If you have been online for any length of time you have probably received a request for this thing called Klout.
What is it?
Where did it come from?
Is it contagious?
All good questions, and I’ll get to all of them and more. But first lets shine a little light on what Klout is and what it isn’t.
Klout Explained
In their words… “Klout measures influence online. When you create content or engage, you impact others. Klout analyzes that impact to find your Klout Score, influential topics, and your influencers. Klout is the standard for influence. Top brands such as Disney, Audi, and Turner use Klout Perks to reach and engage influencers. Over 3,000 applications and partners use Klout data to display Klout Scores, prioritize based on Score or topics, and segment users.”
In my words… “Popularity contest.” Not sure if that’s even a complete sentence but it works for me so lets move on.
What is the Klout Score
In their words… “The Klout Score measures a person’s overall online influence on a scale of one to 100, with 100 being the most influential. Klout’s system analyzes variables across multiple social networks based on your engagement.”
In my words… “Bragging rights.”
Ok story time. Over the past year or so I started to receive Facebook notifications for this thing called Klout. At first I thought it was another game. Then a few weeks ago I finally created an account. Actually i already had an account.
Apparently if you have a Twitter account then you have a klout score. I didn’t really like that to much as I was not in control of the information leading to this score. So I created / updated my account. 
As you can see from the picture on the right I was able to “influence” my Klout score. That’s the day I logged in and simply updated a few things.
Now truth be told I’m much more active on Facebook than ob Twitter these day.
So lets get back to this score thing. Klout measures you influence on social media with a two main parameters…influence and engagement. Just the mere fact that you may have 20,000 Twitter Followers and 3,000 Facebook friends does not give you a good score.
So how did I almost double my Klout score in 4 days?
First, you have to know a few things about people, your people. People who follow you on social media. They love the relation ship connecting stuff. If you share once or twice a day something that they like to see, then the odds that your influence factor goes up.
Second, if you understand the law of reciprocity (give first) then your engagement factor goes up. I’ll release post on how I do this daily all in about 30 minutes or less.
My Final Thoughts on Klout
I honestly can’t say that these will be my final thoughts. For now I’m intrigued and will keep an eye on Klout and you might want to at least open and account, add your social profiles and see what information Klout gives you.
I was recently surprised when they added my influential topics. I’m pretty good in Entrepreneur, social media, and marketing. But i fail in blogging. I was taken back a bit as I have created 2 powerful courses on blogging. Haha…two years ago! So THAT will be changing soon. In fact I wrote out rough drafts of 10 blog posts on a blogging series I’ll be publishing. And I know we need another blogging e-book like we need another social site, but that will be coming as well!
Q. Is Your Klout score worth keeping updated?
A. Yes and No. Wired.com did a post a few months back where they shared a story of how a talented man with 15 years experience was passed over on a recent job interview due to his Klout score. The offline world is really starting to look at social media and they believe this scoreing system is a good standard. Find the story and his Klout score here.
I have also looked up a few top marketing friends of mine. One in particular makes 60-80K a month. His score is in the 40′s…which per Klout is average. I would be dollars to doughnuts that he does not give a second thought to his score. In fact he probably, like many top marketers, just opened the account for the social back links. That very reason is why I have over 250 social accounts. Just to get my name and social picture out there.
Q. Is Klout the best way to measure your online marketing?
A. Right now I would stick with those indicators that really make the difference. If you’re online to make money, grow a business, then you should be looking at; income, conversions, leads, traffic to posts, traffic stats and then maybe Klout…in that order.
I know it’s backwards thinking for most. But it’s the way we think and how we act to what’s important. Klout is not going to build you an income like Empower Network does. It’s not going to get your posts syndicated like Tribe Pro can. But it could get you that social proof if you’re interested in telling the world what your Klout score is.
Ken Pickard
The Network Dad
Thoughts, comments, concerns…
Do you have a Klout score?
Do you think you should at least set one up?
Do you see Klout becoming a standard on social media?
Share your thoughts and as always I appreciate you sharing this post!
Hey Ken
The thing I dislike about Klout, as you also mentioned, is that you automatically have an account if you are on Twitter.
I found it a little strange the way my score jumped up when I added my Facebook account and Google+. It seemed out of proportion as I don’t use Facebook so much from a business point of view yet.
Interesting that someone was passed over for employment based on their Klout score though!
Tim Bonner recently posted..How To Find Out If Your Blog Posts Are Being Copied
Tim,
The Klout scoring system seems to be changing often…from what I’ve gathered over the past few weeks. When a major shift in score changes due to an algorithm update, then a lot of people get pissed off. This score is an indicator, nothing else. Seems like most would do better to track stats that make the difference in their wallet.
As far as the offline usage of klout…lets just say I’m glad I’m not looking for a new job. Although I’m fine with my score. I’m actually glad i took the few minutes to add my accounts.
Ken
Great post! Thank You Ken. as always you peaked my curiosity and gave me some valuable information. I suppose I’ll be going Tribal too! See you on the inside!
Dan,
Thanks for stopping by and leaving your comment. Sure, get the klout thing going and see how you fair. But the real results and the best things to track are those that help brig in the traffic and customers. Let me know if you need any help with tribe pro. I’ll be releasing a post on this soon.
Ken
Ken, thanks for shedding some light on Klout, which mystifies me. The reason I use Klout is that it’s a way to let people know I appreciate them. Don’t really care about my score but it’s nice to get a “howdy” from an Internet pal.
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I’m glad you liked the post and I’m with you about the score. Looks cool, but in the end it’s not paying the bills. I would connect the social sites and use it as an indicator occasionally, but i would not put a lot of stock into it as the end all social metric system.
Ken
Hi Ken
Thanks for writing this post. I have an account too probably like you because I have a twitter account. I keep getting notifications and decided I had to figure it out. So I logged in and was amazed at just home many messages and requests I had in there.
I spent a bit of time and decided to come back later. So you post is timely and I appreciate your explanation.
Thanks Ken
Sue
Sue Price recently posted..Passive Income from Affiliate Marketing
Sue,
I’m glad this post is prompting you to get back in their and sort it out. It’s worth getting your blogs and social sites connected. Nothing like a good couple extra back links.
My main point is to get it set up but don’t follow it so closely that you loose site of the true benchmarks we should be working on.
Ken
Hi Ken, when it comes to Klout the only reason I care is because of the perks. I received a couple of good ones including: a really nice umbrella from the Weather Channel, movie tickets (which I didn’t take advantage of at the time), a $50 gift certificate from American Express (or maybe it was $25), discount coupons, magazine subscriptions, Moo cards….
Bottom line – I like free stuff so I’ll take it from Klout, Twitter, Facebook, Google – or anybody else who benefits from me adding content to their platforms. I think Kred, PeerIndex and a few others should jump on the “perks” bandwagon too.
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Ileane,
Thanks for the information about the perks. I’ve seen the site and a little info about it, but have not taken the time to review the requirements. And I probably wont. So far it just seems to be a fun distraction.
But your idea of perks is just like any site that has a running contest. Many large blogging sites and Facebook fan pages have contest. These are great for readership loyalty.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Ken
Hi Ken,
Great post here.
First off I am very glad that you don’t have to have 3000 Twitter followers in order to have a decent Klout score, otherwise I’d be in trouble
Now, that poor guy who was denied a job based on his Klout score, tells me that this company must be run by a bunch of morrons, and at the end of the day he should be thankful that he is not working for them.
Finally, any score on any media platform should not be considere to an out of proportion sense, so to speak.
Thank you for this instructive information.
Sylviane Nuccio recently posted..5 Mistakes You Need To Avoid As A Freelance Writer
Sylviane,
Yep, just like have a certain amount of friends on Twitter or Facebook doesn’t make you money. Thank goodness! I do think that there is a perception thought. If we see someone with a large following or in this case a high Klout score we might jump to the conclusion that they must be a good marketer.
This could be totally false or right on the money. But just like any false indicators, we’ll never know the truth unless we dig for it.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.
Ken
I can say, I don’t give it much thought honestly. At first it was about getting the Free perks, but now if it works in my favor so be it. I just don’t make it some obsession that I can’t live without or I am going to die if my score is 14. Work with the social outlets that work for you.
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Sonia,
Well said…”Work with the social outlets that work for you.” Yes we can’t all be on all the sites at once. It’s best to chose 2 maybe 3 if you can leverage them efficiently. But if the “social” takes up to much time, then you should look at your priorities.
I agree that I can live with our without this one.
Ken
Hey Ken,
I couldn’t give a hoot about Klout. As a matter of fact, I use to have an account with them but deleted it as soon as I started having concerns with their privacy issues.
I believe at that time mine was over 70 but I didn’t want to be judged by a number. As you put it here in your post, we should be more concerned about our conversions, growing our business, traffic to our posts, etc. I’m not going to let some site dictate who they think I am to others in social media.
Thanks for writing this though and everyone will definitely have their own opinion on this topic.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Remembering An Anniversary
Adrienne,
Well said! I was looking forward to your reply and was wondering what your thoughts would be. Yes my post was geared more to the score and is it worth it. I do think having your social sites and blogs linked up could help, but that’s as far as I got as for benefits. Seems to me that then people who are up in arms over their score are looking at this all wrong.
Thanks for sharing. I truly appreciate your direct response.
Ken
Hy Ken, I heard of Klout but never really took the time to know what its all about. Your article has cleared that up. Very informative. But as you said its not going to build our businesses. I love Tribe Pro as you mention above, it has allowed me to get some serious social traffic.
Thanks,
Scott
Scott,
I had to find out for myself if this thing was worth it or not. Like I mentioned I received a bunch of notifications about it for months. After my initial set up I was surprised to see the score jump so fast. But then I noticed that engagement in Klout affected your score. Like anything else the more active you are the better, right?
Not so much in this case as I’m not tied to the score. I’d rather focus on indicators that are going to feed my family.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.
Ken
What I liked about Klout is it measures a person’s overall online influence and you will your own progressed.
I enjoy seeing every time my scores up.
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Becca,
The score can be helpful if you take in stride. I’m not sold on this 100% and after looking into the privacy issues there may be cause for concern for some. But for the most part it’s a fun indicator as how a third party site see’s you and your content.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the subject.
Ken
I have always found Klout kind of interesting but I am not too sure what to make of it. It is interesting to see how they view you in your profile. As you pointed out, it doesn’t seem very stable to me. That is crazy about it being a qualification for a job. I am not sure it is the most reliable or valid indicator of future job performance.
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Kristen,
I agree…I don’t think Klout is a worthy tool to get a job or be passed over for a job. Your Klout score just says your very active and engaging online. That may turn some employers off…if you know what I mean.
Ken
Hi ken,
Klout, I had never hear of it. You addressed some of my thoughts as to do I need, is it worth it, will it be a valuable tool in the future. I am always interested in finding out where I stand on the internet and what I can do to increase my exposure and image. I think this klout certainly has value for me.
Thanks,
Suzanne
Suzanne Glathar recently posted..
How to Influence People: 7 Proven Tips
Suzanne,
Klout could be a fun indicator, but as I also addressed there are others that you should be aware of and follow more closely. If you’re online to build a following and produce and income, then stats like; weekly income, leads, traffic and where the traffic is coming from would be the best use of your time as far as tracking. If you want more exposure then create more content and interact with others more.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Ken
Hi Ken,
Very informative post – but I must say I giggled my way through it. “Bragging rights”, “Popularity Contest”, and my favourite, “… can’t say these will be my last thoughts” – LOL all the way
I must say I haven’t looked at Klout since I signed up ages ago. My score is at an average 42, though my presence on Twitter hasn’t been as marked as last month.
I’m shocked about these types of services counting for much. I can understand not getting hired on the basis of some ill-advised images on FB or a nasty comment somewhere in the blogosphere, but based on Klout score? That’s just insane IMHO
Have a great, Klout-y day.
Dee
Dee Ankary recently posted..The Magic Ingredient To Product Creation
Dee,
I’m glad you caught onto my subtle anecdotes. If you can’t have fun with it then why do it, right?
After doing some research for this post, I to was surprised to see how many people favored their Klout score. Not only that but seemed to go out of their way just to improve their score. Makes me wonder if they would have made more money by using that time towards more content or building their funnel. Things that make you go hmmm…
Ken
Hi Ken,
I came across Klout a few weeks back and having played around with it have come to the conclusion that it’s just another social media time waster. While social proof is becoming more important we are constantly flooded with new metrics to measure our engagement.
It disturbs me that an experienced person can be passed over at interview due to his Klout score and is just another example of the asinine decisions being made in the workplace based on social media. No doubt a percentage of potential customers/prospects will also check out Klout scores as well so I guess it’s either a case of engage with it or delete your account.
I’m leaning towards deleting mine but want to understand it more before I do. If it can be maintained passively it may just be worth keeping.
Kelvin
Kelvin Myles recently posted..Google+ Business Pages – A Must Have For SSEO
Kelvin,
“Another social media time waster.” I agree…it’s not the scorecard people should be focused on. Personally I’m in a set it and forget place with this one. I’m a fairly active social media person.
This is my background when it comes to being online. But I’m thankful that I’m not driven by this score.
But I know some people are. So they can find me there and then follow me to my blog or other social sites.
I was taken back when I read the story of the guy who got passed over for a job due to his low Klout score. I can understand if you’re interviewing for a social media, or marketing position. But other than that I don’t quite get it.
I’m letting this one ride. I’ve linked everything up that I want linked and like i said I’ll let others find me.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.
Ken
Ken Pickard recently posted..Mindset Monday Why Have a Mentor?
Hi Ken
Thanks for the post. Did not even know there was such a thing as Klout.
So much emphasis on the social media stuff. I signed up for a number of social sites and most of which never seemed to generate much traffic. Besides who has the time to follow up everyday with posting and comments on hundreds of sites.
So I signed up for Klout via Twitter.
Mary
Mary Stephenson recently posted..The Slow Destruction of Our Self-Esteem
Mary,
Thank you for stopping by and sharing. Yes it takes time to try and connect with people on all these social sites. Thank fully we get to pick and chose who we connect with.
There is a lot of emphasis for social media, but this is only one way to get your brand out there. There are lots of other marketing mediums to chose from. Don;t let the overwhelm or frustration get to you.
Most people have a hard time understand that they don’t have to interact with every single comment, like, share, tweet, tag or poke that comes across their site.
I have tons of social sites, that brand me. I drip content o them automatically. But I’m really live on only 2 or 3. You have to find that balance that works for you. Let me know if you need any help with that.
Ken
Ken Pickard recently posted..Mindset Monday Why Have a Mentor?
Hi Ken,
I joined Klout out of curiosity. What I liked about it the most was the perks. I won free trident gum, Bottlenose (a pretty good twitter program) and another program I didn’t use yet.
As for scores..I really don’t know, but I heard hotels were giving breaks to people with high Klout scores. When traveling this summer, I went to a Hilton, a Marriott, and a Super 8. No one even heard of Klout. He He
I visit it once a week, but focus more on the important things that I need to do. That’s my take on it!
Donna
Donna Merrill recently posted..Mind State Change
Donna,
I’m right there with you! Focus on the more important things…and set up my Klout out of curiosity. Now that it’s all set up…I’m good with it.
I’ve heard a few people talk about the perks program. Have not seen a thing about it yet. Not worth my time to investigate. Although my kids like gum…
Hahah…Ken
Ken Pickard recently posted..Mindset Monday Why Have a Mentor?
Hi Ken,
Thanks for writing this post. I’ve been wondering about Klout (and a few others) as I keep getting notifications that I’ve received a vote in this or that category. I have been over and returned the votes but often wonder why because I can see my influence going up when I’m off sick and haven’t been able to do anything online.
You’ve got to feel for the fella that was passed over because of his Klout score, I’ve heard it all now.
There seem to be so many of these sites popping up that I wonder where people get the time to keep track of them all. How on earth you manage to keep track of 250 social accounts is beyond me mate, sheesh I have trouble keeping up with the few I do use
Thanks Ken, I enjoyed the post
Barry
Barry Wells recently posted..When Life Has Other Plans For You
Barry,
You’re welcome. I was getting..and still am…a bunch of requests. Now i can see the initial appeal for most, but wanted to state that this is not the most important score you should be keeping track of, if you’re looking to leverage you time wisely and build a business online.
It’s interesting how your score can change even if you’re not as active. I also found out that the more you play on Klout the higher your score can go as well. That makes sense for Klout, but still a waste of time for me.
I do feel for the guy who got passed over for thew job. If you read the rest of the story, it goes on to tell you that the company relocated him to another state. Sounds like the guy who got passed over is thankful he didn’t get the job.
I know the 250 sites would freak a few people. I’m not active on all of them. In fact..haha…according to Klout, I’m 98% active on Facebook and Twitter is second at 1%. this is pretty much right on the money. All the other sites are “my name” real estate. Mostly social bookmarking sites and such. Great for second level back linking and content syndication.
Ken
Hi Ken,
I’ve played around with Klout a little but I don’t put too much stock into it. I’ve heard about teenagers getting really high klout scores because they’re always postinig on FB and twitter. It doesn’t seem to have a way to score quality.
Also I know a lot of bloggers who host giveaways use contest entries to gain klout scores.
In the end I think that it really comes down to building our brand and building a following who knows us and likes us.
Stacy
Stacy recently posted..2 Things You Need to Live Your Dreams
Stacy,
There will be people who can game the system pretty easily. My score almost doubled in 4 days when I happen to post some personal things on Facebook that got a lot of likes and comments. Beyond that though I don’t see this thing really being that useful.
Thanks for sharing your comments.
Ken
Hey Ken, Thanks for the reminder about Klout. I set up a Klout account and got an initial score but then just kind of forgot about it. I’m going to look into it and take it little more serious after reading this. I’m kind of the reverse, better at blogging so-so with the social networking. Gotta work on that! Thanks again Ken;)
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Hi Ken,
I was expecting bit more from Klout really, was hoping it would contribute ‘something’ rather than just measuring. I guess it gives you a prompt to sign up to Google+ etc. I’m just not convinced yet.
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You have an incredible KLOUT score! You have me beat by about 10…depending on the day!
I believe it’s an interesting score, but it definitely looks at overall influence rather than business influence. I believe my score is what it is because of personal relationships, and not so much from twitter interaction from business or blog data.
It’s fun at least seeing I have a decent score!
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