This week in my class, I shared some insights related to social media influence while talking about some of the main platforms we see come up when it comes to measuring or evaluating this online. One that seems to always come up in this discussion is Klout.
So, why do we need to be aware of Klout and social media influence? Several have said that it is the currency that we exchange on social media to some capacity. I do think it is a key component since it does impact the online reputation a brand and individual has online. I shared with my students that Klout is not going to solve all the issues and challenges you have with social media – but it is one tool that will give you an overview of how the web (and others) may see you online. This is key – because a lot of times people think that this is THE tool for social media influence, but there are others.
If you want to read some great posts on this, make sure to check out Mark Schaefer and his book “Return on Influence.” I also recommend checking out Mark’s new podcast with Tom Webster and the first episode the talked about was on Klout. Make sure to check it out!
I know the discussion related to Klout can be two sided – some are on the side of Klout saying that it is wonderful and a great tool for social media professionals and brands. On the other hand, there are others that feel it really doesn’t rely on true metrics and there are some concerns they have related to privacy and transparency. I am somewhat in the middle – as I tell my students, you have to look at all of these tools (not just Klout) and see what they are measuring, how they are measuring these concepts, and how it evolves over time.
I was a bit surprised when I checked my score and it was a 69 – I was not sure how it got to this point, but then I checked out the social media platforms I was using to see if this had an impact. I was amazed to find out how Twitter has become not only my main platform, but counts for over 50% of my social media presence. Wow – to me, this was insightful because I can tell you all right now, this was not at all the case two years ago, let alone a year ago!
This is what I think is key to note about social media – it’s evolving and constantly transforming how we share information, the relationships we form, and how we present ourselves virtually. What I do find interesting related to Klout is the fact that they recently launched a new app called Cinch, which is more of a Q&A app. This app allows people to ask questions and get answers from “experts” on their mobile device. When first looking at this, you may wonder how similar or different this is compared to Quora, but it does tap into your personal graph.
In summary, Klout and other social media influence platforms are going to evolve as social media continues to change. It was fun to explore and have this conversation in class this week because the students would be like – wow! I have a score of 40! Or – hey, I had no idea I was influential in Glee. Exposing the students to these tools in social media classes is essential to let them know what is out there so they feel confident in 1) talking about them to future employers, 2) consider using them for campaigns and other social media activities, and 3) thinking critically about the pros/cons of each tool.
Hope you all are having a great day!
Best Wishes,
Karen
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