I’ve been a Klout basher for years, but with good reason. I felt it was a poor indicator of Influence and that it was more of a game than an actual tool of value. However, the recent changes and the pending changes coming in November have me singing a bit of a different tune. While I still question the algorithm and scoring, Klout has made enormous strides in providing a more comprehensive system for measuring influence that may not be perfect, but is certainly headed in the right direction.
The Klout team has always had a road-map for their product and it was only a matter of time before the pieces started to come together. The first change that took a solid step forward was clearly the launch of the +K feature. While this is still a bit of a “popularity contest,” it’s a start at putting the definition of an influencer in the hands of the people being influenced. It’s by no means perfect as it can easily be gamed and they are often doled out freely (It seems like I get 10 new +K’s a day – I don’t think that many people are truly worthy) but the concept is right and something that marketers should pay a bit more attention to.
Add in the Klout Perks Program and things get even more valuable. Now, Klout has successfully developed a way to bring brands and influencers together. While it’s still a limited offering and many brands offer crappy perks, the concept again is a major step in the right direction. I’ve only claimed a few perks, but as these offerings become more compelling, it could be a major incentive for people to be more active, gain more Klout and get free stuff.
None of this is new to most marketers, but what really has me excited is the revamped topic pages and the ability to add topics to Klout which will be launching in November. Klout was smart to empower the users to add topics. Instead of trying to build this out on its own, let the users define all possible topics and start being experts in areas they feel are important. This could significantly endear current users to the product as more people will be able to become a top influencer in niche topics like underwater basket weaving.
As a marketer, adding your products and brand to Klout will certainly make it easier to quickly identify users who are talking about you and those experts who are earning +K. From here, you can add Perks that allow you to reward these folks specifically to keep them engaged and participating. All of a sudden, the incremental changes are coming together and regardless of algorithm, should keep people coming back and working hard to keep their scores in respective topics high.
Is Klout really “the Standard of Influence?” Probably not yet, but it’s getting there. This Wall Street Journal coverage certainly can’t hurt either. Keep it up Klout… you’ve got me interested and certainly have me excited.
