Online influence is important, but has been hard to quantify in the past, but is easier now with Klout. An influence score is given based upon 35 variables, including retweets, responses, Facebook likes, and click-throughs, with over 2,000 companies having purchased Klout’s data.
It s like a social credit score, says Klout CEO Joe Fernandez.
The company has launched as a program called Klout Perks matching high-scoring Twitter users with brands they might like. Companies like Starbucks, Audi, Virgin America, Danone, CoverGirl, and Dove have all offered free products, which does not come with requirements to tweet, but most users will.
We pick people who are passionate and engaged in online conversation, and it sparks their network, says Fernandez. It engages thousands of other people who weren t even in the program.
So far, the program is working, with 78 percent of Klout Perks programs seeing repeat business. As for those with the top Klout Scores, Indonesian Metro TV news lead with 88 and Ellen Degeneres and Piers Morgan lead media personalities with 87.
Source: AdWeek
