The Value of Klout on Social Media

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

I’ve recently received a lot of questions about a relatively new Social Media Tool, KLOUT. Today I’d like to give the information you need to decide whether Klout is for you.

First, let me assure you Klout is a legitimate tool, and not spam. Responding to a Klout invitation will not get you hacked. But it's not technically a network, although they seem to be trying to go that direction. 

The value of Klout is the fact that it puts a number to our social media influence. 

This isn't without controversy. But as long as we don't obsess about it, it can be a good thing. 

What is Klout?

Klout is more of a tool to use with established social networking, rather than a network. It enables you to track your own influence in social media and connect with others and become an influencer. It does this by assigning you a number between 1 and 100.

I pay attention to my Klout Score because it helps me stay consistent with my social networking. If I’ve piqued your interest and you’d like to sign up, here are some of the basics and an explanation of the terminology.

It's important to not get obsessed with the actual number of your Klout score. The average is around 40. Depending on what your goal is, your number may be smaller or larger. I'm fairly satisfied with my number, it shows I have a good influence and am very active in social media. Only high level marketers and such tend to have scores in the 80s and 90s. You mainly want to look for consistency, with slow growth.

Be aware though, a lot of editors and agents also investigate a potential author's Klout score. This gives them a starting point when evaluating an existing platform.

Sign Up for Klout

To sign up go to www.klout.com. Don’t be afraid to sign in through Twitter or Facebook, you’ll need to give your permission for Klout to access both networks to accurately track your score. If you don’t want to do this, I’d skip Klout. Without access to your Facebook and Twitter accounts it doesn’t give you accurate information.

Once you sign up, you’ll be asked to choose categories that interest you and then name influencers within those categories. Think of this as a baseline for Klout to begin getting to know you. Be honest, but don’t stress out about this section. It’s just a starting point.

During the sign up process and afterward, Klout will frequently give you the opportunity to Tweet or Update your Facebook profile with things you’ve done on Klout. This is totally up to you. You won’t be penalized for not sharing, it’s just a way to let people know you’re part of this network and for Klout to get their name out. Sometimes I allow the info to go out and sometimes I don’t.

Have you had any experience with Klout? Any questions? Now's the time to chime in.

Click to Tweet: The value of #Klout on #SocialMedia - @EdieMelson 

Edie Melson is the author of numerous books, as well as a freelance writer and editor. Her blog, The Write Conversation, reaches thousands each month. She’s the director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference and the Social Media Mentor at My Book Therapy. She’s also the Military Family Blogger at Guideposts. Com, Social Media Director for Southern Writers Magazine and the Senior Editor for NovelRocket.com. Connect with her on Twitter and Facebook. Look for her newest book, While My Soldier Serves (Worthy Inspired), available at bookstores and online.