We just unveiled Clapper Clubs, our biggest feature launch yet. Clubs is the hub for online communities, designed to help you find people who just “get it”. No Club is too niche, no interest too weird.
And we’ve seen dozens of online communities popping up that prove just that! You may have been wondering how to find or start your own Club. And we’ve got you covered! Keep reading to find out how to find your new favorite Club and build your own online community spaces.
Missed the announcement? Learn all about Clubs here!
Finding a Club 🔍
The first step is checking out what online communities are already thriving in Clubs. Finding (and exploring) Clubs is easy!
- Open the Clapper app.
- Tap the microscope button along the bottom.
- Now you’re in the Explore page! It should open to the Club feed, where you can scroll through all Clapper Club posts.
- Tap the magnifying glass in the top corner.
- Type in a keyword for the niche or interest you’re looking for.
- We’ll show you all the Clubs related to your search.
- Tap a Club to check it out. Scroll through all the posts people have made.
- Hit the orange “Join” button in the top right corner.
You can search as many niches or topics you want. All it takes to find your next favorite online community.
What to Look For 👀
While it can be fun to scroll through Clubs, you shouldn’t join every single one you come across. Apart from being overwhelming, you might end up joining a few online communities that aren’t all that great.
You need to be (at least a little) selective about the online communities you join. When finding a new Club to be part of, check out:
- Their current conversations. Does it sound like something you want to be part of?
- The rules. Does it seem like they’ll align with your morals?
- The main topics. Are they something you want to know about or contribute to?
- The way they interact. Are these people you’d want to be in community with?
The cool thing about Clapper Clubs is that all of our Clubs are public. You can go into every Club to see what they’re talking about and how they interact. If you don’t like the vibes or are unsure about it, you don’t have to join!
Creating Your Own Club 🧡
If you can’t find exactly what you’re looking for, you can always create your own Club! Whether you want to yap about your favorite movies or are looking to learn about a new hobby, your Club can be whatever you want.
What’s It About? 🤔
Before you even start creating your Club, you have to decide what it will be about. Gardening? Books? Fitness? Folklore? The choice is up to you!
Having the core idea is enough to start. You don’t need to worry about what exactly you’ll do with it. All you need is the focus of your Club; everything will come together as you build.
Building Your Club 👷
Let’s walk through how to create your own Club, then we’ll get into what makes a good Club.
- Open the Clapper app.
- Tap the microscope button along the bottom.
- Now you’re in the Explore page! It should open to the Club feed.
- Tap the world icon in the top right corner.
- Fill out the name, image, description, and rules for your Club. You can go back and change all of this later.
- Hit the orange “Create” button.
- Share an intro post for new community members! Tell them about yourself and get the conversation started.
Now let’s get into each of the elements of your Club.
Name ✅
Your Club name should do two things. It should clearly tell your audience what the Club is about and catch their interest. Instead of just Music Club, try Songwriters and Musicians Club. Instead of just Gardening Club, it could be Weeds and Gardening Hoes.
Don’t worry if you can’t think of the perfect name right now. You can always go back and adjust it later! Get a good one for now and move on to the next step.
Image ✅
The Club image should be related to its content in some way. A travel Club could use a map or an airplane window. One about cute images/videos could use a picture of a little cat. Don’t worry about using a picture that’s a perfect explanation of what creators can expect; just find something that fits with the theme.
Description ✅
The description is where you’ll need to put (a little) more thought. You need to write a description that clearly states what the Club is for and what members can do. Make it fun, too!
It seems hard, but it just takes a little time. If you need a jumping-off point, we’ve got you! Here’s an example below. Swap out the bolded pieces for your own Club’s topic!
Welcome to Weeds and Gardening Hoes! Here we talk about all things gardening. From our next endeavours to current growth, share how your garden is looking. Need some help? Drop a question so we can all learn more together. If you’re new here, don’t be afraid to introduce yourself with a post!
Don’t worry if you don’t get it right the first time; you can update it later.
Rules 🚧
This is a bit more complicated and a newer Clapper feature. With Clubs, you can set rules for your members to follow. These are shown right below your description, and new members see them when they join.
To add or edit your Club rules, head to your Club page and tap the gear in the top right. Scroll until you find the “Rules” section. Tap in, then tap the plus sign in the top right corner to add a rule. Tao the three dots on the right to remove one.
You might think that you don’t need rules. That your Club is all about positivity, and there’s no way people will be mean. We’re sorry to say that you’re wrong. : ( People will inevitably be nasty about anything and everything. Creating rules ahead of time will alleviate some of that. And, if it can’t stop people from it, then you can at least address it accordingly.
Examples ✅
Here are some general rules we think could apply to most Clubs. Change them to suit your, your Club, and your members!
- No hate speech
- No bullying
- No spam
- No doxxing
- No sharing illegal or inappropriate content
- No sharing personal or compromising information
- Be respectful
- Be kind
- Only share content related to the Club
Take a look at other Clubs to see what rules they have. You can also ask your moderators for help setting up rules, too!
Moderators 👮
While it’s not directly included in the setup process, it’s still important! Designate at least one moderator to help you run your Club. Choose someone you know and trust.
- Go to your profile.
- Tap the “Clubs” button.
- Hit the gear in the top right corner.
- Scroll until you see the moderators section. Tap it.
- Search for or scroll to find the person you want to make a moderator.
- Tap the three dots next to their name.
- Select “Set as moderator”.
Now they’ll be able to help you run your online community! You should still take charge and be the leader, but these are people who can help. Lean on them during a dispute and trust them to enforce rules.
Don’t Forget… 🧠
Online communities don’t grow on their own. Once you’ve started your own Club, you’ll need to engage with it. Don’t just start a Club and leave it on its own. Drop questions, respond to comments, and make it a vibrant, active place to be. Your Club can be amazing, but if there’s no conversation, no one will want to be part of it.
Learn more about Clapper Clubs (and how they’re different from Group chats) here!
