It’s the app that has people talking … literally.
If you love a chat, Clubhouse might just be the app for you. If you really love a chat, you might even want to think about starting your own room and moderating the discussion yourself.
If you haven’t heard about Clubhouse yet or are looking to learn a bit more, why not check out how to get started with the drop-in audio app?
Have you been lucky enough to receive an invite to Clubhouse? Not sure where to start? Are you familiar with the app but haven’t taken the step to start your own room? Let us run you through everything you need to know about starting and moderating a Clubhouse room.
Let’s take a closer look at how you can start a Clubhouse room and what it takes to be a great moderator.
Starting a Clubhouse room: Schedule vs Right Away
So, you’re ready to jump into Clubhouse and spark up a conversation? Not so fast! If you want to start a room, you have two options: schedule vs start a room right away.
Now, there is an important distinction between scheduling a room and merely starting one right away. Think of scheduling a room like a well-planned party.
When you schedule a room, you’ll have access to a shareable link, your followers will receive a notification, and you will also have the option to create a description.
Creating a room right away, on the other hand, is more deciding to have a party on the day of said party. When you start a Clubhouse room like this, you won’t get access to a scheduled room’s same features – no shareable link and no room description.
How to schedule a Clubhouse Room
As you can imagine, scheduling a room is a relatively simple process. All you have to do is follow these steps:
- Open Clubhouse
- Tap your events feed (this is the calendar icon at the top right of your screen)
- On this page, you’ll see all of your upcoming events
- In the top right-hand corner of your screen, tap the calendar icon with a plus icon
You should now see a new event screen. Simply follow the prompts to create your scheduled room. Here you can name your event, add a co-host, set the date and time, select a host club, and write a description for your event.
Note: your event name can be up to 60 characters long, and your description can be 200 characters long.
It’s important to keep in mind that your co-host will be able to make changes to your event, including removing people, changing the date and time, and even cancelling the event entirely.
When you’re finished with all your event details, the publish button in the top right corner will turn from grey to green, and you’ll be able to publish your event.
Once published, you will see options to share your event pop up at the bottom of your screen. To send a message about your event to other people, tap share. You also have the option to Tweet your event, copy a link, and add it to your calendar.
To view and edit your event, simply tap the calendar icon and tap Upcoming for You. Next, tap Choose My Events.
How to start a Clubhouse room right away
If you’re feeling a little spontaneous, you can choose to start a room right away. Once again, the process is straightforward. Simply follow these steps:
- Tap Start a room from your hallway
- Next, choose which type of room you’d like to start (open, social, or closed)
Note: open rooms are open to all Clubhouse users, social rooms are open to your followers, and closed rooms are for people you invite-only.
Next, tap + Add a Topic and give the room a topic. Unlike adding a description to a scheduled room, a topic is limited to 60 characters.
If you’d like to make a closed room public, you can do so by tapping Open It Up… at any time.
How to moderate your Clubhouse room
Much like the comments section on any social media platform, running a great room on Clubhouse is all about moderation.
The first (and critically important step) of moderating a room on Clubhouse is introducing yourself, letting people know what the room’s topic is, and setting some ground rules.
A great Clubhouse room, much like a great conversation, is all about flow. When moderating, you don’t need to rule with an iron fist; however, you need to be on the lookout for things that break your rules and people who cross the line.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when moderating a room:
- Depending on the type of room you’re running, you may need to reintroduce yourself and the rules as more people join.
- Don’t feel like you have to go it alone. If you think it will help positively ease your responsibilities, try adding a second moderator. Be aware that this person will have the same abilities as you.
- Start small. Moderating a room isn’t easy. Until you’ve got your own style and know your way around the app, start with a few small rooms and work your way up.
- Try and make sure the conversation stays on topic.
- It’s your job to manage the stage. As the moderator, you have the power to mute and unmute speakers at any time.
- Don’t be afraid to turn off the hand-raising feature. Questions are great, but there’s a time and a place for everything. If you have a big name on stage, you may want to turn off hand-raising until they’re ready to take questions.
- Don’t forget to end your room. All good things must come to an end. When you’re ready to end your room, thank everyone for joining in, and tap End Room.
Before you jump into moderating a room, however, why not try attending a few rooms first? The best way to learn is by watching some powerful moderators in action.
Now you’re ready to start and moderate your own Clubhouse room! A world of conversation and exciting perspectives await you. What are you waiting for?
