http://www.forbes.com/sites/dorieclark/2012/04/02/why-you-should-care-about-your-klout-score/
The article posted on Forbes.com and written by Dorie Clark discusses the level of importance that businesses and professionals should place on their Klout score. Klout is an application that measures online influence through various social media outlets including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and many more.
So how seriously should businesses take getting involved in social media and how much effort they should put into increasing their Klout score? Of course having a high Klout score is something to brag about to other companies and a hard number to take to management to show that your work has improved the company’s online presence, but spending too much time creating content can be a waste of resources. I recently had a discussion with an executive at a consulting firm about this subject. As the article mentions, it is much easier to post content from somewhere else and write a quick comment about it than it is to create your own. The results are the same. Your followers and viewers are still getting your opinion and it starts a conversation. The key is to have a continual presence. It is important not to leave your Twitter without Tweets for long. Put in the time to keep up with the sites you or your company is involved with to have a continual presence and a plump Klout score.
The article mentions that pictures are a great way to make an influence. They are easy to create and when assisted with a witty or thought-provoking caption can create a quick buzz. The article also says not to be formulaic; “It’s not about posting X many times a day, or only on certain topics” (Clark, 2012). Spontaneity allows for more creative content. If you put yourself on a schedule, originality and surprise is lost.
After reading this article, I decided to find out my own Klout score. It was a measly 29 out of 100, with an influence on 30 people. I have Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts, but do not use them frequently to post information. I am going to keep an eye on my Klout score over the next few weeks to see how it reacts in real-time to my posts and tweets. I only have one other “friend” from Facebook that it shows is using Klout, and his score blows mine out of the water at 49. He must be a much more avid social media user.
Social media is crucial in order to be involved in the competitive game, but spending too much time upping your Klout is taking away resources that should be put toward major business functions to keep or create competitive advantages.
Clark, D. (2012, April 2). Why You Should Care About Your Klout Score. Retrieved April 2, 2012, from Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/dorieclark/2012/ 04/ 02/why-you-should-care-about-your-klout-score/