Last night I had the pleasure of attending the first Spokane Tweetup of the 2012 season at Ripples within the Red Lion Hotel. The beer was good, company better, and overall discussion was rather engaging.
One of the topics we hit on was how we viewed Klout as a SM tool. Some at the table knew what Klout was, some did not. The aggregate response from the crowd bordered somewhere between indifference and pessimism about the product/service. To butcher but recapture one opinion at the table, the comment was "If I'm meeting my internal ROI, who cares what my score is?" This seemed to become the default final say as we moved on with our discussion.
On the car ride home I thought about that a bit more, and how I use Klout personally, what we may have overlooked in that quick roundtable, and the fallacy of looking for Klout as a direct-benefit tool for a social media manager, when it's real benefit might be a little more obscure.
Klout if you aren't familiar is a tool that connects to your social media accounts, and give you a numeric score, from 1-100, based on certain criteria such as amplification, reach, and network impact. It's forward facing display of a creative use of game theory, using our ego and internal trained desire to measure your social media usage, and perhaps even self worth, against a number that is created in some black-box algorithm. Since grade school, we've always been taught to strive for a 100, and Klout takes great advantage of this conditioned response.
Sadly, I'm fairly trained to look at my score every morning, and be ecstatic when I go up a point, and frustrated beyond rational thinking when I'm down. It's a great example of how game theory is really a force to be reckoned with as social media and the web becomes more refined.
When I think about the comment "If I'm meeting my ROI, screw Klout and their superficial number" I'm in agreement- This thing drives me effing crazy trying to keep it afloat. But while the self facing metric is what we pay attention to, Klout is useful to social media managers in a different way.
Klout has less to do with how you see yourself. The value is about how others see you.
Klout's value really comes from you outward facing Klout number, and how your followers, and potential followers see you. I've noticed this in my own usage, and for a brand or social media manager, your outward image and message is everything, right?
Think of it this way: The people who sign up voluntarily for Klout by best guestimate are going to be the people who are: A) social media savvy/trendy (you want these people following you right?) B) now driven insane by this Klout score (people externally driven to become BETTER/MORE ACTIVE followers).
If these people are valuing themselves by their Klout score, you can bet your ass their holding you and your brand to the the same superficial judgement system as well! Sadly I know because like I mentioned, I'm already caught in this self-worth/judgement cycle. When I'm looking to follow a new person, a Klout score for me gives me a first impression of whether they are active and create good content (via Reach/Amplification). Klout's value to an SMM or Brand is less about who you influence, and more about how Klout influences your followers (potential customers) to want to follow you.
The kicker? Everyone has a Klout score whether you've signed up or not. So when I, a Klout user, open my Twitter page everyday, your score is right next to your name- whether you care to acknowledge it or not. In an article about business social media campaigns I wrote back in September, I mention that when it comes to branding and social media- you're either in or your out- but half ass will harm your brand more than cause good. Unfortunately (and wisely) Klout has opted you in as a brand- unless Klout falls to the wayside, you don't have a whole lot of choice. A great brand and content will be, and is being undercut with a poor Klout score stamped on your Twitter account.
Is it fair to judge someone by their Klout score? Isn't the real value of SM in the connections and the content, which is not being accurately reflected in a score?
Fair may not be the word to describe this new ranking- but common would be. We make thousands of snap judgements everyday with one or two data points-Think about walking down the street and bumping into a person. A lot can be deferred by simply their clothes or demeanor. Is if fair? No. Is it accurate? Probably not all the time. But it is how we operate in the real world. Klout is your customers first glance at your brand or company- what will they infer?
like it or not, your Klout score is now part of your companies first impression to the world. The value in Klout for you as a person, a brand, or a company may not be ranking and judging yourself everyday; but realize whether you do or not, you'll never stop others from passing the same quick judgement on you. If your a brand or SMM and not worried about your Klout score, I would take a second look.