Why Social Audio is on the Rise – and What You Should Do About it

The trend of social audio is beginning to go beyond just the popular app, Clubhouse. Recently, research analyst Jeremiah Owyang published significant research on the rapid rise of social audio. His research underscores how big the opportunity is for businesses to be more relevant in a digital-first world.

What is Social Audio?

Owyang’s post “The Future of Social Audio” shares an overview of the astounding number of companies providing social audio. They include Clubhouse, the hottest new social audio app in the world right now; Twitter Spaces, which is in beta right now; and dozens more. In addition, Owyang reports that Facebook is developing its own social audio experience. With social audio, people connect through conversation, and chat rooms are opportunities for people to share thought leadership. Owyang says that social audio is popular because it’s the “Goldilocks” medium for the 2020s: “Text is not enough, and video is too much; social audio is just right. It represents the opportunity for social connection and empathy without the downsides of video.”

Owyang believes that as social audio matures, it will become embedded everywhere, including brands’ websites:

“ . . . we will see live conversations embedded on every single webpage, article, and beyond. Using APIs, these social audio conversations will be available as users read articles, watch shows, play games, and traverse the physical world. Imagine reading an article, then choosing to listen to experts discuss the content in real-time or hear opinions recorded from your trusted circle. Users could leave voice messages or recorded conversations in physical locations like the geocaching community leaves physical items.”
 

How Can Brands Incorporate Social Audio Into Their Digital Strategy?

Meanwhile, what are the opportunities for brands to tap into the power of social audio today? Owyang provides an answer in the newly published “20 Ways Businesses Will Engage Social Audio.” The possibilities are exciting! They include:

• Event Sponsorship and Promotion: Sponsor an on-platform “event” (conversation, room, etc.) that aligns with an in-person event or another online event. Or, host a brand-sponsored conversation with influencer hosts.

• Brand Ambassadorship: Enlist brand ambassadors to act on your company’s behalf, embodying your brand lifestyle. Ambassadors participate in relevant conversations organically to burnish brand perception. Owyang says that ambassadors and influencers may overlap in your advocacy strategy; be transparent in terms of sponsorship.

• Employee Support: Conversations moderated by company employees where customers can voice complaints, concerns, and problem-solve. Note: he does not recommend setting up social customer care on Clubhouse or other platforms yet. They’re not ready to scale, and it will simply teach customers to yell louder to be heard.

How Can Investis Digital Help?

For brands trying to figure out where to amplify their story, keeping track of constantly evolving apps can be bewildering. Clubhouse did not even exist until 2020. But not every app or platform matters equally to every brand in your quest for reaching the right audiences at the right time.

Instead, we recommend that businesses examine how social audio plays into a Connected Content strategy for building awareness, converting customers, and building relationships. Achieving awareness on the hot app of the day may be exactly what your brand needs -- or not. It depends on how each digital touchpoint helps you build and strengthen a customer relationship. To learn more about how social audio may help you build your brand, contact Investis Digital.