As much as I disdain Klout, the twitter universe keeps it alive (#usguys, you know what I’m talking about).
So I decided to have a second look. Once there, ‘Klout Summary’ displays my amply humble Klout score, along with a few other details. However, to show me my ‘score analysis’, Klout wants me to sign in.
Having already allowed Klout to access my Twitter account, the additional request made me pause…AND brings me to the existential question.
Do I Care…Enough?
Should I?
Naïveté and the echo chamber
Any social media marketing or twitter denizen worth their salt has written something, somewhere, about Klout.
Sam Fiorella’s recent post, elaborates on some of the reasons I disregard similar metrics. My main reasons, though, for being anti-klout/peerindex etc. are:
- Philosophical: In my naïve mind, the internet in general and social media (in particular), are supposed to be about non-hierarchical organization of society. As unrealistic (pragmatic me) as that idea is, metrics like Klout make it more so, encouraging hierarchically organized ‘class’ systems. Similar to ones in real life.
- Irrelevancy: I have noticed that, almost every one with great Klout statistics, create nary a movement on the ‘influence scale‘ as far some of my clients (and their businesses) are concerned.
Chatter and back-slapping in the echo chamber can be a deceptive measure of influence.
However, online marketers, social media ‘gurus’ and ‘wanna/gonna be experts‘ have the tendency to revel in auditory experiences of the echo chamber. Oh, how we love writing for each other (this post included). Then there’s our affinity for pretentiousness (read Mack Collier alluding to this in his post. Sure! ‘Be Awesome, read my book!’).
But all that’s for future blog post’s.
Having previously paid my token dues in the Klout debate (inspired by the writings of friend and mentor Mark Schaefer), I’ll hold off from rambling again on the subject.
Back to my present existential angst
Should I care enough about Klout? Sign in? Only to encourage something I do not believe in?
However, the pragmatic me, makes a living as a marketing technologist in tiny Montreal. As someone who can be occasionally faulted for being presumptuous, I have to ask:
How did you derive value from signing in to Klout?
By not signing in am I missing out on information that could help my clients in their online marketing efforts?
Is research a good alibi?
What say you?
(Edit- 31st Jan 2011: My Klout score showing sudden upward mobility. Don’t know why…how would I?)