How to Increase Your Klout Score
Klout. We all have it. Some of us have more than others and some of us want to know how to build our Klout scores. The truth of the matter is that unless you are applying for a marketing or social media job, your Klout probably doesn’t really matter all that much but it sure can be fun to play with (especially if you like numbers, like me).
So what is Klout anyway?
The Klout Score measures influence based on your ability to drive action. Every time you create content or engage you influence others. The Klout Score uses data from social networks in order to measure:
- True Reach: How many people you influence
- Amplification: How much you influence them
- Network Impact: The influence of your network
How to Increase Your Klout
So now that you know what it is, how can you increase your Klout score? Well, there are many tips and tricks out there and like anything else, it is possible to game the system. However, all that time and effort you could have been putting into creating great content will be lost and all you will have is a high Klout score that means virtually nothing.
So while we will cover some methods of increasing your Klout score, the best piece of advice I can give you is just to focus your time and efforts into creating great content and sharing it across your networks.
Klout Networking
If you want to increase your Klout score, you need to look at it like a networking tool. You can share +Ks with people, join forums or Facebook groups with others who want to connect on Klout and more. It can be a great way to meet people while also increasing your score.
Sharing +Ks
To share a +K, you find topics on a person’s profile page and then click to give them influence in that topic. This is like you personally vouching for the person in that topic. You get 5 Ks a day when you log in and you also get Ks when people give you Ks. There are communities set up for the sole purpose of sharing +Ks with one another.
A great way to build your networking with +Ks is to do a Twitter search for “I gave +K about…” for whatever topic you are interested in. Then you can see who has recently given +Ks in that topic and engage with them.
Tweeting People with Higher Scores
Another technique to help you improve your Klout score is to tweet with people who have higher scores in the topics you want to grow in. For example, if you want more Klout in ‘graphic design’, look to see who has the high scores in it and try to engage them in conversation. Retweet their tweets and try to get them to @ you back (without being stalkerish or creepy, of course).
Just remember how the ratios on Klout work. Tweeting only with a select group of people (regardless of their Klout scores) will not help you as much as having more conversations with more of the people who follow you. The more other users @ and RT you, the more your score will grow so get out there an dget engaged.
Sharing Pictures
Pictures are a great way to capture the interest of your followers. Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook have shown us the popularity that pictures contain. You can also use pictures on your Twitter more easily than ever before.
Why Content Matters
So why all the focus on content when it comes to increasing your Klout score? Well, Klout is really just a measurement tool used to score your influence on social networks. While it’s possible to game the system, this would not be a true reflection of your influence. And as soon as you stop what you’re doing, your Klout score will fall again.
If you focus your energies on creating quality content that users in your networks are inclined to share, your score will climb naturally and organically and you’ll have much more to show for it than just a pretty number.
A good way to look at it is like crash dieting. Sure, you can follow some rules and guidelines and lose 10-20 pounds really quickly but once you go back to your normal routine, you’ll pack those pounds back on quicker than you can say “Weight Watchers!”
True weight loss is a lifestyle change and this is something you can maintain for as long as you live. It won’t feel like a race you are trying to win; it will just be the way you do things. The same can be said for Klout. If you’re doing things right in your social media, your Klout score will reflect that. It won’t have to be something you work for. There will be no tricks or tactics- just good, honest results.
Your Klout topics come from the content that you share. This may be articles and blogs that you share across your networks or it could be from status messages, retweets, @’s and more. Klout reads what you’re talking about and grades your influence on those topics. So if you want more Klout in ‘green beans’, then you’re going to need to talk about green beans, follow people who talk about green beans and for good measure, maybe even post some pictures of green beans.
So there you have it- now go out there and get yourself some Klout!
If you’re not on Klout yet, sign up here. Be sure to add me as an influencer and I will return the favor and toss you some +Ks!
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26 comments
Seems like the best answer to most things is "great content." Which this is. Thanks for the tips, Lisa!
I say the exact same thing about Empire Avenue, but that would be another article itself. :P Thanks for reading.
Ok, you have written some great articles on this and as soon as I get some time I am signing up :)
My Klout score went up to 67 in just a short time and held steady for about a month. This morning, my score is 10 and I continue to give all my K's away every day. So, I have very little faith in anything Klout has to say about anyone. Sorry, but just my opinion. Some people make it a point to collect K's every day. I just allow the K's to come as the people want to give them. I give 10 K's every day, yet my score goes down?
The maximum you can get is 10 anyway so if you don't give out the 10, you still never gain more than 10. Like I said in the article, it can be gamed just like anything else. Justin Bieber has more Klout than anyone due to all the @s, RTs and mentions of him on Twitter but I seriously doubt he's ever given anyone a +K. :p
@ applying for a marketing or social media job - Care to expand a little bit why YOU think it is important for job applicants in these areas ?
Yes but that would be a whole article it itself. *I* don't necessarily think it's important but those who do the hiring do. I could point you in the direction of some articles and some companies who have explained why they think it's important.
Good tips Lisa. Unfortunately, Klout claims that giving +Ks has no impact on your score.
This is true. It is the tweeting that makes a difference. For instance, if you give +K to someone and then share that on Twitter, it helps improve their score. So I think you could help improve their score just as much by just mentioning them on Twitter! I do see a definition connection between the amount of social media engagement I have and my Klout score, so in that sense it is accurate.
Directly, no. Indirectly, yes because other users notice you, especially if you Tweet the Ks. So they often return the favor, @ you or RT you, which increases your engagement, thus affecting your score.
Good piece Lisa - however what I find most frustrating with KLOUT is the periods of time when I receive dozens of +Ks and I'm added as as "influencer" by a lot of folks- and I actually see my KLOUT score falter versus rise. And yet my output on content is always at a consistent high level? Then there are times when I take a vacation or focus on other projects extraneous to social media and out of the blue my KLOUT score might take an uptick? I never see a consistent cause and effect. Am I missing something?
I completely agree. I don't think you're missing anything. The system is unstable and not an accurate measurement of a user's true clout. I think it's for fun more than anything, for many people. The algorithms are finicky. Sometimes they need time to "catch up" and other times you will see drops or increases based on how many people in your network you are engaged with. For example, I've seen if I have lots of conversation with only a small percentage of people, my score goes down but when including more of my followers in engagement, the score goes up. And sometimes, it drops for no explainable reason whatsoever. (My Klout dropped 3 points since publishing this piece and I can find no explanation for why :p)
Very well written summary. I think Klout is one of those things that people either swear by or hate.
