Seth Stevenson’s April 24^th post on Wired.com got a lot people talking about Klout–again. “What is Klout and why do we care?” they wondered, their words flying across the social networks and microblogs of the web. Stevenson’s post started by telling the story of a guy interviewing for a VP position in a Toronto marketing agency who lost out to another candidate with a higher Klout score.

What is Klout?

What is a Klout score? What does your Klout score mean? Not so surprisingly, even after multitudes of blog posts and Twitter comments, video clips and traditional media mentions, most of the world doesn’t yet know what Klout is, what their Klout score means, or why they should care.

Klout is an online personal influence measurement tool. Using proprietary algorithms, Klout calculates the value of your participation in social networks, like Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin and Foursquare, and awards you a numerical score based on your activity. Klout scores range from 0 -100 with 100 being the most influential. The average score is 20. Scores above 50 rank in the 95^th percentile.

Marketers, public relations professionals and customer service teams are using Klout, and other personal influence measurement tools, to quickly and easily identify people who are considered highly influential. Some public relations firms are using Klout scores as part of their crisis management planning. Human resource departments are beginning to factor a job candidate’s personal influence score as part of the hiring process. The tool can act as shortcut in finding influential people online–if they are active in social networks.

Klout also contracts with brands to run campaigns targeting influencers and offering Klout Perks, free stuff designed to excite the influencer and encourage online word of mouth activity. Klout perks vary depending on the brand’s campaign objective and desired user demographics.

Klout has inspired both praise and passionate criticism.

Well known marketer and blogger, Mark Schaefer, has written Return on Influence, a book devoted to the topic of measuring online influence. He speaks highly of the tool and sees it as the preeminent online influence measurement tool. The Klout website showcases successful campaigns run by Audi and Disney and includes Nike, Virgin America, Subway and Fox as among brands leveraging the Klout Perks feature.

The four year old company has been taken to task for privacy issues, marketing to minors, creating false profiles, secrecy about the algorithms used to create Klout scores and the ease with which the system can be gamed. Whether your Klout score accurately reflects your ability to influence others has been challenged, as has the fact that Klout scores change from day to day depending on the level of your social network activity.

Each of these concerns are valid and some of them prompted a mass exodus from Klout last year, with thousands deleting their Klout profiles in protest.

So why do we care about Klout? Because it isn’t going away.

For better or for worse, Klout is here to stay and is evolving to meet new market demands. Klout is just one of a growing number of online influence measurement tools. Other tools to measure personal influence online include PeerIndex, Kred, MlBast, Traakr, Tweetlevel and TunkRank and more. Understanding the trends of influence measurement and influence marketing is important for marketing and public relations professionals today. You need to be able to identify and build relationships with influencers for your business or clients. You have to know which tools are most useful for discovering and measuring influence. You must understand the difference between Personal Influence and Contextual Influence – and why it matters.

Need more information?

Tonia Reis, of the Realtime Report, an online resource for people managing social, mobile and realtime business, has published The Realtime Report’s Guide to Influence Measurement Tools. This 59 page report is packed with valuable information that will help you get up to speed quickly and provide a framework to understand the larger picture of influence measurement and the tools that are being developed to address growing demand. The Realtime Report’s Guide to Influence Measurement Tools is available for free download right now (I bought mine!) so get your copy quickly. You’ll find it an invaluable resource.
Looking for a giggle in the influence measurement department? Visit Klouchebag.com and run your Twitter ID to determine your level of “asshattery”. According to site developer, Tom Scott, the site uses a proprietary algorithm to measure how much of an asshat you are on Twitter using the ARSE rating system. Anger: profanity and rage. Retweets: “please RT”s, no or constant retweeting, and old-style. Social Apps: every useless checkin on foursquare or its horrible brethren. And English Usage: if you use EXCLAMATION MARKS OMG!!! or no capitals at all, this’ll be quite high.

I scored 44. I guess I retweet too much and use too many exclamation points. Note to self…

And your Klout score? Well, it doesn’t hurt to know what yours is, but I wouldn’t spend too much time worrying about it. You’ve got bigger fish to fry. For now.

Still looking for information about Klout? Watch the WSJ video below. H/t to Ike Pigott for including the video in his post about Klout.

This post originally appeared on SpinsSucks.com on April 10, 2012

You Want Me? Not My Client?

Last month I was interviewed on a CBS affiliate’s public affairs program about the viral success of the Kony 2012 video. According to the Wall Street Journal, The Kony 2012 video has set the mark as the fastest spreading viral video ever.

The show’s host was interested in using the video to start a discussion about the power of social media and how it affects our daily lives.

My problem was on the day Kony 2012 was released, I was traveling to California with my younger son. We’d had a full day of hopping between rental cars, planes, and taxis before I even learned about the video. Subsequent days were filled with activity and, while I was peripherally aware of the video going viral, I simply hadn’t taken the time to view it or to learn much about it.

As public relations and marketing professionals, we understand the value of providing background information to the media. We’re accustomed to monitoring current events and coming up with creative links to our clients’ products and services. But we may not be prepared to do the interviews ourselves.

Yet those opportunities can, and will, present themselves. When they do, we should make the most of them. A successful broadcast interview can increase your reach and help build your professional reputation.

Following is how to prepare for a broadcast interview when you, not your client, will be interviewed.

Take some time to research the topic of the interview, the show, and the host of the show. Think through the “five Ws and the two Hs” of the situation and ask yourself:

1. Who is the audience?

• Who are they interested in hearing about?
• Who do you know locally that might tie into the topic you are discussing?

2. What topics does the host typically cover in this broadcast?

• What does he or she hope to accomplish with your interview?
• What are the facts about the topic you will be addressing?

3. Where will the interview take place? (Make sure you know how to get there–early)

4. When will the show be taped and when will it be aired? (Share that in social media)

5. Why does the host want to interview you, and why is the topic of interest?

6. How does the topic tie into the audience’s community (or does it)?

• How can you demonstrate your expertise and make the host look good?

So how did it go for me? Well, I watched the Kony 2012 video and other related videos, read every word on the Invisible Children website, as well as blogs, articles, and commentaries. I quizzed friends and family. I thought through the five Ws and the two Hs.

During the show, I mentioned a video project created by local high school students. Using social media, it had been viewed extensively throughout Ohio, which brought the topic back to the local level. The host was pleased and the feedback has been positive.

Remember, do your research. Practice answering the five Ws and the two Hs. Being able to answer the questions for yourself and speak knowledgeably about the topic will help you handle this with poise and confidence.

Then, just follow your own advice: Do what you tell your clients to do during interviews. You’ll steal the show!

These are valid concerns. Certainly none of us is looking for more things to add to our crowded “To Do” lists. On the other hand, in today’s global marketplace, with its growing reliance on the social web, understanding how to use new social media is imperative. As Adam Singer, of The Future Buzz, states ”…a vital part of being a modern public relations professional includes testing, tinkering and experimenting with new communications technologies. Google+ is no different, and web savvy communicators should try to be among the first to dive in and get familiar with all the features when released.” And what better way to understand than to jump in and learn by doing?

Here are five reasons it makes sense to sit down, create your Google Plus profile and learn how to use it. Today.

Credibility: today’s marketing and public relations professionals are expected to know how to use the major social networks so that we are able to develop and implement effective online strategies for clients and employers.
Experience: your firsthand exploration will help you understand how (or whether) this network will benefit your clients or employer.
Relationships: the business of marketing and public relations is based on building and maintaining strong positive relationships. Google Plus makes it easy to meet and develop relationships with industry leaders from all over the world.
Traffic and Search Engine Rankings: Google Plus is already driving quality traffic to websites and helping to improve search engine rankings.
Ubiquity: the Google Plus of today is a project still in beta form. But tomorrow? While time will tell, it is most likely that Google Plus will be everywhere and inescapable, as Mike Elgan, of The CMO Site.com states. Content will be easily marked public and immediately converted into searchable, indexed webpages.

So how do you start? For the moment, Google Plus is still an invitation only social network and you must have a gmail address. Invitations can be found all over the web right now or you can email info at allenmireles dot com and we will send you one.

Interested in learning more? Join us for PRSA’s monthly meeting this Friday. We will be covering the nuts and bolts of using Google Plus and will provide invitations so attendees can jump in and get started right after the meeting.

The September 16 meeting will be held at the Toledo Club, located at 14th and Madison streets in downtown Toledo. Networking begins at 11:30 a.m., with lunch at noon, and the meeting immediately following lunch. Cost is $15 for members, $25 for guests and $10 for students. Reservations are due by noon on Wednesday, Sept. 14.  Please RSVP to Kari Bucher at 419-867-8792 or klbmomof4 at sbcglobal dot net to reserve your seat.

So is it worth your time? Yes. While it’s too soon to tell where Google Plus is heading, especially in its application for business communications, the signs point to the emergence of a vibrant and strong new social network. Remember that the Google Plus of tomorrow will very likely be very different and very much more powerful than the Google Plus we see today.

Early morning thoughts about social media marketing, PR and strong coffee…

Monday, March 30, 2009. This A.M. started as a study in contrast. My first email was from a friend and colleague who is critical of my passion for social media and declared herself “not interested in all that social media stuff”. This is the same person who wonders why she is struggling to attract new clients.

In the next moment, as I read my Facebook messages, I learned of a new shareable media database available for Twitter users. This free resource allows you to follow and sort media by beat, location, name or media outlet. MediaOnTwitter is populated by Twitter users, vetted by editors and FREE to the entire community. Developed by Sara Evans (@prsarahevans) and partners (known on Twitter as @skydiver, @melissahourigan and @edunigan), the MediaOnTwitter wiki can only help the public relations community by making it easy to follow and communicate with journalists using Twitter. Great example of innovation in our industry—one that will benefit all of us.

Next I stumbled upon a blog post written by Jennifer Willbur, a PR pro some 10 years younger than I, who cautions her colleagues not to become “PR Geezers”, saying the time to learn to use social media effectively is now. She makes the point that her reader may be comfortably employed right now by a company who is considering social media involvement but not making it a priority. How long will it be, she wonders, before the competition gains traction using social media marketing? Where will her reader be then? She closes by reminding us that none of us can afford complacency or fear of the new and unknown. Things are different now, which means WE have to be different. If we don’t make learning social media a priority right now, we’re going to be left behind.

I agree with her.

So where do you stand? Are you interested in learning about social media for your business? Wondering what that even means? Wondering where to start?

Start by attending the first Social Media Breakfast Toledo, which will give you an overview of social media and social media marketing and offer you a chance to network with other business people. The event is scheduled for April 3rd from 7:30-9:30 AM at the Elks Lodge 53 on Holland-Sylvania Rd in Toledo. Tickets are $10 (payable by cash at the door) and advance registration is required because seating is limited. Register online here.

We hope to see you there. We hope you make learning about social media a priority for your business too.