Talking about domain investing on Clubhouse

Everyone is talking about the hot new social media app Clubhouse. Clubhouse is like a call-in radio show where people get together to talk about just about anything: music, relationships, entrepreneurship, technology and, yes, even domain name investing. 

In fact, there might be several “rooms” on Clubhouse talking about domain names at any given time. 

Let’s take a look at the types of domain discussions on Clubhouse and how you can get involved.

Types of domain discussions on Clubhouse

Clubhouse users are a creative bunch. They’ve come up with lots of ways to use the platform for discussion and even commerce. Here are the types of domain investing conversations you’ll find on Clubhouse.

• General discussions – Let’s start with the basics. Many of the domain discussions are just general chats involving domain investors. These conversations can be unwieldy, covering everything from what domains people have recently registered to tips about scoring the best expired domains. Don’t be surprised if they go off-topic into what someone had for breakfast! Jump into one of these rooms to learn but also to connect with other domain name investors.

• Sales – These rooms usually have a headline like “Buy and Sell domains” or “$50 .COM”. People are invited to pitch their domains for sale and other people can agree to buy the domain. It’s up to the seller and buyer to consummate the sale off of Clubhouse afterward.

• Auctions – Domain auctions are a fun way to buy and sell domain names. Clubhouse users quickly figured out that Clubhouse is an excellent platform for auctioning off domains. Moderators control the list of domain names being auctioned and people can bid up the domains live. Some of these rooms require names to be submitted in advance, while others invite users to pitch their domains live. Be sure to listen in on an auction room to understand how it works before trying to auction your domain.

• Registration battles – These are collaborative rooms where domain name investors try to find the best unregistered domain names. Domain investors explain the resources they’re using to find domains and their thought processes. The room often selects a winner — the person who registered the best domain — at the end.

• Niche domain investing – Some rooms are more specific about the type of domain investing. They might focus just on .COM or another top level domain, such as country code top level domains. Others focus on a niche, like crypto-related domain names. 

• Specific domain topics – The final type of room is one with a very specific topic, such as how to get the most out of a particular domain name marketplace or how to park your domain names.  Other rooms will be moderated discussions with panelists discussing a specific topic, much like you’d see at a conference.

Some active domain investing clubs are Domain Club, DomainInvesting247, and DomainSherpa. 

Getting started on Clubhouse

If you’ve ever used an online forum, you know that places where people communicate online have rules — both written and unwritten.

Clubhouse is similar. It takes a bit of time to get the hang of it. Here are some tips to have a positive experience on Clubhouse.

• Lurk first – Each Clubhouse room has three sections. The people at the top are those who can speak. The people below them are followed by the speakers but aren’t allowed to speak. At the bottom are people listening but aren’t followed by the speakers. Anyone can raise their hand to be invited to speak but the room moderators must accept them. Listen before you raise your hand to be invited to speak. Get a feel for the room’s decorum before you ask to talk. You don’t want to be the person who breaks an unwritten rule. You also don’t want to drop in on a conversation and ask a question that was just answered a few minutes ago.

• Mute your mic – Your microphone will automatically be unmuted when you are invited to the speaker section. Mute your mic immediately upon being invited to speak. Moderators pull people on stage in advance by asking them to speak, and you don’t want your background noise to be heard. You should also mute your microphone whenever you aren’t talking. (There have been several embarrassing moments when people forget to mute their microphones. You don’t want to be this person!)

• Don’t just self-promote – The worst kind of speaker is one who comes on stage only to promote their own product or service. Focus on adding value to a discussion. If you add value, people will click on your profile and learn about your product or service that way. 

• Follow people who talk about domains – Clubhouse shows rooms to users based on people they follow, highlighting rooms where their connections are participating. To see rooms about domain names, you’ll need to follow some of the people on Clubhouse who talk about domains. There are also clubs you can join that host a number of domain discussions. Click the search icon and search for “domains” to find people and clubs to follow.

Have fun!

Clubhouse is a platform unlike any other. It’s easy to get sucked in; some people who join Clubhouse spend hours every day on the app. The most important thing is to have fun, learn a bit, and join in on the discussion.