I was at a Social Media Breakfast here in Maine on Friday and a friend of mine was peppering me with questions about Klout & Kred.
Now, personally, I find the entire idea fascinating and ridiculous. 
Fascinating that there could be a single number that would immediately let people know how influential we are, and ridiculous that we could so easily be reduce to a number.
Yet, I’ve read stories of people who didn’t get hired for a job because their Klout score wasn’t high enough. And, we sometimes use Klout as one of the metrics we track for certain clients.

So, what’s your take. Do you pay attention to Klout, Kred or any of the other influence metrics out there? 

@rich-brooks @kimkline I have to agree that this whole Klout rating thing shouldn’t be such a big deal.  If I didn’t get hired by a company because of a low Klout score, I would not want to work for that company anyway.  What counts is the real things you produce for your clientele, not some arbitrary computerized number!

@rich-brooks.  Great question.  I feel that a person’s Klout score is just another ego boosting tool. If one cares about how many followers they have in Twitter or the amount of “Likes” they have in Facebook, then most will care about that Klout number too.  I have to admit, my number has been gradually increasing, which put a little smile on my face, although I really don’t care about that much (hmm, or do I?).

Hi @kimkline I totally agree.  Never judge a book by its Klout score.  :) 

Klout or Kred only measure one thing, Brand Awareness. I do use some of their data points. For example Klout topics can be very helpful when identifying your audience and their interest. Kred Outreach score can indicate the level of engagement, but still you need to pay close attention and not relay only on scores alone.  

@iancampbell  Hear, hear Ian!  I don’t want to be reduced to a number either.  I can only continue to do what I do to the best of my ability!  

A moment in time does not define you, and nor does Klout’s number. Klout is a gage, a monitoring tool. It’s not an absolute. Like all tools it has it’s uses. I agree with @jkcallas

@kimkline I have to say it’s a little funny to have you cringe at numbers defining you in the same sentence you describe yourself as a “child of the 70′s.”

@dianebianchi I hear what you’re saying, and I’m not a fan of Klout. But could you argue that like any metric–SAT scores, batting average, GPA, etc.–it’s a powerful shortcut to get an understanding of one’s reach?

@mchillemi I know what you’re saying. Klout is stupid! (But, did you see how high I scored. ) I could see using it as part of a social media proposal if I felt our company/employees had the highest Klout scores of all vendors.

@jkcallas I’d be really interested in learning more about how you use Klout topics.

@rich-brooks. Yes I am using Klout but I am not paying attention to my score- I guess I am average according to what “THEY” say. It is something that I know can be abused as I heard you can help your Klout score by helping someone else with their Klout and you match.. the issue I have, is they don’t even know each other and they are giving KLOUT to a particular skill level. How do they know? They don’t. I do follow some HIGH nunber Klout people and they do post a ton on Social Media. If I did that, I think people would not read my posts anymore and I don’t think it would give value. However with that said there are people who have the HIGH score and I hope because of that, they are getting their brand awareness that they are looking for. Kawasaki anyone

Hiya Folks.

 Ahem.  When I very first saw Klout I thought it was cool and wanted a good number. Then I realized I did not really care one way or the other. It’s just a number right?  That seems to be the opinion of most, if not all of the folks here, and I agree in principle. 

The thing is, a Klout score is becoming important now.  Read this article posted in April of this year at wired and see how it will make a difference to you too:

http://www.wired.com/business/2012/04/ff_klout/ 

I have never worked at my Klout score consciously, at all.  However mine has consistently remained well above 50 – It’s at 60 now and has been higher and has been lower too, at times.  I don’t check it often and when I do see it, it’s when I look at, or update some page, like about.me, as it shows there as well as some other places now too (don’t ask me to name them, I forget!).

Since I need to update the about.me I’ve been going there frequently when I have time this past week and I noticed my Klout score changing.  Otherwise I’ve not paid attention to it – because I don’t care what it is, as long as it does not dip below 50, I feel like I am safe. Safe from what? 

Like the article says, many companies are considering using (and many already do utilize) the Klout scores for a number of services:

— “Matt Thomson, Klout’s VP of platform, says that a number of major companies—airlines, big-box retailers, hospitality brands—are discussing how best to use Klout scores. Soon, he predicts, people with formidable Klout will board planes earlier, get free access to VIP airport lounges, stay in better hotel rooms, and receive deep discounts from retail stores and flash-sale outlets. “We say to brands that these are the people they should pay attention to most,” Thomson says. “How they want to do it is up to them.” —

It might be worth it in the future if we all have a nice Klout number.  So saying you don’t care (me in particular) means I could be standing in line longer than a lot of people.  And not get preferential treatment at hotels (not that I have ever had that anyway) and although I won’t be looking for a job, it would be nice to know my Klout score would not keep me out of the job market.  


So before we throw out the baby with the bath water, even though we don’t want to care, maybe we should, just a little.  When you slap a mule on the rear end, you’re gonna get kicked, you know?

OH!pinion.

Eileen

@dianebianchi said:   I do see that Klout could be useful for some purposes.  All I’m saying is it shouldn’t be a factor in whether you get a job.

You know, I thought the same as you – How Terrible!  Someone got cut as a prospect for a job because of his Klout Score?  OHG, What is this world coming to???

Here’s what it’s  coming to — the very technology we all use is now going to be used to judge our actions online.

Pretty much that’s it in a nutshell.  What if you were hiring a Social Media person or a PR person or even a book Agent? Wouldn’t you want to know they could do the job?  The Klout score may not be perfect but it is an outside indicator of how we interact with others in the entire world.

A great resume is just not going to cut the butter anymore. If you don’t use it to hire someone, you may be sorry later.  Just as everyone has been lamenting how they got ripped off by some SEO company or web designer or such; perhaps that Klout score could have been used to fend off the pretenders.

Eileen

Hi-ya @planetzuda  

That has been my point — exactly.  While we don’t want to be scored, we are, regardless.

I cannot get my mind around the fact that some companies use that score to select between applicants and that colleges use it too.  

Just today — and it could not have been a worst day to do this — I had a somewhat “conversation” with Chris Brogan here at the SMC Small Business Club regarding “Social Media Impact” — he seemed to be offended by what I stated (however, I agree with him up to a point).  At any rate, I simply do NOT agree that we can ignore what this means to us all.

Playing anyone elses’ numbers game is not something I like, but I see no alternative. 

Thank you for your comments as it does help to embed what I was trying to impress upon the members here.  Just in case it really does not matter say, today, it may matter a lot in some of the tomorrows.

Eileen

@rich-brooks Not a big fan of Klout, though I do have an account. Being a former market researcher, I am suspect of their metrics. I prefer MyWebCareer (though I have not logged in there in a long while). It’s not as popular as the other two services.  

@supereb You are so right about being judged/tallied/scored by society and these apps. Be aware of the game and to work within the system.

Hello – @planetzuda

No – I did not misinterpret – Although I am not pro Klout – I do think the more information we have the better off we all are.  I liked your post as it shares valuable information. Not just a pro/con opinion.

@joanmuschampfagnani - I don’t think there are any magic numbers to score any of us.  However, the usefulness (as stated) could help those looking for social media “experts” in the interim.  I liken this to the IQ numbers we all had to be subject to some years ago. Of course, that is a different scale, but is still a number to either separate or link us in some kind of hierarchy group.  I am not a fan of that kind of segmentation on any scale.

All I wanted to do was point out that sticking our heads in the sand is not a good idea when it comes to what (we still don’t know) or how the numbers can or could be used for or against us in many situations.

Eileen 

@geoffrey-gordon —  Yes, of course, Chris Brogan has his OH!pinion.  But that is what it IS, his opinion.  There are many experts out there just like him.  That’s not a bad thing but remember – one mans trash is another mans treasure.

Ever hear of Chris Crumb?  He’s a reporter at Web Pro News:

How Much Does Klout Score Matter?
— “While you may abhor the idea of a company like Klout judging or grading you on a daily basis, it’s already happening and companies are paying attention, so we shouldn’t just ignore this trend.”
That’s a quote from the book The Tao Of Twitter, by Mark Schaefer. It comes from a chapter about influence on Twitter, something that many businesses and individuals continue to strive for. Sure, there are no doubt plenty of influential people who could care less about their Klout scores, and certainly plenty that feel they are above this kind of judgement, as Schaefer says, but you have to admit, he has a point. — 

Read the entire article and you’ll see what I mean.  Do your own research into matters such as this and don’t be led by ONE guy.

Eileen

@supereb For the time being, I don’t think we’ll get any real clear answer on Klout. I do know some people who swear by it, and consider it important.

In my opinion, it needs some sort of spark or other use to capture the undecided and begin to sway non-believers. I think a lot of people resist being labeled, and maintain their individuality, so trying to acheive a score flies in the face of that somehow.

And yes, Seth and Chris are internationally branded, but others do participate anyway.

In the meantime, I do have my Klout account. What will be will be.

Namaste

I know my Klout will drop a few points when I am working on something big and don’t have time to write, but when I release that new article or new feature for my companies social network I jump up a couple points. If you apply that methodology to Klout you won’t need to worry about it. If you are good at what you do then you don’t need to worry about Klout. I am not sure why people on this site are concerned about it. If you even know about this site you are ahead of the game when it comes to social media, which means your Klout score should be much higher. 

Hello @planetzuda

This site does not have any bearing on a Klout score as far as the interaction here.
~~~~~ 
Klout is a two way street – those numbers (if you analyze numbers at all) can help you as much as it can be a moniker of your social media reach.

Top Social Media Tools By Klout

The more I read (research is still ongoing) the more I understand the basic metrics of what they are doing.  Grasping the concept is the very first (and hardest) step to take in figuring out why this was needed in the first place.

So many people (me included) analyze numbers for social media impact and how the feedback is helping or hurting any particular company in it’s own markeplace online.  If you pay attention to google analytics then Klout should serve a wider scope to help you find the right social media niche too.

It is easy to know which social media place is fastest/easiest for us to manage but do we know how our influence is working for us?  

Again – Klout is a two way street and I just starting understanding that. 

Once you get over the “I’m being judged!” gut reaction you may find the benefit.  I am starting to find that and it is quite amazing.  Like Twitter for many people (it just does not make sense to lots of folks, even now) was in the beginning, Klout will have it’s detractors (I have certainly been one) and its supporters.

Now I am turning to face not a challenge, but a tool that may turn out to be the best I’ve seen for helping me know what works and what does not work regarding social media.  

If you don’t have an account I really don’t see as how you can have an opinion as to whether it is good or bad — except of course, for the bad press.  

Eileen  

Hello — @planetzuda

Aahhh – I did misunderstand that!  HA!  *sigh

I tweet about once a week a link for these clubs because, like you, I find a plethora of information that isn’t necessarily in the mainstream.  I also tweet many of the articles, although I don’t post about those in the clubs here.

Eileen