Blog

Overview:

* Clubhouse is a new social network focused on user interaction via voice chat. Available only on iOS devices so far, the app reached two million weekly active users in a very short time.

* After attracting significant attention, Facebook reportedly became interested in developing a similar app, increasing competition in the segment.

* Building an app can increase your company’s competitiveness and grow the number of customers using your service; learn how to have your own app.

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The recent launch of Clubhouse as a new social network raised alarms at major companies headquartered in Silicon Valley.

With a large volume of users joining the platform in a short period of time, Facebook is reportedly developing a similar app to compete with Clubhouse.

The information comes from The New York Times. According to the outlet, two sources close to the matter said the Menlo Park company asked its technology team to build a prototype modeled after Clubhouse.

According to the report, the app is still in early production stages and does not yet have an expected launch date.

Considering Facebook’s history, the rumor is plausible. This is not the first time the company has built a product to compete with rivals.

One major example is Stories.

After Snapchat’s founders refused to sell the company to Facebook, Facebook implemented a similar feature across its apps—on Facebook itself, on Instagram, and also on WhatsApp.

In addition, to compete with TikTok, the brand also developed Reels.

It’s clear that Facebook’s number of active users has been declining in recent years, largely due to Instagram’s popularity and TikTok’s exponential growth online.

In that context, the arrival of a new social network increases competition and attracts users—especially because it brings something new. Until Clubhouse, there was no major platform focused specifically on voice chat.

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Could Clubhouse become the new corporate-focused social network?

Founded in 2020 by entrepreneurs Paul Davison and Rohan Seth, Clubhouse is another promising Silicon Valley company.

Still in testing, the platform is a social network where users can interact via audio, enabling conversations with celebrities, public figures, or with friends.

It works like a large forum: users can create themed rooms with many participants and debate topics of all kinds—from sports to corporate discussions.

It’s common to find many groups discussing technology topics such as software development, innovation, and methods to grow a business, for example.

These conversations are often led by well-known names in the space, and the platform can also serve as a powerful networking environment among users.

In addition, because it is a real-time social network, it’s also common to find chats about the stock market, since the dynamic speed of information flow is one of the platform’s characteristics.

Even so, despite being promising, the social network is still not very inclusive—mainly because it is not available on Android devices and also because it does not offer safer policies for companies and brands to use the app.

As a result, it is not yet possible to have official organization profiles, which creates dependence on representatives using their personal accounts to create rooms and discussions about certain topics—something that can limit adoption by larger companies.

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Gain a competitive advantage by developing an app for your company

Facebook’s tactic of building a similar app to what is popular today is an interesting strategy for anyone seeking to revive growth and revenue.

It’s not yet clear whether the company will build a standalone app, a web system, or a Progressive Web App (PWA).

However, any of these solutions could bring new users to the Facebook ecosystem—especially because the company does not have a social network focused on the corporate environment, since LinkedIn is owned by Microsoft.

According to Gartner, technology investments in 2021 are expected to grow by around 6% compared to last year, reaching approximately US$ 3.9 trillion and signaling a recovery in the sector.

Already established in our lives, daily app usage is only expected to increase in the coming years.

Have you ever imagined what it would be like if your business had its own custom app?

Talk to an X-Apps specialist now to clear up your questions or request a quote.

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