Klout is a hot-button issue in the social networking world, and it's a touchy subject for many.
The two-year-old company— which provides social media analytics to measure a user's influence across social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn – is no stranger to criticism. Klout's model hinges on giving its members a number from one to 100 to determine the power of their influence on social networking sites.
The analysis uses data taken from such sites and measures the size of a person's network, the content created and how other people interact with that content. Those who sign up for Klout or are connected to those who do are each given a "Klout score," with higher scores corresponding to a greater strength of their online influence.
In general, people either love or hate what the site stands for. But it seems as though it's those with lower Klout scores that detest the concept, while members with higher scores are reaping the benefits of the platform. Some have even gotten job offers, free products and gift certificates from companies that want to keep the Klout influencers on their radar. Obtaining a high Klout score is becoming more of something to strive for, with some even highlighting their number on resumes.
"We believe that every person that creates content has influence," Klout founder and CEO Joe Fernandez told Mashable. "The key to driving action in your networks is to consistently create content that your network engages with. It's simple — if you create interesting content that your network interacts with and shares, you will have a high Klout score."
Fernandez developed the concept after he had surgery and his mouth was wired shut for three months: "I had to completely rely on social media to communicate," Fernadez said. "The experience changed the way I looked at platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. It was amazing to me that I could instantly tell who trusted my opinion most about anything, and that what I said impacted them."
"What was even more exciting was that the ability to influence people through word of mouth was finally scalable and that the data was all there to measure it," Fernandez added.
Although Klout scores vary greatly across the site, he noted that the average score is about 20. Most consider a score above 30 to be reputable and a score above 50 to be elite.
"If your score is less than that, it doesn't mean you're not influential," Fernandez said. "We measure influence on a topic basis and it's normal for a person to have low overall influence but high influence on a specific topic."
However, Fernandez noted that there are a lot of misconceptions about what one should or shouldn't do to influence a score.
"One thing you should never be concerned about is interacting with people who have lower scores," Fernandez said. "You are never penalized for connecting or engaging with someone with a low Klout score. In fact, this helps build their Klout score and in turn, makes you more of an influencer. All engagement positively contributes to your score."
So what are the real benefits of having a high Klout score?
"Some people are starting to leverage their Klout scores for success and fortune," Fernandez said. "We get media requests asking for us to highlight the top Klout users in their communities, so this gives those people good press for being an influencer. Companies also look at Klout scores to recruit for social media and marketing jobs."
According to Mark W. Schaefer – the author of the upcoming book "Return On Influence: The Revolutionary Power of Klout, Social Scoring, and Influence Marketing" (McGraw Hill 2012) – it's not unusual for people with high Klout scores to be contacted by companies and offered perks.
"In order to gain access to Klout perks, you first need to boost your score," Schaefer said. "Some perks may only be available for those with a certain score. Second, Klout considers your topics of influence, so if people go crazy when you write about movies, you might get some movie-related stuff in the mail from a studio."
Receiving perks from Klout also depends on your location: "A premium might be for influencers in a certain city," Schaefer said.
Companies are also using Klout in creative ways to find new customers and connect deeper with existing ones. In fact, dozens of major companies from Disney and Audi to Nike are integrating Klout influencer scores into their traditional marketing campaigns.
For example, Audi recently used Klout to identify a new group of non-traditional customers based on a love of technology and design. Meanwhile, a start-up company in San Francisco has used Klout influencers to help them find other targeted customers in their personal networks.
"Klout is a reminder that you don't have to make a movie or be elected to office to have power now," Schaefer said. "All you need to do is publish."
Do you think having a high Klout score is worth the hype? Why or why not? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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