $2,000 and $4,000.

Like YouTube and Twitch creators, some Clubhouse influencers are earning money through tips from fans. For example, UK-based user Abraxas Higgins, who has 380,000 followers on the app, has his Cash App username listed in his bio. As a result, he occasionally receives a few hundred dollars from tips. This could lead to greater opportunities for creators to monetize their content, as Clubhouse said in early 2020 that it’s working on a native tipping program.