breaking it down {klout}

Have you seen mentioned of klout via Twitter? Did you wonder what they were referring to or worse yet, "Oh dear, another thing I don't have time to figure out?" Yes, it is another thing, but it's not the same kind of thing you have to monitor like Twitter or Facebook.

Klout measures your influence according to the information it's connected to. You can link it to your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Blogger accounts ((and more)). It gives you choices as to what you want it linked to ((i.e. where it should pull info about your usage)). Then it figures out what you are influential about via social media based on the networks you've provided and linked it too. It tells you about your network, true reach and amplification.

Quick definitions:

• true reach- number of people you influence
• amplification- how much you influence people
• network- the influence of the people in your true reach

Below is a screen shot of the page that allows you to link it to multiple social + information networks:

Based on the things you share via social networks linked to klout, it determines what you are influential about. This includes the types of things you share, retweet or comment on. As you can see from my profile, it believes I'm influential about 20 topics, but lists three that are the most influential. It's interesting to check up on this and see how it changes from week to week. You can share the info on Facebook or Twitter using the links below and ask others to rate you, asking them to +k ((meaning to agree you're influential about a topic)).

Klout also shows who you influence and who influences you. You can award +k to others. It allows you to give +k in 5 to 10 times per day. That means you can give +k to one person in five topics or give it to five different influencers.

A few things to know about klout:

• Sign in using either your Twitter or Facebook account ((read: good news, you don't have to create yet another account))
• You select which networks you want to link it to ((you don't have to choose them all)) and the navigation bar is on the left column ((it's gray)).
• The score you are assigned is between 1 and 100. For a more in-depth explanation, read this.
• Don't miss the Score Analysis tab. It gives info you may find helpful to see how you relate to others.

A word of caution: please don't obsess over the number klout assigns you. It is simply meant as a tool for you to see how social networks view you. Yes, there is an option to compare yourself, but that's not necessary and probably not helpful. I share this info with you so you know what klout is and you can learn from your own social network habits.


Have you used klout before?