What is Klout?

Courtesy of Edie Melson

By Laurie Epps

Are you having trouble managing your social media? Do you wonder what agents and publishers are looking at when they decide your "relevance"? Here to help us along the way is social media expert, Edie Melson.

Edie Melson is my beloved mentor, former boss, and friend. She tours the country extensively, and encourages folks on the writers path who are often afraid of social media. To see her current schedule, click here.

Edie's book, Connections: Social Media and Networking Techniques for Writers has been the topic for my Monday Morning Book Club since September of 2013, and I highly recommend it as a reference book to get you in the trenches to best display your work on the Internet stage.

So What is Klout?

• Klout is a legitimate tool, and not spam.
• Klout won't get you hacked.
• What Klout is, is a measurement tool to measure your social media success, though you can interact with other users.
• Klout tracks your influence on social media, and helps you connect with others on the Internet.
• Edie recommends that you pay attention to your Klout score.
• Your Klout score will help you stay consistent with your social media.
• Klout gives you a cameo of how you're doing in the world of social media.
• Klout is a tool that editors and publishers use to evaluate your relevance. This score will tell them if you've got a good social media platform.

Right now you may be asking yourself, "how does Klout get their score?"

Klout'll rate:
On Twitter--

1. How often you tweet,
2. How many retweets you've got, and
3. How many comments, or how much interaction is there.

On Facebook--

1. Your likes,
2. Your posts,
3. How often you comment, and
4. How much others comment on your posts.

Klout also looks at Google Plus, and your other social media sites.


***********WARNING: Don't become too obsessed with your Klout score. The average score is around 30. Keep in mind that even high end social media gurus and marketers score in the 80s and 90s.

Connect Activity:

Sign up for Klout at:
http://www.klout.com

While you're signing up, be honest as you can on their surveys. Don't be afraid to link Klout to your Twitter and Facebook accounts. If you're afraid to link them, then maybe you should reconsider signing up for Klout.

Can't get enough Social Media? Check out Edie's Social Media Mondays column at:
http://thewriteconversation.blogspot.com

Come back next week, and we'll discuss the basics of copywriting.

Laurie Epps is a recent graduate of Anderson University majoring in Creative Writing. Already Laurie is most published as a feature article writer, essayist, and poet. A seeker of beauty and world traveler, Laurie hopes to grow into a career in travel writing illuminating the many stories that make us human despite our differences. Currently, Laurie also has a Thoughtful Thursday column dedicated to the fine art of poetry.