You’ve probably already heard of Clubhouse. Your junior employees are probably talking about it. Maybe your kids are on it. But what exactly is it? It’s social media’s new kid on the block. It’s a cool, exclusive, invite-only beta app that’s a mix between radio, podcast and Reddit. Users join audio-chat rooms where they can just listen or choose to participate. A bit like a live podcast where you feedback in real-time.

Although it’s nearly a year old, it started trending on Twitter recently when Elon Musk went on it to be interviewed by Vlad Tenev, CEO of Robinhood. Content is live, and once it’s gone, it’s gone, which gives it an energy unlike other platforms, except maybe Snapchat. Similarly, it’s currently operating on an invite-only basis while it finishes beta-testing, giving the platform a feeling like a real life “clubhouse”.

But what does this mean for businesses? Personally, I think it’s time for businesses to drop the corporate professionalism and give their brand a human face. After all, a business isn’t a building or a website; it’s a collection of people. The common theme of these developments in social media is that they’re not anonymous. To broadcast on Facebook Live or join a room in Clubhouse, you must be a real person. Instead of a company tone, businesses now need a company voice.

How this can be achieved isn’t set in stone. Many CEOs act as the face and voice of their company on social media. Others utilise their employees as brand advocates. What’s certain is that public speaking and performativity are going to be much more important going forward. My advice to businesses would be to join the club, put down the pen, and start talking.