Klout vs Clout

The C version of Clout has been around a lot longer than K version of Klout.

Klout was launched in 2009 as a tool to measure your social media influence.  Wikipedia says:

Klout scrapes social network data and creates profiles on individuals and assigns them a “Klout score.” Klout currently claims to have built more than 100 million profiles.

They have been criticized for their methods of measurement and not revealing exactly how they come up with a persons Klout score.

Every once in awhile they revise their methodology and scores either drop or rise due to these changes.  Last week mine jumped several points upward.

Those who are more highly involved in these metrics of social media than I want to be are often comparing their numbers and figuring out how to game the system.

It’s silly.

Actually it’s stupid.

While I pay a little attention to the metrics and methods, I am more focused on the real relationship values.

Clout has been a word for several hundred years and refers to power and influence that a person has and can’t be measured with metrics because one persons clout is different with each person they know.

Last week I had a brief interaction with my friend Joe Noorthoek.  Joe is the marketing guy behind a local lawn care service. Joe uses the Twitter handle @LawnBoyGreen and has established himself as a humble, knowledgeable, and involved member of our city.

Joe is not from Fort Wayne. Joe moved his wife and family here from Michigan a couple of years ago and somehow became involved.

I believe it was Twitter and the relationships built via those conversations that got Joe connected.  We have a monthly Social Media Breakfast on the last Tuesday of each month and Joe like myself, is one of the alumni that have been invited to speak during a panel discussion.  Just that achievement in my mind launches Joe into a local celeb.

But even though his business is lawn care and his twitter handle refers to that part of his life, that is not the focus of what he says online or face to face.

A quick review of about 3 weeks of tweets and not once was there a promotional tweet attempting to sell his services.  Yet if you ask Joe about the value of Social Media and his work, he’ll tell you how valuable the relationships built via Twitter have become.

I know about Joe’s family, his ambitions and his beliefs.  And because of that, he’s on my short list of lawn care pros to recommend to others.

Klout vs. Clout.  Be sure you are striving for the right type of influence.