Until this week, online influence rating service Klout failed to earn the respect of media influentials, which obviously is more than a little embarrassing. That has now changed.
The Klout Controversy
Klout measures online influence via such actions as comments, likes, and shares, depending upon the respective social media channel. You can learn more about how your Klout score is calculated here.
One inherent challenge for Klout is that not all measured actions carry the same weight. For example, retweeting a well researched and written article is a much more valuable action than retweeting “I love my cat!”
Klout recognizes this, and has made adjustments in their algorithm to accommodate higher quality actions – much as Google is doing since their Panda and Penguin updates. One of the means for accomplishing this is giving weight to Wikipedia pages. This makes perfect sense given the level of scrutiny and links associated with that source.
So, what about the rest of us?
While this is purely speculation, consider the fact that Google controls approximately 2/3 of search here in the United States (more in other parts of the globe) and that they are making Google+ the linchpin to other Google properties such as Places pages, in addition to links to other sources of your content on the web.
If you have not already, you will be smart to invest more of your time into Google+ because it could arguably become the “common mans Wiki.”
Give the Web What it Wants
Many of us have seen our Klout scores jump dramatically with the recent update, while others have risen just a few points. The reason is that just like Google, Klout now favors content creators. This is outstanding news for any business that has accumulated experience and a body of knowledge that they are actively sharing on the web.
The web is driven by problems searching for answers. Give the web what it wants.
If you have valid expertise and experience, that is your ticket to both favorable search rankings and a higher Klout score.
Influence is Tangible
Klout is also now incorporating offline influence into its program to better measure ones true influence. One way they are doing this is using your position title on LinkedIn. Thus, while having a perfect 100 score in the earlier Klout system, Justin Bieber now rightfully ranks lower than President Obama.
Maybe there is a keyword or two you need to add to your LinkedIn profile.
You may not have a robust online presence, but you still have influence where it matters most – in the real world. And in nearly every arena that influence is in some way moving online. It’s inevitable.
What this means for businesses is that Klout now deserves your attention. One of the more notable examples is that of a talented marketing executive who lost an opportunity because his Klout score was artificially low due only to his ignorance of Klout.
As the acknowledged leader of the free world, President Obama clearly has clout, and nearly all of also do within our circles of influence – the communities we serve. It only makes sense to expand that influence by acknowledging a metric that is beginning to gain traction.
Klout is not a perfect system – but it’s getting better, and that’s why you should take some time to learn more.
It comes down to this. You may not believe in Klout, but if those who can hire you do, doesn’t it deserve your attention?
Do you think Klout is ready for prime time?
Leave a comment below – and share this with your community.
Until next time, Jeff
Hi Jeff! As someone who closed his Klout account over a year ago (with a score in the 70′s I recall) I remain opposed to the whole premise of Klout. Supplying a single number that “measures” “influence” is still a grotesque simplification of something much more complex.
In a world where it’s trivial to buy Twitter followers, content farms still abound, I (the president of my company) am classed with the POTUS, and where Klout can’t distinguish someone posting dozens of cat pictures a day from someone posting a thoughtful piece of writing once a week, Klout scores are almost meaningless.
Sorry, but my advice to someone who is going to hire you or not based on your Klout? You don’t want to work for them.
Hey Adrian, thanks for stopping by. Let’s talk about this.
The reality is we live in a world where everything is measured, ranked, and otherwise graded. While my Klout score cannot reflect my true influence, as long as people are using it as a guide its crazy for me to ignore it.
I don’t think it’s anything to take personally. However, it’s a game that is being played much like that of Google ranking content. That’s a world that I happen to live in, and I believe I have a responsibility to weigh in on this for the benefit of my community. I didn’t invent the game – but I’m trying to learn it and play it well.
To your comment about Twitter, that is the kind of thing that is being corrected for the better. I’ve done some comparisons with friends whose activity I know well and the Klout scores of those creating and sharing good content outdistanced those of others on this last update who are mostly accumulating followers and tweeting streams of LOL and such.
So, your points are well taken, but I’m not willing to ignore this. For me personally, I look at this much like putting my MBA on my bios and profiles. It doesn’t define me, but if it opens doors I’ll use it.
Right or wrong, people are starting to use Klout to open and close doors.
Excellent post, Jeff. Our world has changed forever and it is never going back to the way it was. When the phone was invented, people were afraid of it, said they would rather do business face to face. When email was invented, people were afraid of it, said it would be the downfall of organizations because anyone could send a message saying anything at any time. Do we know a business without a phone or email today? No.
The question is not WHETHER you are going to play the game (with the proper tools), the question is HOW WELL are you going to play? I do understand where you are coming from, Adrian, but I strongly disagree. Klout is already a strong tool of the trade, so say articles in major publications. So, for us to live in denial of it’s relevance is fantasy. In today’s world, Yes, I WOULD choose to work for the one who asks for the Klout score because I like to play well. That would mean that they are probably riding the wave of other issues as well…and I like to ride the waves!
SO glad that they are now attempting to include off-line influence as well.
As a side note, there are hundreds of thousands of people whose credit report has plummeted since 2008, lost homes and jobs, BUT the credit report is still very alive and well as a measure. It certainly has no capability to measure the true worth of a human being, but we accept it and use it in all of business. Klout is another tool of measure…and growing into an extremely powerful tool. As Woopi Goldberg said in “Sister Act” …”if you wanna be somebody, if you wannna go somewhere, you better wake up and pay attention!” Great job, Jeff!
Rita – The analysis with the credit scores is excellent. Before I sold my contracting business I had outstanding credit, even though we had maxed out our credit cards to the tune of over $100,000!
Why did I have excellent credit? I don’t know, but I assume because we never missed a payment, despite the 15-18% interest we were paying. My point is anyone could see we were hanging on until work came in, and fortunately it did, but it sure seems the system should have accounted for that.
Contrast that with someone like my parents who never use credit cards, pay cash for their cars, don’t have a mortgage, etc. I don’t know what their scores are, but I assume the system does not treat as well as one who has credit and uses it.
I’m sure one could do fine ignoring Klout, but for someone like me that works in media it’s kinda hard to discount it because so many more folks are beginning to acknowledge it as having merit.
Jeff – people who don’t use credit don’t provide the information the information the credit agencies need to calculate meaningful scores, so their “score” is pretty meaningless due to lack of data available to the agencies, which will then cautiously score them low.
Rite — comparing Klout with a credit score is an apples to oranges comparison. Credit scores are based on years of research by credit agencies that correlate millions of historic abilities to repay a loan with a calculated score. Credit scores have validity because they correlate to people’s actual ability to pay.
Klout “measures” “influence”. It’s not validated against anything. It’s a made-up number.
Lots of people believe in astrology too. If you want to make decisions based on astrology or Klout I can’t stop you.
Have to add John Gruber’s description of Klout that he gave in yesterday’s post about the Twitter API changes:
“Klout…is utter vainglorious masturbatory nonsense.”
See http://daringfireball.net/linked/2012/08/16/twitter-drop-dead
Adrian – These are uncharted waters, so all opinions are welcome.
Reminds me of what was said about Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, and so many others in their early days.
Time will tell.
Jeff,
Whether one agrees with Klout or not, it is difficult to argue that we have moved into a world where online influence matters and when something matters, we will invariably attempt to quantify value. Anything that involves a level of subjectivity will be challenged by most everyone. It was always easier to know how to answer a multiple choice test than an essay because the former usually (except for those tricky professors!) had a clear cut answer while an essay had some level of subjectivity on the part of the grader. Is it easier to tell who wins the gold in a swim meet than in a gymnastics floor routine? There was a lot more questioning of judges scoring in this just finished Olympics for the women’s gymnastics routines than there was for the swim teams performances. Why clear cut timed winners vs. “judging” quality-albeit with a well known rubric.
None of us want to be reduced to a grade yet some will go with the changing flow more than others. I hate being graded but if it matters to those who make decisions, I’ll live with it and do my best to have a say in that grade.
Agree or not, a timely discussion, Jeff.
Sandi – Interesting thoughts.
Is Layla really the best rock song ever? According to one particular ranking it is. Many think it should be Stairway to Heaven.
Is Man o War the best race horse ever? Many think it should be Secretariat, who was ranked 2nd in one notable ranking due to one judge skewing the rankings with a particularly low score.
So, point well taken that subjective rankings aren’t necessarily accurate or fair, but they exist nonetheless and they have consequences. It indeed depends on who is doing the ranking and how they are doing it.
So, now we have Klout to consider.
It is possible that Klout may well fall off the map and Adrian will be vindicated. I’m fine with that if it happens, but until it does I will do what I can to maintain a reasonable score – without of course gaming the system, which no doubt could jump up and bit you in the behind on the next update!
Adrian, just as easily as you misspelled my name, looking at it head on, it is easy to misinterpret anything….and yes, that is probably comparing apples to oranges, or kiwi, or bananas. True that credit scores a based on years of research, but do you suppose someone, anyone, said that same thing about credit scores in their inception, as you have said about Klout?? I am sure they did. Credit scores were not validated by anything in their beginning. THIS, my friend, is comparing apples to oranges…saying that one thing is credible because it can be validated and another is not because it cannot be. That is severe tunnel vision. Someone “made up” viable credit score guidelines in the beginning. Perhaps they used astrology. Science demands that a process have the capacity to replicate itself to be reliable. Just as Jeff asserted, Pintrest is now validated and reliable, so it Twitter (the very source of your less than desirable quote), so is Facebook, and many more. BUT their replication process has been extremely shaky. No, I do not choose to use astrology, but I do choose to use Klout. Perhaps we can talk again in a couple years and see how well you are doing excluding it from your business acumen.
Rita (sorry for misspelling your name), unlike credit scores, there is nothing that can be used to “validate” Klout. Credit scores validate against a history of whether people pay their loans on time—Klout can’t be validated by anything. That’s why it’s meaningless unless you believe in it. Like astrology.
In the same way, Pinterest isn’t validated by anything apart from being popular. I have no problem with Pinterest as it isn’t tryIng to attach a score to something and say it’s important.
My quote about Klout was not sourced from Twitter but from John Gruber’s popular blog “Daring Fireball”.
It is somewhat discouraging that new Klout gives so much power to Google+, which is not nearly as user-friendly or versatile as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, or Pinterest. I am so glad you explained this!
Warmly,
Mary
PS I do Klout ’cause you and people like Gina Carr say it is a good idea.
Thanks Mary – Truth is Google+ is much more versatile than Facebook. But you have to spend some time with it learn how. I’ll agree it is not intuitively user friendly.
I’ve been on G+ since the first week it was launched and I’m still learning. Did you know you can send a video message on G+ if you have a camera on you computer? It’s one of the seldom used, but very cool features.
At this point I would not discount any of the services. Best approach is to have a diversified presence much as you probably do with your investment portfolio. You never know if one of them is going dramatically change or go away completely.