Social audio became the savior of the socially hungry during the pandemic. But now that even the “new normal” is no longer “normal,” many businesses wonder if it’s still worth dabbling into social audio.
Let’s look into social audio in this blog, specifically:
• What Is Social Audio or Social Media Audio?
• Top Social Audio Platforms
• The Case of Clubhouse – The Fallen Champion of Social Audio Apps
• Discontinued Social Audio Platforms: Is Social Audio Coming to an End?
• How To Increase Followers on X To Build a Fanbase
• How To Create a Discord Server That People Can’t Help but Join
• How To Increase Social Media Engagement Through Social Audio
What Is Social Audio or Social Media Audio?
Social audio or social media audio is a type of social media that uses audio as its primary means of communication. This can include live conversation rooms, live audio events, voice messaging, audio creation and editing tools.
Voice-based social media appeals to many because it offers a frictionless user experience that allows people to connect with each other using the power of sound.
Top Social Audio Platforms
Voice-based social media platforms enable users to interact, share ideas and build communities in a more intimate and personal way than traditional text-based social media. For organization and safety, audio social media apps or platforms have built-in moderation systems that allow hosts to control who can speak and listen.
If you’re looking to explore voice based social media or voice marketing, here are social audio platforms:
Discord Stage Channels
A Stage Channel is a particular voice channel on Discord that allows you to create a more structured conversation. It can only be used in Community servers and can have up to five speakers and 1,000 listeners at a time. Stage channels are great for running events, such as server announcements and workshops.
X Spaces (Previously Twitter Spaces)
X Spaces is a live audio feature on X (previously Twitter) that allows users to have conversations with each other. Voice based social media Spaces can be created by anyone with an X account and can be public or private. Unlike Discord’s five speakers at a time, X Spaces has 11 speakers (13 if you have two co-hosts).
To add: LinkedIn launched its new social audio feature, LinkedIn Audio Events, early this year — read about it, along with three other updates, here.
The Case of Clubhouse – The Fallen Champion of Social Audio Apps
We can’t talk about social audio without looking into Clubhouse.
Image: Clubhouse
Clubhouse was a product of its time. The app was launched in 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. People were looking for new ways to stay connected beyond texting, and Clubhouse offered a way to do that. Despite being invite-only and iOS-exclusive, the voice-based social media platform quickly gained popularity, reaching a peak of 10 million monthly active users in just a year. Today, Clubhouse has a million users, which many even doubt is true.
But during its prime, the social media audio platform once prided itself on luring the likes of Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerburg to join Clubhouse. However, once lockdown restrictions were easing, people’s interest in Clubhouse waned. Critiques say Clubhouse was a victim of its own hype. They say the app was so hyped up that it was inevitable that it would eventually disappoint some people.
Aside from being touted as a “poster child of pandemic hype,” there were rumors that Clubhouse was not secure, further scaring users away.
Clubhouse continues to face an uphill battle to regain its former fame. In April this year, Clubhouse founders, Paul Davison and Rohan Seth, did a massive lay-off of over 50% of its “many talented, dedicated teammates,” saying they were “deeply sorry” to be making such an “absolutely necessary” change. Recognizing the work of those affected, Clubhouse listed the support they will give, including but not limited to four months of severance pay and continued healthcare coverage, laptops and immigration support for those with working visas.
The memo delved into the founders’ commitment to “resetting Clubhouse” to make it work in a post-COVID era with a “smaller, leaner team.” We have yet to see the company make a comeback with “Clubhouse 2.0”.
Discontinued Social Audio Platforms
The trend around social audio during the pandemic also paved the way for other audio social media apps and platforms to rise — and, likewise, fall. Here are other voice based social media that were discontinued.
• Facebook Live Audio Rooms – discontinued April 2022.
• Reddit Talk – discontinued March 2023.
• Spotify Live (formerly Spotify Greenroom) – discontinued April 2023.
As such, what’s popular today may not be popular tomorrow, and social media platforms need to be able to adapt to change to survive. That’s what we see here: big-name platforms saying goodbye to select features for voice marketing and engagement on social media.
So, Is Social Audio Coming to an End?
Despite the seemingly downward trend, it’s not doom and gloom for social audio.
Consider X Spaces and Discord Stage Channels for keeping their respective features for voice marketing and engagement on social media alive. It’s fair to say that while social audio is no longer “popular,” it’s still incredibly valuable for businesses looking to connect with niche markets.
Speaking of X and Discord, let’s look into how you can grow your socials on such platforms for audio social media engagement.
How To Increase Followers on X To Build a Fanbase
X Spaces (previously Twitter Spaces) are public, so anyone can tune in, including people who don’t follow you. Still, it would be more beneficial if you already had a fanbase. So, here’s how to increase followers on Twitter:
• Be interesting. Share content that people will want to read, watch or share. This could include news articles, funny videos, personal stories or even GIFs and memes.
• Use hashtags. Hashtags are a great way to get your content seen by more people. When you use relevant hashtags, your tweets appear in search results for those hashtags.
• Engage with others. Respond to replies, retweet interesting tweets and participate in conversations. This will help you build relationships with other users and attract new followers.
• Run intriguing polls. Polls are a great way to get people excited about your brand and attract new followers. You can ask “this or that” or “would you rather” questions to get public opinion.
• Promote your account on other channels. Let people know about your X or Twitter account on your website, email newsletter and other social media platforms.
How To Create a Discord Server That People Can’t Help but Join
If you’re yet to make a Discord server or want your Discord Stage Channels to be more successful, keep these in mind:
• Have a clear purpose. What do you want your server to be about? Your purpose will attract like-minded people.
• Make it easy to find. Use relevant keywords in your server’s name and description so that people can easily find it when searching for Discord servers.
• Spread the word. Share your server’s link on your social media pages and encourage your friends and followers to join.
• Throw a party. Hosting events and giveaways is a great way to attract new members and keep your existing members engaged.
• Be present. The more active and engaged you are on your server, the more likely people are to stick around.
• Use tools. Many bots and integrations are available that can help you automate tasks and make your server function more smoothly.
It takes time to build a successful X or Twitter presence and Discord server. Don’t expect to see results overnight. Just practice consistency, and you will eventually see more followers and members joining.
How To Increase Social Media Engagement Through Social Audio
Here are tips to help you grow your socials and ramp up engagement on social media, mainly through social audio.
• Choose the right topic. The first step to increasing social audio engagement is to choose the right topic. If you’re talking about something your audience is interested in, they’re more likely to join in and participate.
• Host interviews and panels. Hosting interviews and panels is a great way to bring new voices and perspectives to your social audio. Doing so helps to keep your content fresh and exciting and can also help you build relationships with other people in your industry.
• Be engaging. Like any other type of content, you must be engaging if you want people to listen to your social audio. This means being informative, funny or thought-provoking. You can also use music, sound effects and other audio elements.
• Ask questions. One of the best ways to get people involved in your social audio is to ask questions. This will encourage them to participate and share their own thoughts and ideas, making your social audio event more interactive.
• Interact with your audience. Don’t just talk at your audience. Take the time to interact with them and welcome questions. This will help you build relationships with your listeners and keep them coming back for more.
• Partner with social media experts. If you’re unsure how social audio can help your business, find a fitting or the best social media growth services experts and consult with them.
Grow Your Socials With Thrive
While social audio may not be the next big thing, it’s still beneficial for a niche. If you’re ready to experience the best social media growth services, message us.
