I caught this recent Mashable article about Klout on Twitter “How to Improve Your Klout Score — and Why You Should Bother”
News flash:
Being mindful of your influence is not the same as being mindful of a an external score. There are multiple ways to determine quality influence. In the old days we just did surveys… oh wait, there’s an app for that. If all you care about is numbers… and you don’t really care what your audience is gaining from you, or who is growing, surviving and touching others because of you, I can’t help you.
How do I know the scores and the websites they are based on are flawed? Because I’m a researcher and I pay attention and get to the heart of a matter without being emotional. I watch, I ask and I listen… imagine that as a concept.
Now I get on my Social Entrepreneur soapbox…
To focus on comparison ratings is to worry about someone elses success. Yes it’s nice to be the top ranked blahbedyblah. Been there done that, got the t-shirt.
Ultimately you are your only competition. If you capture your market, generate prophets and/or change lives (based on your goals)… who cares what the next person is doing with their influence? We all have it. It’s a matter of what you do with it.
Now I put on my Sugar Free Coaching hat…
In every industry and for every generation, there are private companies that rate other companies. Just like some businesses suck, some ratings companies that score businesses also suck.
The BBB, which used to be a commercial staple in the US, comes to mind. I was utterly disgusted when I found out you could buy your score. I’ve seen similar practices with some somedia companies and I’m over it.
Bottom line is, I don’t need a company that doesn’t understand me or my audience, to tell me I’m good. I can ask my family, friends, leaders, fans and clients directly. Why? Because they are all brilliant. Like minds think alike and attract other like minds and so on. Further more, giving good service and quality value add is personal to the consumer. Quality relationships are not to be measured by a computer without first at least asking the consumers vs. only people who use said rating company.
Everytime, I think I’m finished with this, an additional point surfaces…
Yes netiquette is important, as in “on ground” (vs. real life which some folks mistake for the opposite of online). You have to respect others (or don’t and experience the repurcussions). But outside of that, I can’t tell you how to be you. Your somedia activity is not going to look like mine, nor should it.
Sooo… I’m sorry social media friends. I call B.S.!!
You might want to dig a little deeper into your brand, if you plan to stick around for the long haul. If your whole vision is about rating the traffic on these very flawed mediums… you need to find another value add. Marketing is a very miniscule part of the formula to successful business and Social Media is an even smaller part of Marketing… this is still true for the somedia business.
Let’s discuss it… http://xeeme.com/AndréaRaquel
The Social Entrepreneur BTFM 