Here's What I Really Think About Klout: I don't care

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Why do I want to care? I have so much to keep up with, why do I need to keep up with the perceived perception that Klout's algorithms have about my Twitter account, and Facebook activities? I just got an email from Klout, encouraging me to "click here" for their most important update yet. Here's the thing: I don't care. I care about real clout. And so does this blogger. I barely have time to tweet and read other people's tweets and articles they recommend, and that's what I'm focusing on at the moment. Here's why I don't care:

  • Perceived ROI: At the end of the day, if you're using Twitter for business reasons, you only care about one thing, ok, maybe two things: 1. Am I getting sales* after my tweets? 2. Am I getting opportunities that can lead to sales after my tweets?
  • Perceived Klout: Does Klout really know who emails me after I've strategically planted some tweets or Facebook updates? Do they know what people want from me after I've put updates into the Internets? No, they don't. Klout knows algorithms and if, mathematically, someone officially RTed me the Twitter way, or replied to me or mentioned me. And they think I'm extra cool if that "engagement" was from a tweeter with super high klout - The Cool Group - as I used to call them in Middle School. Here's the thing: Most people don't participate online. They read/watch, according to a 2010 study by a Forrester Research, reported by CNN and others. The rest are reading. Same with Facebook. Radio silence from most of my friends, yet when I see them in person, they all know. And that's the bottom line. They all know. It's in their brains. And Klout is not in anyone's brain.
  • Speaking of brains, Privacy: So you sign up with Klout via your Twitter or Facebook username and password. I'm on security lockdown in my Facebook, and I don't tweet super personal stuff on Twitter because I don't want things floating around the Internets. Even though Klout declares that they don't claim to keep your username and password information in their database, I don't care. Some digits, somewhere, are exchanged. I've seen enough crazy things happen in this world, that I don't trust it. Sure, tell me it's encrypted. Tell me that it's not on file. Do I feel protected by your 20 words of a disclaimer? No. Even if you were telling the truth, I still don't trust it. These two accounts, Twitter and Facebook, can make or break a reputation. I share them VERY cautiously.

So go ahead, Klout me. I'm probably mediocre. And that's not why I don't care about Klout. I just don't. I get what I need professionally from the actual updating and engaging that I do with others on Twitter, and I'll risk the perception that people have when they hover over a profile and it reveals a Klout score. But I've got other things on my todo list that hopefully are going to impact my business right now. It's real clout I'm after.

Am I wrong? What do you use Twitter for, and is Klout important to you right now? Or are you feeling like it *should* and is stressing you out? Tell me in the comments below!

*sales: When I refer to sales, I don't mean a direct sale from your website after one of your tweets, or one that someone made about you. The kind where someone could click on an "add to cart" button and send you sale. I mean income generation - however you make that happen for your industry. Could be invoicing for a corporate presentation. Could be sealing the deal on a speaking engagement that you've wanted, and pursued people on Twitter who could sign you for that gig. Could be establishing yourself as a legal expert over time, so that when someone needed legal help, they thought of you first, and emailed/called/DMed you for a future hire.

Comments

Do you think that Twitter's bottom line is sales? I actually think that there are other benefits of tweeting, participating in the dialogue, raising credibility, expanding your reach. That may or may not lead to sales. Twitter's a place that fosters participation - and you can't 'participate' by just selling your product. People and companies who focus solely on sales in the Tweet stream have very few followers - and little clout(!)


I don't think twitter is about sales. Its relationships for me, a way we broke down walls and can connect w brands, press, new contacts, friends etc

 

Agreed, you usually won't get a direct sale from a tweet. Ie, this tweet got me $10 or $14,000. It's the build up to forms of sales, however those sales are in your industry.

I maintain, that at the very end of the day, you are participating in twitter to get money. To be blunt (sorry, that sounds so ugly). Whether that be a speaking gig, maintaining membership happiness, press (which think you do to lead to future sales), a corporate account for a major workshop, etc. Relationships you do to eventually get something out of it, and that something is usually money. It may be 5 steps away from the initial relationship, but usually, that's one of the many wonderful things it can result it.

I just like to learn and know stuff, since I was a kid who read trivial pursuit cards in bed, I like to learn, not for money, for me...

 

I like knowing what is going on in the world because we are all connected, so to me info is info and I love it

Ok, to bring it back to Klout - sales or no sales - does Klout motivate you to tweet? Or does your own clout motivate you to do so? Assuming you have secret goals behind why you are tweeting.

If you only tweeted to be funny with friends or family, or to get news, would you care about Klout. I would argue that no, you don't, but if you did, you might be a comedian or an essayist trying to land a book deal, or convincing your publisher that you have a lot of engaged followers (who you then hope would buy your book, secretly or not secretly).

I think Klout can be a stressor, just another thing I can't really understand well or control. But it also provides some good information back to me, for free. I have a Klout button on the home page of my website www.advicesisters.net and hope that advertisers will take my website more seriously because my Klout score, plus social media standing (not to mention my regular readers and feed subscribers) will get their attention. So far, it's been nibbles with ridiculously low offers, but I do think itKlout has helped a bit. For that, I am willing to stick with it a while longer and see where Klout goes and takes me

I think Klout can be a stressor, just another thing I can't really understand well or control. But it also provides some good information back to me, for free. I have a Klout button on the home page of my website www.advicesisters.net and hope that advertisers will take my website more seriously because my Klout score, plus social media standing (not to mention my regular readers and feed subscribers) will get their attention. So far, it's been nibbles with ridiculously low offers, but I do think itKlout has helped a bit. For that, I am willing to stick with it a while longer and see where Klout goes and takes me

I appreciate your perspective here; I recently signed up on klout and feel pretty underwhelmed. Their notifications feels a little like collecting Pokemon cards to me!

Like Sabina, I use twitter for news as well as building/keeping relationships with network contacts and customers.

Sort of related: I'm curious what you all think of services like Vizify's TweetSheet. It analyses your twitter activity and displays via an infographic: http://vizify.com (Disclosure: my hubs is a cofounder).

For those managing brands they hope it can help you optimize future tweets or reward your top followers etc.

Hi Arwa,
Thanks for chiming in! Pokemon. ;) I admin, I do like getting Klout's notifications for if someone added you to a list. However, it seems like this would be a basic function that Twitter would do for you. Seems like a lot of these apps exist to fill a void that Twitter proper is not, or has not, put out yet.

Vizify looks neat! I like the name TweetSheet. Can you comment on how the "Best Followers" are determined? Do those followers need to take action towards you?

Thanks!

Hi Katie,

Thanks for the kind words.

Yes, your best followers are determined by retweets and @mentions based on (up-to) your last 3200 tweets; the most the Twitter API will allow to be analysed.

Also in case you didn't see this re: Klout: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/campus-overload/post/klout-scores-do...

This reminds me of how SAT test prep books say that the SAT is only a measure of how well you take the SAT. Isn't Klout just a measure of how well you can game Klout? I'm hoping it doesn't become a prerequisite for jobs etc.

Happy to chat anytime. And if you're curious about Vizify, I'd be happy to e-introduce.

Cheers!