One of the most difficult aspects of social media marketing is the act of becoming influential — having people rely on you for up-to-date, accurate, helpful information. Achieving such status is no walk in the park, and tracking influence is even tougher.
Created in 2007, Klout has become a leader in measuring influence on social channels, with a plethora of social media sites/services using Klout scores in some way or another. This popularity is good, though also bad.
A common misconception is that Klout is the end all be all of social media marketing. With higher scores, good things will happen. Well, I’m sorry to break the news, but this is incorrect. It’s ultimately success that leads to high Klout scores, not the other way around. The goal should be to connect, share, and establish a level of authority, thus paving the way for high Klout.
If you’re transfixed on improving Klout, you must realize that it’s not only about who you influence, but who influences you. The amount of mentions and the quality of mentions one receives is worth its weight in gold.
Here are 3 tips for improving your Klout score:
- Research and follow relevant influencers so you can see what they’re saying.
- Retweet and reply to Tweets from influencers, which will spark conversations.
- Establish mutually beneficial relationships where you promote others while they promote you.
Remember that building influence takes time, so don’t expect immediate results and don’t feel uninspired if instant gratification is lacking.
Aaron Schoenberger
The Brainchild Group