While checking on my Klout account today, I noticed something surprising. My Google+ influence has dropped to 9.65% of my total score, splitting the difference between Facebook and Twitter.
Clearly, with over 57,000 followers on Google+, less than 500 on Twitter and less than 400 on Facebook, the numbers just don’t add up. Also consider the fact that 90% of my content and interaction takes place on Google+, why the sudden change in the score make up?
Does Klout devalue influence on networks other than Facebook & Twitter?
It is safe to say we will probably never know the real algorithm that defines the overall construction of your score, but based on the most recent update, clear Google+ just doesn’t count.
Some Klout users may also notice that Klout only allows you to log in using authentication from either Facebook or Twitter, not from Blogger, Tumblr, YouTube, Google+ or any of the other networks available to your profile.
The fact of the matter is that not everyone uses Facebook or Twitter for their primary means of influence. There are thousands of YouTubers, Tumblr users and bloggers that influence their social networks from a breadth of different services. So why is Klout hinging some much ‘klout’ on your Facebook and Twitter usage?
Aside from the descrepency in score, it appears that Klout is now starting to “gamify” your influence by having you beg your followers for +K in your areas of topical influence. (Check out this post by Christina Trapolino on Google+)
Are other services better?
I was checking out Kred today for the first time, and had some severe difficulty in navigating their site. Empire Avenue, as indicated in the comments in Christina’s post, does an even worse job of calculating your score, by having you interact on their website to build up your “value.”
Although there are many websites that claim to calculate your social influence, are any of them really accurate? Will employers use them when evaluating you against other candidates for a marketing position? Sound off in the comments below. What do you think of Klout?