College students looking to break into the world of online marketing, public relations, or advertising may have a relatively new way to get their name out there. Klout was founded in 2007 as a way to measure “social influence” on networks like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. Once you authorize Klout, it will measure how many people you influence online and use it to give you an influence score.
What Does a High Klout Score Get Me?
There are a few perks to having a high Klout score:
- Rewards – Many companies use Klout as a marketing tool. By providing the most influential people with rewards, they hope that you will try their product or service and tell your friends. My score isn’t outstanding (around 50/100), but I’ve gotten a free backpack, some business cards, and a month of Spotify Premium for free!
- Topics – Klout gives you a score, but it also gives you a look at what topics you are influential in. You can now see a list of the most influential Klout members based on their topics, which may give you a good idea who to follow or connect with online.
- Jobs – Some firms have even started using Klout score as a way to choose their next employees! While this method of hiring has risen some protests and eyebrows, it may be a big factor in motivating students to start paying attention to their score.
Photo by David Armano on flickr.com
How Can I Raise My Score?
Once you connect to Klout and start watching your score, you’ll start to notice some trends. Since I signed up earlier this year, I’ve noticed a few key factors in the scoring algorithm:
- Frequency – The amount you share is important, but not the only factor. If you’re on vacation for a week, your score can actually fall as Klout rewards consistent and reasonably frequent sharing.
- Relevance – Topics play an important role in raising your score. Since Klout essentially measures your personal brand’s value, it’s important that you build a network of followers who are in your industry.
- Interactions – The golden rule in raising your Klout score is getting people to follow and respond to your updates. Whether they’re on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+, Klout will give you credit for posting things that others like, share, tweet, or comment on.
- Score of Those You Influence – The number of people you influence is important in your Klout score, but it raises your score even more if they also have a high score. I’m guessing the logic is that if you influence influential people to respond or act, then you must be important.
What do you think? Is Klout a fair way to measure influence online? Does your score reflect your influence?
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