If you’re an active Klout user, you know that there’s much more to Tuesday’s site refresh than a momentary ego boost. (You may have wondered, “How did I get so influential so quickly?”)
Klout, the “standard for influence” on the Internet, pulls data from seven different networks to determine a user’s Klout Score on a scale from 1 to 100. The site uses an algorithm that takes into account a variety of signals, such as the number Facebook wall posts or Twitter mentions and retweets, to calculate this score.
The site has faced criticism for its scoring system in the past, with critics pointing out that Justin Bieber had a higher Klout Score than Barack Obama. Something wasn’t adding up if the leader of the free world was deemed less influential than a teenage pop singer. In fact, Klout CEO Joe Fernandez addressed this issue on the site’s blog last January, and concluded the post by stating how he hoped Obama’s score would rise above Bieber’s,”so that we here at Klout never have to discuss Justin Bieber again.”
Take That, Justin Bieber
Thanks to the site updates, Fernandez has gotten his wish, at least for now. (Obama’s score is currently at 99; Bieber’s is at 92.) Klout now boasts improved accuracy in determining Klout Scores, by incorporating even more online actions and adding Wikipedia as a signal of influence. The site will now analyze over 400 social media signals to calculate scores (it previously analyzed less than 100 signals), and will look at 12 billion data points each day.
Klout also aims to shed light on users’ real-world influence, and incorporate it into their scores. For example, Barack Obama has an influential, frequently visited and linked-to Wikipedia page (see what I did there?), so his real-world influence is more accurately depicted as Klout pulls that data. Similarly, if a person is listed as a CEO on LinkedIn and has strong connections, that powerful title and network will help boost his or her score.
Every Moment Matters
In addition to a fresh new site design, over the next few weeks, Klout will also introduce Moments, a feature that will allow users to see the influence of their most recent post, tweet, or other piece of content. This is arguably one of the most beneficial new additions to the site, as it will allow users to identify what types of content are most engaging and share that content more often. This could be especially useful for marketers who rely heavily on social media to promote businesses; what types of posts attract the most eyeballs, retweets, comments, etc.? Klout will make it even easier to determine the answer.
For more details on the Klout site refresh, take a look at the latest post on the company’s official blog, and of course, explore the site yourself.
Are you an active Klout user? Do you think it’s an accurate calculator of online and real-world influence? Share your insights in the comments section!