What IS Klout?

If you haven't heard of it, Klout is a relatively new website that ranks your social media "klout" or more specifically, your influence in the online world.

Most people have very strong opinions about Klout - either positive or negative. Some folks think it is incredibly cool and dedicate a lot of time trying to improve their score. Others find it to be too arbitrary and a big waste of time. So should photographers - or anyone else for that matter - really care about their Klout score? In my opinion, the answer is yes- if you use it correctly.

Score

Klout assigns everyone a score from 1-100 based on several factors. It is a secret algorithm, but it seems loosely based on things like how many Twitter followers you have, how often they retweet you, how often people share your Facebook updates - and things like that. Basically, it is your ability to move people to action.

Perks

Depending on your score, you might be eligible to claim some "perks" from the website and their sponsors - anything from a free phone to free business cards. I haven't personally had much experience with the perks, but friends have told me that the prizes can be pretty cool!

So Why Use It?

I think Klout is an excellent tool to measure your progress in social media marketing. After all, if you have a lot of people following you and reacting to your posts, you are obviously gaining influence in your industry or area of expertise. Are people commenting on the images you post online or just passing them by? Klout will track this and let you know how your plan is working.

How Do I Use It?

First things first- you need to come up with a social media plan. Decide how much time you can spare and what specific goals you want to reach. Next, decide what you need to do to reach these goals. Once you have a solid plan in place, you are ready to start tracking your results.

Go to Klout (dot com) and login with all of your social media accounts. Klout will tell you your score - likely in the 20s or 30s if you are just starting out. Make a note of this number and stick it on your computer or something. Every few weeks, check in with Klout and check your score. If your social media campaign is working properly, you Klout score will likely be rising. Again, it isn't important what your score is... it only matters that it is moving in the right direction.

By using Klout to measure your progress, you can see what works for you and what doesn't - then adjust your social media plan accordingly. The photography industry can be very competitive- so use social media to give yourself the edge.