Online Influence.
Would somebody please tell me what that really means?
Does it mean you have the most “likes” or fans on Facebook? The most followers on Twitter? Or maybe it means you’re in more Google+ circles than most? Or have an infinite number of Pinterest boards and pins??
I have to ask. . . . .
What are we DOING?
Oh, I totally “get” using social media platforms. I teach entrepreneurs to do that. I’ve written a best-selling book on the subject. But, when it comes to influence and measuring it, I’m completely confused!
Influence vs. Popularity
In my simplified way of thinking, influence isn’t popularity and can’t be measured the same. My own influence is seen in people coming to hear me speak, attending my live events, purchasing my products, collaborating with me, or some such activity.
My popularity, on the other hand, might be seen in my social media connections.
Does that have meaning?
I addressed the meaning of meaningless numbers in an earlier post (Social Media Numbers: Which Ones Matter) Today, the focus is on measurement. There are sites out there measuring our online influence based on. . . . what? Looks to me like popularity.
The big three:
- Klout – Gives out a score from 1 to 100 that is (in their words) “a representation of your overall social media influence.” You can also be recognized for your influence in topics by receiving K+ from others. (Yes, I participate) And, you can sometimes receive perks from large companies based on your Klout score. (again, I have participated)
- PeerIndex – Very similar to Klout, where you are rated according to how socially active you are across the web. Also, has perk offerings.
- Kred – Two numbers are assigned on this site. Influence and outreach level. There is an interesting twist. You are able to see your influence “story” with “meaningful” moments scattered about. It’s actually a nice snapshot of what you are doing online. Accurate? Who knows?
Growing an online presence is important but let’s get real about influence. Presence doesn’t equal influence. Presence can be measured in social media followings. Influence can’t.
Your thoughts?
Peace,
-Martha
Martha
Martha Giffen is a speaker, consultant, and best-selling author of "Be Social Be Rich." She coaches biz owners on how to reach more customers in less time, and dishes it all out with a warm southern flare!
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Awesome Post! Thank you for sharing this Valuable info!
Love the pic!! Not so sure I am understanding Klout (I don’t use the other 2)…my score seems to remain constant at 69 no matter what I do.
Love this post, Martha! I too believe it is about relationship building and not the numbers. It’s how we touch others’ lives on a daily basis. Thanks
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oth Kout and Kred are not measurement companies. They are Marketing Agencies disguising themselves as arbiters of influence. As long as they earn ALL of the revenue selling influencer campaigns, and marketing initiatives, they cannot be trusted to decide who is influential and who is not by any stretch of the imagination. Kudos to them for jumping into a difficult space, but shame on them for holding themselves up as a legitimate measurement source. Now, that being said, Kred is basically irrelevant to those who want to be measured because at this point in time no one really cares. Kred need to spend time evangelizing their brand and building awareness if they have any hope. Klout, on the other hand, has done a remarkable job marketing themselves and being held up as the go-to measurement score. Therefore, if you are dealing with large brands and marketing agencies, who need something to make measurement easy, then it may still be a little worthwhile to pay at least some attention to Klout. Although over the past year, as I say very clearly in my short to the point post above, Klout scores seem to be mentioned less and less and may be on their way to irrelevancy. Will be interesting to see who picks up the slack.
No one really cares about Klout scores anymore. Most importantly it is NEVER a conversation with corporate marketers these days… they have come to realize that a Klout score means very little with regard to influence, advocacy, and how a message is shared and adopted.
And Peer Index… again, does anyone really care.
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