If you spend any amount of time on twitter, you’re probably already familiar with Klout, a service which claims to measure your overall online influence. Much has already been written on the pros and cons of Klout (you can find several excellent observations here). To many, however, there is a big difference between real influence and online influence. When I see unemployed, 20-something year-old social media enthusiasts with Klout scores in the 70s, it makes me ask myself: “Who are they really influencing?”. Besides, what exactly does having a high Klout score really mean when Lady Gaga’s score is 90 and Bill Gates’ is “only” 77?
But surprisingly, there is quite an obsession with Klout on social media platforms. I believe for many, Klout is the main reason they “engage” on twitter. The basis of one’s Klout score is correlated to clicks, comments and retweets, so it makes all the sense in the world that the more you tweet, the better the likelihood of a higher Klout score and the “perception” of influence. In contrast, should you happen to take a hiatus from the twitterverse, you just might find your Klout score has dipped a bit (which for some is the equivalent of the sky falling). Such an obsession with something of such little value as one’s Klout score has got to pull time away from more important endeavors, no? Aesop, in one of his many fables, warned: “Beware lest you lose the substance by grasping at the shadow.”
THE NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION
This past New Year’s Eve, I asked my wife and my 13-year-old daughter to suggest three resolutions I should adopt for the new year. #1 on both lists was: “Stop spending so much time on the computer.” Translation? Start spending some more time with us. Now, a good portion of how I make a living is done editing my various video productions on a computer. But it made me take a look at where I’m spending the rest of the time when I’m not editing. I realized that I have indeed spent quite a bit of time frolicking on twitter, reading and commenting on blog posts, “engaging” in twitter chats…and not as much time with my family as I used to.
But has it been all for naught? My time on twitter has produced some pretty interesting results. Other than meeting several terrific people and reading many great blog posts, I’ve gained several thousand twitter followers, realized that my own Klout score rivaled that of some pretty well-established social media “gurus”, and was even asked to be one of the speakers at the UnGeeked Elite conference in Orlando this past Spring (unfortunately, event was cancelled. Totally not my fault. Really.). Not a bad year for my online influence, yes? But is it coming at the expense of my influence in the offline world? With my family? Maybe even my business? Perhaps it’s time to shift my focus back to the things that really matter.
A FRESH PERSPECTIVE
So, allow me to introduce five considerably more important “Influence Metrics” to monitor in 2011:
What’s your Klout score with your spouse? Are you “generating a high level of engagement” with him/her? We tend to take our spouses for granted as we seek the titles of “Thought Leader” and online “Influencer”. We spend hours perusing the web for new content for our blogs and new subscribers so we can finally be comfortable enough to post our feedburner subscription counts on our sites.
Still others (myself included) are consumed with growing their businesses – planning, strategizing, networking. We lead the charge in one direction only to find ourselves alienating our biggest supporter. We end up with a spouse who wonders why you don’t go out to dinner together anymore; why you can’t pull yourself away from the computer for just one night so that you can watch “Charlie St. Cloud” together. A spouse who has tuned you out because a “conversation” now consists of you talking about you. When your spouse starts asking you: “Remember when we used to…”, it’s time to start remembering.
What’s your Klout score with your kids? Are you generating “actions and discussions with nearly every message”? Are they “ambassadors” for your family’s “brand” and values? It’s great when @chrisbrogan retweets your blog post but is your child “retweeting” your message to their “followers” (friends)? You might have a Klout score in the 70s online but your “true reach” with your children might well be in the 30s. Is your quest for online influence taking up the time you could be playing catch with your kid? Having lunch together on a Saturday afternoon? Helping them with their homework? Sitting in the stands watching their soccer game (without staring at your smartphone the whole time)?
Your online Klout score features an “Influence Matrix” with numerous different classifications such as: Celebrity, Specialist, Socializer, Networker, and others. But how about just being #1 Dad to your child? Think I’ll choose that one.
THE “OTHER” COMMUNITY
What’s your Klout score with your clients? Is your product/service generating discussion with your clients? Generating “action” in the form of referrals? The potential of a social media community makes for great blog fodder but a job well done and referrals from your satisfied customers – that’s real. That’s a phone call from a prospect that goes something like this: “Hi, Dan. I’m looking to do a video for my company and the folks over at XYZ Company said you do a terrific job and are great to work with. Can we set up a time to meet up and discuss this project?” That’s measurable. How much time are you investing in making your product and service one that is worthy of being “amplified” by your clients?
What’s your Klout score in your community? What’s the “word on the street” on YOU? Does your community even know who you are? Oh, I’m sorry – I didn’t mean your “online” community (a large percentage of which you’ll never meet or even “engage” with), I’m talking about the community outside your window. Depending on your twitter following, you may find it’s a much smaller community but who ever said quantity mattered over quality? With the onset of social media, most people have forgotten that there’s a living, breathing community right outside their front door. A community where we can volunteer at a local non-profit agency, join a business networking group, be part of the ministry at our church, or simply join a bowling league. A community where people still look into each others eyes and shake hands.
Why? In a recent article from Entrepreneur.com called “What’s Important When You Refer People?“, not surprisingly, “knowing a person’s character” ranked No. 1. So can you really determine a person’s character by their tweets? Their twitter bio? In the 1997 film “Suicide Kings”, Charlie Barret, an ex-mob boss (played by Christopher Walken) tells a bunch of yuppies who have kidnapped him in an attempt to get out of debt: “But I come from out there, and everybody out there knows, everybody lies: cops lie, newspapers lie, parent’s lyin’. The one thing you can count on – word on the street… yeah, that’s solid.” Believe it.
THE MAN IN THE MIRROR
What’s the Klout score of the man in the mirror? Are you happy with the person looking back at you? If not, then here’s a better question: Can you influence the person looking back at you? In the end, if we can’t influence that person, what does all the online influence in the world really matter?
I took a look at the man in the mirror today and told him he needs to change. “Why?” he asked. “Because I’m not as proud of you as I used to be”, I replied. He asked “Why?” again. I told him to just shut up and do as he’s told. He stopped asking questions.
What new “Influence Metrics” are you going to start monitoring?
Photography by: http://www.bogacerguvenc.com
137 comments
Dan,
awesome post… Thank you for the reminder to take heed of my daughter’s “dad, great job of spending time with the family” as I was tweeting Toasts last night at 5pm to my Twitter friends…
Josepf
I’ve been getting that a lot from my daughter as well as Mrs. Perez. Time for a change, yes?
Thanks, J 🙂
Ouch. The pain of conviction. Nicely stated and truly thought (and action) provoking.
I always say that the most important influencer on Twitter is @belenesq, my wife. And it’s totally true. If she tweets “vamonos!” then guess what I do? Yes, I close the Twitter.
In terms of time allocation, I think it goes back to the reason one is on the social Web. If one is on it for business reasons then a sound strategy can help things out. If the strategy doesn’t provide the results you seek then we can either shift our approach or try something else (including other offline methods).
If gaining significant influence on social sites is a key goal, then monitoring and leveraging Klout can help. There are some professions, like financial planners, where they are not able to directly provide services online without serious legal oversight. For these folks, building influence is super important and an important part of their business strategy.
The same thing applies to offline activities. I volunteer a lot of my time to working with nonprofits in the community and am very active in relationship building activities – tweetups, meet and greets, and community presentations. These offline activities, especially when I end up driving an hour + into LA, can take up a huge amount of time.
I also agree that being responsive to family, yourself, and your community is important. If online activities get in the way of that then it is time to change.
At the same time, I’m commenting here and will retweet the post because we’ve interacted online via #blogchat on Twitter.
-@JesseLuna
Jesse,
Agree 100% – my biggest influencers have been my wife & daughter but it seems I’ve strayed a bit this past year. Haven’t put “first things first”. That’s gonna change in 2011 (Klout score be damned!)
To your point, inre to one’s goal being “gaining significant influence on social sites”, then that influence needs to be activated and set in motion to generate some sort of action or else it becomes worthless. It’s a tree falling in the forest that no one hears. People like Chris Brogan & Brian Solis know this well and use their influence to make a living. What are the rest of us gonna do with ours is the question…
Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Hey Dan,
All the things you mentioned we are working on measuring. Just joking, really great post. I think people lose context so easily. Great thing to remember heading into the new year.
Well this is a surprise. Glad you enjoyed the post. I want to make something clear while you’re hear. I don’t think Klout is stupid – there is a place for this type of service somewhere in social media. What I do think is stupid is people obsessing over their Klout scores. Obsessing to the point that they bastardize the whole purpose of social media. They become the politician shaking hands and kissing babies not particularly because they want to but because they want your vote (a high Klout score).
Do I believe online influence is ultimately overrated? Most definitely. But at the end of the day, I know it takes a lot of hard work and effort to create something that’s talked about so dang much and for that you have my respect- and I wish you continued success into the new year. Really.
Thanks for stopping by – much appreciated 🙂
PS – Now, about those new influence measurements…
Joe Fernandez, you are one cool person for visiting Dan’s blog.
Dan, fantastic post. Where Klout/Influence is concerned, I would challenge people to think not in terms of influence as a goal but rather what would they actually use that influence to accomplish and is that realistic?
Where the real meaning of this post is concerned (valuing what really matters), I can only hope that I do a better job.
Thanks for the reminder.
Cheers,
Matt Ridings – @techguerilla
Matt,
Always a pleasure to see you here at my modest little blog. I’ve never confessed this to anyone but you influenced my tweeting style more than anyone else. When I used to hop on my very first twitter chats, I used to think, “Why is this guy rocking the boat? Who the heck does he think he is?” Then I started to realize, “This guy’s making a lot more sense than these other guys…and he’s not afraid to speak his mind.” So now you know…
I agree wholeheartedly with this statement: “what would they actually use that influence to accomplish”. Influence without generating action isn’t any kind of influence at all, is it?
Let’s keep each other “in check” in 2011 as we shift the primary focus of our own actions where they should be. Bro-hug.
Dan you rocked it! what a great and timely post. I often wondered the same thing; What’s is our Klout IRL? while we consider ourselves a community, a extended family..what does our real family think of us? I can’t be the only experiencing the spouse thinking “I’m addicted” or the kids begging me to put my phone down or turn my laptop off and spend time with them!
We’re so engrossed in our “online-life” we seem to forget sometimes the real values in life! and I thank you for bringing us back to reality long enough to evaluate what “Klout” is it, that we want to build up
Well said Dan!
PS: I’m liking the new Dan this year!
—
@MyAgenda
This whole post started as an #usguys rant (there, you’ll find several “Kloutaholics”) but I realized that the tribe has grown so much that it ain’t about Klout as much as it used to be. But therein lies the inspiration for this post. Let’s get obsessed with our family, business, community – create something bigger than an online chat. Who’s down?
Thanks for stopping by {hug}
Well said, Dan — thanks for this timely, compelling post!
I have recently been wondering what the at-home, personal lives are like for many of the tweeps I’ve met — you know, those who always seem to be “on” and constantly engaged in the Twittershere. And yes, I am not immune and have been looking at myself as well.
Like anything in life, balance is the key and doing things in moderation always seems to give the best overall result. Social media has a way of sucking you in, and obsession with validation is part of this (enter Klout).
It’s up to each of us to find balance and find out what works best in our own lives. But this post is a good reminder of what really matters and what we should be paying attention to.
My son just bugged me once again to see if I was ready to get off the computer, so this is a fitting place to end. Unfortunately, he wants to discuss the prospects of an iPad for his birthday.
Paul,
You’re absolutely right about finding balance. I’ve realized that somewhere in 2010, I may have tipped the scale heavily to one side – the wrong side when you consider what’s really important.
I’m gonna be more aware of the “other” people in my life in 2011. Maybe next year, their New Year’s resolution for me might be: “Spend more time on the computer”(!)
Great read Dan, and some terrific points made.
It’s funny that you chose a screencap of Tom’s tweet. I believe he was just tweeting about his score in jest, I don’t think there was any sort of seriousness behind what he tweeted. 🙂
Klout for me is sort of a joke, sort of not. Let’s face it, most people like numbers and scores. For the same reason that some love baseball and basketball stats, they also love social media stats. Since social media stats and ROI are at times difficult to generate, people are a bit hungry for a measuring system they can somewhat trust, and Klout *sort of* provides that. However, at the same time, Klout is a bit of a joke since it’s sort of impossible to put a score on a person’s influence in the social media space. Different people influence others in different ways and at different times—putting some sort of number behind it is near impossible.
Like you point out in your piece, what’s more important is the “real life” influence you have. How is your relationship with your loved ones, your kids, your friends? Are you spending enough time getting out of the house? (reminds me of a recent post where someone asked if you can be addicted to Twitter and still take care of yourself physically—umm, no, you can’t) Are you advancing professionally, and making a positive impact in your professional endeavors? Are you sleeping, eating, and relaxing enough? Have you read a good book lately? (remind me to hit Amazon.com soon).
Ultimately, the questions you raise in terms of how well your “real life” influence is doing is far more important than any number Klout gives you. So I don’t stress at all about Klout, though, I’m not going to complain if I have a higher score. Like I mentioned, people tend to love numbers. 😉
Cristian,
Funny you should mention Tom’s tweet. Now we all know that Tom is only 77% serious when he bemoans his Klout score but it was that exact tweet that set me off to write this post. I saw the tweet sometime in the morning and as I took my dog for his morning walk, this whole post formed in my head. I got home, made some coffee, started writing and finished the dang thing by the afternoon. I’ve never done that before. Took me more time to find the right pictures for the post than it took to write it. For me, it usually takes a few weeks before I’m comfortable enough with what I’ve written to publish it.
Had no idea whatsoever, the post would be as well received as it’s been so far today. So my thanks to Mr. Moradpour.
Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment – much appreciated 🙂
Is there a way to erase comments? George posted as me.
Awesome post Dan. Every year I have to remind myself that I have a life outside of the Internet. What’s funny is that when I picture my ideal day, it barely involves the Internet (spending a minimal amount of time on it to get my work done).
Great advice for everyone. Now I am off to Retweet it and share it with all my online friends, followed by time on Facebook catching up with all my friends lives, followed by….
It’s funny how the internet can sneak up on our day, yes? Gotta make sure we take time out for the things that really matter. Unless, of course, tweeting is all that matters to you…
Thanks, George…er, I mean Jill…or is it George?
Dan Klout is so 2010, try out Empire Ave instead. 😉
http://www.empireavenue.com/thedudedean
Dan, well said. Great comments. I think you nailed it, great reminder to remember what is really important and who really matters.
Thanks and Happy New Year.
Joe
Nice to see you here, Mr. Ruiz. Glad you enjoyed the post. Now stay away from those scoundrels at #usguys 😉
Thanks, Terence. Always appreciate your support. I’m gonna do the same with mine (right after I get through these comments…promise!)
Excellent comments Dan and a great way to think around the standards we are TOLD matter, instead of those that really matter.
Thank you and Happy New Year!
Taariq
First of all, I think metrics are just ridiculous, which you point. This isnt about influence it is about real connection, which also happens more offline than online.
And as for the final points you make: awesome perpsective. Very well-written and just right on target. You need that balance always.
Julio,
It’s funny how I wanted to start the year by reducing my online time but I could have never guessed the response to this post would have been what its become. Now I’m replying to comments and thanking people for all the RTs. My wife is looking at me with chancleta in hand..!
Glad to see you back again – Feliz año nuevo to you & the fam!
Julio,
It’s funny how I wanted to start the year by reducing my online time but I could have never imagined the response to this post would have been what its become. Now I’m replying to comments and thanking people for all the RTs. My wife is looking at me with chancleta in hand..!
Glad to see you back again – Feliz año nuevo to you & the fam!
Work starts for me tomorrow. Vacation time is over but I will be around and I love your blog posts. Required reading, and how cool of Joe Fernandez to show up?
Great points!
What makes Klout so addictive is that it boils down “influence” to a number. Its easy to understand and compare. Coming up with a Klout number for the spouse/kids would be more complicated and it wouldn’t mean much to compare them with others (not that anyone really should anyway). People tend to work on things where they get feedback easily (like Foursquare and badges).
Hey Dan,
Great post! We’re big believers in keeping a healthy perspective on what the Klout score can and cannot measure. Kudos.
-Megan Berry
Marketing Manager, Klout
Megan,
Thanks for stopping by. Wishing you & Joe continued success (and improvement) in what you’re doing 🙂
Megan,
Thanks for stopping by. Wishing you & Joe continued success (and improvement) in what you’re doing 🙂
What’s your Klout score with your wife and kids? Wouldn’t it suck to be in 70s while your kids are in jail?
Blibbity blah family sometimes can be pleasant and can be frustrating, what more can I add to “c-mon, look in your backyard first”, without true face time and actual pain process we aren’t able to see it from anothers point of view, all we can do is speculate and speculation mixed with fear, jealousy, anger… is fire for an unhappy life. We either do or we don’t
Blibbity blah family sometimes can be pleasant and can be frustrating, what more can I add to “c-mon, look in your backyard first”, without true face time and actual pain process we aren’t able to see it from another’s point of view, all we can do is speculate and speculation mixed with fear, jealousy, anger… is fire for an unhappy life. We either do or we don’t. I’d like to think that I am willing to take the time when presented to address those issues that plague us and hold us down and not enjoy the company of another whom has cared for you in the past. I want to hold everyone in regard to his or her contact with me and be willing to trust, willing to give and willing to help my fellow person because we are all in it together and have just as much to gain or lose by going their own way. I don’t want to run over I want to integrate and settle out so that more important projects can be handled that include my Family life. Looks like I did have something to add about family friendships.
What a great perspective and what are the numbers and score that really counts. Thanks Dan.
All excellent points. And a reminder why I am focusing more on the real world then the social media one in 2011!
I think that the Aesop quote you chose was perfect and gets to the core of the issue with many of the numbers and rankings that are becoming so prominent on the web.
“Beware lest you lose the substance by grasping at the shadow.”
We can become so focused on the numbers that represent us that we forget about the actions that those numbers are actually supposed to represent.
This is probably the first klout focused post I’ve read that doesn’t focus on the number, or even klout in itself. It looks at the concept of taking actions that impact the things that are important to you.
Klout is being built to measure the impact of some actions. Those actions may not be the ones that matter most to you and that’s fine.
Thanks for the thoughtful post Dan. Hope 2011 treats you well.
Great point David. My frustration with Klout (and any other algo that reduces these many many actions down into a 1-10 or 1-100 scale) is what gets lost in translation. I fear these services appeal to the worst inside us by juicing our competitive drive for reasons that don’t necessarily serve our better interests. Reminds me of my favorite Einstein quote –
“Not everything that counts can be measured. Not everything that can be measured counts.”
Sean, Let’s not get fooled by the bright lights of Klout. Most people can live quite a fulfilling life without a high Klout score, yes?
Nice to see you here 🙂
David, While I do believe that Klout has some value (highly dependent on one’s profession), if you don’t utilize that perceived “influence” that your Klout score affords you, you’re just “pissing in the wind”, yes? Maintaining a high Klout score takes a considerable investment of time (if I had a nickel for every tweet I read of someone bemoaning their sudden drop in Klout score by taking some time off for the holidays!) with very little return. Couldn’t that time be better spent networking, reading a self-improvement book, improving your professional skills, maybe even looking for a better job? Don’t believe the hype…
Glad to see you here – Happy 2011 🙂
David, While I do believe that Klout has some value (highly dependent on one’s profession), if you don’t utilize that perceived “influence” that your Klout score affords you, you’re just “pissing in the wind”, yes? Maintaining a high Klout score takes a considerable investment of time (if I had a nickel for every tweet I read of someone bemoaning their sudden drop in Klout score by taking some time off for the holidays!) with very little return. Couldn’t that time be better spent networking, reading a self-improvement book, improving your professional skills, maybe even looking for a better job? Don’t believe the hype…
Glad to see you here – Happy 2011 🙂
David’s right about Aesop. Perfect. The light falls wrong, and on is left with his/her true self.
Some really great points here, Dan. A great New Year’s read. When you run your own business, the line between work and personal gets blurred even further. I’ve found that by engaging my family IN my work — particularly my children — it makes it less “me and them” and more “we.”
While it’s easy to get caught up in the “influence” game, I agree it’s more important to foster and maintain Klout with those closest to you. With them in your corner, you can accomplish so much more.
-Alan
Alan,
Funny you should mention “engaging my family IN my work”. I actually set up a twitter account for the wife and facebook page for my 13-yr-old daughter so that perhaps they can see what all the fuss is about. My wife barely bothers checking twitter and my daughter’s grades started to dip as a result (I suspect) of her online engagement! So my plan didn’t work out very well…
Thanks for the comment – hope to see you back again 🙂
Alan,
Funny you should mention “engaging my family IN my work”. I actually set up a twitter account for the wife and facebook page for my 13-yr-old daughter so that perhaps they can see what all the fuss is about. My wife barely bothers checking twitter and my daughter’s grades started to dip as a result (I suspect) of her online engagement! So my plan didn’t work out very well…
Thanks for the comment – hope to see you back again 🙂
LOL. I set up a blog for my daughters. Let’s see how that plays out.
-Alan
Klout measures what it measures well. But people put their own emphasis on priorities. Looks like you’ve got yours back in alignment. Family should always be first.
Lucretia,
I’ve recently become a fan of your terrific blog (thank, Punks!). Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. Hug.
Right back at you Dan! And I need to find time to post. Now that the kidlet is back in school, my daytime priorities shift. Family is always first for me, so blogging is an ‘around the edges’ thing even when it’s part of my job. I really love this post. Really do. 🙂
Thank you so much for this post. It is a great wakeup call and reminder that our offline klout – especially among family, friends and clients – should outrank our online klout. Online friendships are only as good as your ability to turn them into IRL connections.
Marian,
High Klout score is OK as long as you maintain a high score in your offline world, yes? Thanks for the comment 🙂
Marian,
High Klout score is OK as long as you maintain a high score in your offline world, yes? Thanks for the comment 🙂
Well written blog! I chose my twitter profile carefully: “father of four, husband to one, CEO at mBLAST” and try to prioritize things in that order. It’s tough. And your points made here are very well made and thought-provoking.
Thanks for writing this. I wish you a very happy 2011.
Thanks, Gary. It’s all about priorities and everyone’s got their own. Like you, I’m just gonna stick with what’s on my list 🙂
Thanks for the comment!
Thanks, Gary. It’s all about priorities and everyone’s got their own. Like you, I’m just gonna stick with what’s on my list 🙂
Thanks for the comment!
Much of this is all about fooling the foot solder into fighting a war for which they receive no long-term benefit. The retweet or repost of another’s opinion without additional thought is nothing but commentary. For example, will reposting articles from a media outlet help an unemployed person find work? It may in fact hinder them from getting an offer or cause search engines to place a lower score on work history, skills and capabilities.
While I am deeply involved in social media, I see it as having all the classic tells of a bubble – especially the valuations of Twitter and facebook. If a person steps back for a day, will they really miss an important message?
One day we will run a study by putting people in an FMRI machine and prove that being plugged in produces the same chemical reaction as a drug induced high.
Tobias,
Maybe I should have just written stop “fooling the foot solder into fighting a war for which they receive no long-term benefit.” That pretty much sums up how a Klout score influences others. Short term benefit? Perhaps. Though it still doesn’t have any value on its own unless put into action to receive a certain benefit. Otherwise, as you stated, it’s just another way of getting high.
Thanks for stopping by – hope to see you back 🙂
Tobias,
Maybe I should have just written: “Stop fooling the foot solder into fighting a war for which they receive no long-term benefit!” That pretty much sums up how a Klout score influences others. Short term benefit? Perhaps. Though it still doesn’t have any value on its own unless put into action to receive a certain benefit. Otherwise, as you stated, it’s just another way of getting high on social media.
Thanks for stopping by – hope to see you back 🙂
Thanks for the reality check! I couldn’t agree with you more! -Reina
Great post Dan! I can definitely relate! It is imperative to build our communities online just as long as it is not at the expense of our familias!
Excellent post, Dan.
I love, love your two questions regarding your Klout score with your spouse and kids!
I know there are some people that get really hard on Klout about how and what they measure. I’m not one of them. Kudos to Klout for at least trying to put some type of system into place to measure influence beyond just how many Twitter followers one has.
I like the tool just like I appreciate and use several other tools including Twitter Grader, TweetStats, and other similar websites. However, I don’t fret if I fluctuate a few numbers up or down. That’s not going to stop how I use the services like Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn. These tools such as Klout help to provide me baselines and data points to compare against. But, as David mentioned in his comment, we can become so focused on the number that we forget the actions behind those numbers.
Justin,
I do think Klout has a place in our social media endeavors. It’s a somewhat accurate grade of one’s online level of “engagement”. Does that really equate to influence? Therein lies the debate, yes?
I was pleased to see Mr. Fernandez also commented positively on this post which I thought was quite big of him. The point here is to not build castles made of sand online whilst we ignore other, more important, areas of our lives.
Thanks for stopping by and for your observation 🙂
Thanks Dan for your blog post!
Re: spending more time with family and friends, and in community – I have one day a week (usually Sunday) when the computer and all social media is shut off.
My use of social media (Twitter in particular) has allowed me, actually, to connect face to face with people I would never have otherwise met, including my fiancé. We are, however, acutely aware of the time suck that it can be, and make sure that we regularly “shut off” for relationship and community building off-line.
At the end of my life, I’m sure no one will say “she was really good on Twitter”!
I have also gained quite of bit from my time spent on twitter. However, the jury has spoken (my wife & daughter) and it’s now time to ease up a bit and make sure I’m putting first things first 🙂
Thanks for your comment – hope to see you back again…
Great post, Dan! I am sure my teenager would agree with you – when her math teacher asked if she needed a “paper” textbook (the default is online/cd), she said yes “because my mom does a lot of freelance stuff on the computer” and then she told me, “Well, I didn’t want to say you’re on Facebook all the time.” OUCH.
I have just started following my klout score, and it was a little alarming that one of my 7 areas of expertise is #whitecloud, which is the hash tag for toilet paper from a twitter party I attended – ONCE (whereas I tweet about running, family, film multiple times a month!).
Oh well – you raise good points. Enjoy that family and those clients!
Great post and very funny too. A real life relationship beats a Klout score any day.
Jeff Ogden, the Fearless Competitor
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[…] Dan Perez wrote a nice piece on remembering to include our In Real Life people when we’re measuring our influence. He […]
[…] The social media influence bubble finds its basis in measurement of inaccurate barometers. While one can use glittering generalities in defining influence — such as the ability “to cause desirable and measurable actions and outcomes” — in reality, those desirable actions are vapid benchmarks. Specifically, PR 2.0 measurements are participation oriented: retweets, impressions, follower counts, blog rankings, and other public measures of “conversation.” […]
Sumner,
You’re quite the poet yourself, I see? It all boils down to what’s important – for some folks, online influence might be very important (bloggers, social media consultants/speakers) but if it comes at the expense of our families (aren’t they our biggest fans?), then maybe it’s time to scale back on our online time.
Glad to see you here – hope to see you back again 🙂
Best post I’ve read so far in 2011, (I know were not far into it, but still.) 😉
So many people I’ve talked to are in a similar place emotionally/mentally/spiritually – feeling the need to re-prioritize, disconnect from the internet, and find balance. Timely and well written!
Great, great post!!!
Thank you. Needed that.
Ay, Dios! Dan, you nailed it. You wrote smartly and beautifully about a current ripping through many of us who have created — or recreated — careers using social media.
I am in the process of pulling back because my home, my sanity, my family require it.
And while my Klout numbers are decent, when they were lower than the 40 that others thought they had to be, I was peeved because Klout tells you nothing of what you’re about in person, in your community.
I often joke I should run for mayor because 20 years in my city has given me many contacts and friends in varied areas. That isn’t bragging, but an observation on what online numbers do not show.
In the last few years, I have not done the things that most enrich my soul — garden, feed the birds (I live in the woods!), and just sit outside in nature…and really, ya es hora to start again.
And bottom line, no matter who you are, what you do, the online life can wait a little so you can have the real one.
Good luck with your resolution!
Carrie,
Very well said. Your online life is really just a small sample of who you really are – especially on twitter when you’re going on a short bio & 140 characters. The simple things I used to do with the family: movie nights, game nights, chats after dinner, seem to be less and less. There is still also a lot to learn in my business and I’ve not invested the time in staying abreast of the latest trends.
So, I guess what I’m saying is I hope we don’t see much of each other online in 2011. Perhaps we’ll arrange a time to sip coffee with our families in the garden…deal?
Thanks for your comment…un abrazo 🙂
Really good post! Its true many of us who use Twitter and other social media outlets we lose time in the “offline” world. Finding that balance is a challenge we should ALL take in 2011!
This is a beautiful post Dan and it totally resonated with me. I actually hadn´t even seen it around in Twitter because I´ve been making a point to limit my time on Twitter and Facebook to get real work done. I admit I spend way too much time online, but it´s a tough act to balance now that I am making my career online and “influence” is part of the game. Really, really trying to balance it all out. Glad to see I am not alone
Ana,
Being online is a great way to market your business but we gotta make sure it doesn’t dominate out free time. Think I’ve been guilty of that these past several months but the family has spoken (and my wife now carries a chancleta around to enforce the new law!).
Feliz año nuevo! Hope to not see you as much in 2011 😉
As always Dan, you have that knack in bringing a dose of reality to what’s truly important. #1 really resonates with me as my son (and hubby) complain I’m on the computer 24/7. Although like you, my job requires me being plugged in, I’ve decided to make a concerted effort to include more family time. So needless to say, I’ve eased up a bit. On the flip side, Twitter certainly afforded me the honor to meet amazing people like you! I think it’s all a matter of finding a comfortable balance.
Happy New Year Dan!
A big fan,
~ Kathy
Kathy,
I had a feeling this would resonate with you as I know a lot of what you do is internet based. I have realized that there are times in a day where instead of choosing to do something with the family, I’ll hop on a twitter chat. The family has made me realize that…
Happy New Year to you, my dear. Always a pleasure to see you at my modest little blog 🙂
Dan
Fantastic post here my friend. Ok Klout. We needed a measurement because people demanded it. We could to take it at face value that someone was influential. We have always been a number in so many other aspects of life that a numerical system needed to be created for a label. I am not so much against Klout creating this number, I just do not feel that influence is really measured in a number.
Your point to family is very valid and your questions to ask ourselves are real. In our family life, we look at the quality of the relationship and not the quantities (or we would all have a gazillion kids). In business we are also looking at the quality however when we put a number on our influence, we are going back to quantity. How often we retweet, are retweeted, etc is evaluated. How is that quality? Sure the article may be a really good one that a industry leader takes a peek at and it gets a lot of attention. Will any of those people who retweeted it be back the next day? Probably not.
I guess my biggest issue is the quantity. It always comes back to that when we put a number on it.
Very well done and my twitter usage has been curtailed as once my son learned how to tweet and did, I knew that I needed to better manage the family time.
Suzanne,
The best gauge of our influence is usually in the eyes of our spouses, children, & clients. Fortunately, that’s usually a lot easier to determine than where we stand online. Klout does a respectable job in measuring your online engagement. But what does it all mean if we can’t benefit from it? Most people don’t even know how to leverage their Klout score to gain anything more than a free T-shirt. There’s considerably more value in time invested in our families and our business, yes?
Thanks for the RT as well as for your comment…hug.
[…] morning I found this amazing blog post by Dan Perez, “The Klout Myth and Living Above the Influence.” (Yes, I Tweeted it out.) In it, he makes a highly compelling case, to me at least, to take […]
Dan, what a touching blog post. It really resonates with me because I have similar experiences as you have with the family. Although they say it jokingly, I no longer think it’s funny when my kids say things like, “Oh, mom can’t right now, she’s on Twitter” or my mom tells me things like “All you care about is your computer (although she doesn’t understand that I NEED my computer for my job to support my family!). These statements are signals that make us wonder whether or not to re-shift our priorities and ask ourselves the questions you posted here. You’re not alone in these thoughts, but what’s most important is that we realize we need to do something different this year and refocus on what REALLY matters. If there’s one positive of Klout it’s that it makes us aware of who it is we should have real Klout with. Thanks for that!
Anna,
It does create quite an impression on our families when most of our work is done on a computer, isn’t it? I think over the past several months, I’ve found what could have been “free time” with the family end up being “chat time” on twitter.
Since moving the family to South Florida from NYC, all we really have is each other so spending time together playing UNO or watching a movie has been a big part of what keeps us laughing every day. Haven’t done much of that lately, but that’s gonna change…
Let’s help keep each other in check, yes? Hug.
It is funny because right before I read this article I was thinking of checking my Klout score. I love love love what you are saying – it is your Klout score with your family, your community, and your Self that matters most. That being said, I think numbers such as klout scores serve a purpose in evaluating our own performance and provide feedback for improvement. Making the klout score your purpose is definitely misguided, but using it to evaluate your performance is not a bad idea as we need to continuously learn and evolve based on feedback.
The other point is that building an online community is certainly helping me get the momentum and energy I needed to take off as a new business in a new community where no one knew me. And of course I am now networking in person and continue the relationship online, but initially the online community was all I had to give me support and start building my brand as a mindful marketer.
I loved this post and your style of writing and presentation.
Shalini,
Klout certainly has its place in social media. However, what speaks loudest to me is real accomplishments. You’re either making a difference in your world or just making smalltalk online (I’m not impressed by the former). Let’s see beyond our Klout scores and ask ourselves, “Who am I really influencing?” and more importantly, “”How can I use this influence to generate a positive result?”
Thank you for stopping by as well as for your appreciation of my writing style – high praise from a writer or your caliber 🙂
Thank you Dan. I had a similar “awakening” over the holidays. And I perceive am online in #sm less than you! Not that Klout is all bad – I read you using that as an indicator, or “symptom of the illness.” Keeping it all in perspective, and weighing out the precious time we have on Earth – and how & with whom we spend it – worth reflecting on at any time of the year!
Bill,
perspective is key and it differs from one person to the next. Identifying what’s really important and investing our time in those areas is what’ll help us sleep better at night, yes?
Thanks for the comment 🙂
[…] Is a high Klout score a bad thing? Of course not. But the obsession with increasing one’s Klout score could be a distraction from much larger goals and more important things. It’s not the metric, it’s the obsession with the metric. For more on this I recommend reading The Klout Myth and Living Above the Influence. […]
Always great insights Dan and the ability to see the hidden in a world of turmoil and disguise. Agree with the fact that most Klouters are really not that influential after all. The real deal makers and influencers are the ones who have done something that has helped change something big. Like you making change in the film biz, like Seth Godin making change in publishing, like @luckypenny making change in Human Resources, like @sexythinker make change in people. These are influentials and though some have great Klout scores thier IRL score is over the top.
Your IRL (In real Life) score is high with me – keep up the great work. But do it on the creative side where you are a giant among them!
Paul,
High praise from someone with your considerable expertise in social media marketing. You said it perfectly: Influencers do things, they don’t just talk. In the end, if anyone’s gonna influence me, I’d better see some real accomplishments, yes?
Thanks for stopping by – see you soon 🙂
I think I have a higher Klout score than everyone else who responded. Epic.
It’s Saturday morning. Just as I started to write a long thought-provoking monologue in response to this article, I heard my daughters wake up. Staying true to the heart of the article, kids klout 1st.
It’s Saturday morn. Just as I started to write a monologue reply, my daughters woke up. Kids klout 1st.
[…] retweets, comments, and clicks. Essentially, as Dan Perez points out in his thought-provoking post on the topic, the more you tweet, the higher your klout score will be and, in theory, the greater […]
Well said sir. Thanks for taking the time to flesh out this topic. Too many obsess over numbers via twitter, facebook, etc. yet few grasp the concept of true influence as you’ve spelled out so meticulously.
Being a Dad I too realize the importance of prioritizing one’s life. Online interaction, after all, is only one’s virtual existence.
Vincent | CuteMonster.com
I will stay clear of the Klout conversation as I have expressed the limitations there many times. But the family narrative hits home…
Spending time with my girls is something I put before all else. They are teenagers now and being a divorced Dad it can be challenging to continue to reach out, put them first, and maintain this in the face of their occasional lack of interest and the roadblocks so easily put in place by their Mom as well as all the other other distractions, like social media, that can keep my focus and attention from them.
I believe being a Father transcends how we feel moment-to-moment. We have to remember that everything we do is being observed, recorded, and processed in the present, and the future, and will be a key component of our children’s emotional development… especially for children who are the products of divorce. They are always watching/observing, and although they cannot truly understand it all now, our interactions are being stored for future analysis… whether conscious or subconscious it will all affect the way they view the world, friendship, love and affection.
This is the thought process that guides the way I behave, the face I reveal to them, and how I impress upon them my values and attitudes about life, friendship and love. My father used to say… “do like I say, not like I do.” I say… “do like I do!”
Ted,
Thanks for taking the time to read, comment & RT – much appreciated. We may not always see eye to eye on things but we’re definitely on the same page when it comes to our families.
I really like what you said here: “We have to remember that everything we do is being observed, recorded, and processed in the present, and the future, and will be a key component of our children’s emotional development…” I make the mistake sometime (often times, if you ask my wife!) to express my cynical views on social media (and media in general) out loud and it appears my 13-year-old daughter is starting to pick up quite a bit of that in her personality. We don’t want to overly influence our kids too much with our own negative observations – but let their personalities develop on its own, through their own eyes. In the end, of course, she’ll come to understand that daddy’s always right 😉
A good lesson to remember…thanks for stopping by 🙂
Great post, it’s always good to stop and reflect where we are. I think, though, that the social media obsession is just workaholism, plain and simple. Klout gives us faster feedback than we have ever had before, which makes easier to get sucked in. It is useful, but not the end in itself. If we are looking to fill the hole, anything will do.
Nice article Dan. Although I have no kids, and no significant other (I’m a 25 yr old bachelor come on).. I can relate this to other aspects in my life. My Klout is 29! Kickin butt! haha.
Cheers,
@dylanmelcher
Hey Dan,
I’m glad I did engage long enough to read your blog post. You always give me something to think about! You really hit the points that matter most and it was so good to hear. As a matter of fact, I have not been spending as much time on Twitter these days because there just wasn’t enough of me to go around. I fret that I’m not engaging enough, but I have spent more time on my offline communities. It’s nice to get an amen on that!
I agree with you 100%. I love how you talk about the “klout” score with your kids and wife. I spend too much time on the computer already for work and I too want to spend less time socially in the computer. We all need to be more social in the real life!
Dariela,
How dare you keep that lovely smiling face in front of a computer and cheat all the folks in the real world! Get out there 🙂
Hug.
That’s a great take on managing your “klout” – really good ideas … I’ll try!
Clear, articulate article – much I agree with here. How easy it can be to get swept up in the thing, rather than objectively examining pros and cons of the whole social media arena and using it for your or your business benefit. I loved reading this. A breath of fresh air, and a reminder that common sense and the human touch is so much more satisfying than the momentary approval of the porcelain gods out there in the Twitterverse. Thank-you
Tracy,
It’s hard to get that “human touch” online, yes? Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment – hope to see you back here again 🙂
Great post, Dan. Like you I have fun tweeting, reading, commenting but in all things: balance to which I’m trying to add efficiency. Now that I got the online community thing working, I am trying to improve my influence and reach in my own backyard and reach that most important of audiences: potential clients. Way to keep it real, thanks. FWIW.
Davina,
It’s funny how we’re starting to miss the obvious with social media, yes? A living, breathing community right outside our door and we want to spend time chatting on twitter with people in other states and continents. Let’s get back to brass tacks in 2011 🙂
Glad to see you here again…hug.
By skimming through the comments that you have, you knew you hit the mark with this influence thing. Klout is a metrics to show if you’re ever doing something right. Of course higher klout = higher activity. I have tested it out on one of my blog post before. Reason some why celebrities don’t get high klout score is because they tweet ONCE in a few days, means their activity is not as popular as other social media enthusiast, or Justin Bieber or Mashable who post a lot. Justin bieber has fans posting for him lol..
Anyway you posted a post that made a lot of us thing for sure. Definitely we shouldn’t take klout or any other influential tool counter or grader so serious. Influence is where we can make a difference, and we start with the people close with us
Aaron,
You’re right, Klout should be a measure of your online activity, not particularly influence (at least not in the offline world). That should be left to the people we meet, love, interact with, and make a difference with, yes?
Glad you took the time to stop by my modest blog. Hope to see you back again 🙂
This was an awesome post!
Great post. I have to say that Klout is shi*. Having your Klout score with the people you know going up is much better
Fabulous post Dan! I could not agree more…family “klout” is much more important than our “ranking” of influence within our on-line community. I am careful to set a timer when I engage on social media, especially twitter. It is amazing how quickly you can fall into your “nest” and not get out! When you pull back from engaging on social media, your numbers on Klout may fall…but your ranking within the lives of your children will rise. Those are the numbers I care about most. It is a fine balance…but one made easier when you have your priorities in line. Thanks for the reminder and for being real. I look forward to seeing you in Orlando at unGeeked! Rock on!
Dabney,
We’re all guilty sometimes of getting too comfortable in our “nests”, yes? It has happened to me a lot these past few months. It took a little kick in the rear by my family to make me realize that the offline world doesn’t go away while I’m tweeting. We only have so short a time to really influence our children before they look elsewhere and my wife has been my #1 supporter – we need our time together too.
So glad to see you here again – hope to see you back again 🙂
Thank you very much for it. I found, what i want.
I’m late to this.. but had to say Greta post Dan.
People get so caught in stats online that they start to live online, their online life becomes more important then real life.
People need to get their priorities in place… family, health and community is where you need to be an influencer.. online influence is an illusion.
[…] his criticism is on the metrics: retweets, impressions, follower counts, blog rankings, and other public measures of “conversation.” These metrics are conversation, not sales or conversions.However, unlike offline marketing, one of […]
[…] Dan Perez for suggesting this topic for #UsBlogs week 3 – You’ da man! Click here for Dan’s original post on raising your offline Klout. […]
Thank you for (a) the whole story, (b) a schooling in “ungeeked” relevancy, and (c) a great lesson from w/out and w/in the life of someone far more “with it.”
I wish I could hear the “ungeeked” presentation, but as your post reminds me, “I have promises to keep, and miles to go before…” (Frost).
I think, also, living in the TENSION–wanting to fight for your fam w/out losing them–is the sign of a modern man evolving appropriately. It’s painful to let go of work, but we rarely regret QT w/the bride.
Thanks,
Mark
[…] The Klout Myth And Living Above The Influence by Dan Perez. @danperezfilms […]
[…] The Klout Myth And Living Above The Influence by Dan Perez. @danperezfilms […]
It just takes one’s own child to make it abundantly clear whether you’re connecting with them or not. Point by point you nailed this one and I’m not surprised. Especially appreciate your thoughts around the man in the mirror. We all must start there. Thanks for pushing us forward.
This piece rocks! The most perceptive piece about Klout I’ve come across.
[…] The Klout Myth and Living Above The Influence by Dan Perez […]
Love your post Dan and mighty happy to have found your blog! I posted something similar today (re: family and my time with them). I like how you framed your Klout score with your wife and kids…excellent approach and one that I’m working on daily. Looking forward to reading more!
Thank you so much for writing this. I couldn’t agree more. Twitter and Stumble and Facebook are great in their own place, but when they become obsessions it’s time to take a long hard look at what we value in life.
[…] The Klout Myth And Living Above The Influence by Dan Perez. @danperezfilms […]
Great post, it totally struck a chord with me! There is no way to balance in life if one wants to do exceptional work that demands immersing oneself into work. I am doing so much strategizing work for my company, and my SocialIQ and Klout score suffer.
BTW, http://SocialIQ.co/ is an alternative tool for measuring Social Influence; It takes into account of your off-line Authority — your expertise and credentials.
I know I am a little late to the conversation but I have to tell you that I really appreciated your take on Klout….I often feel sometimes that, despite little concern for my score I find I spend a lot of time on Twitter…I will reassess my “klout” scores according to your checklist….thanks so much! : )
I love the following 2 quotes in your Blog post:
“everybody lies: cops lie, newspapers lie, parents lie. 1 thing u can count on – word on the street. yeah, thats solid” – Christopher Walken
“with the onset of social media, most have forgotten that there’s a living, breathing community rite outside their front door”
But at the same time I also believe reaching for a high Klout score, and getting a ton of Twitter followers does help get you “social proof” which you can definitely leverage when speaking with prospects…
Check out my Blog post on this, I am curious on your response: http://bit.ly/qFB0vb
BTW I stumbled onto your Blog from somebody else’s Retweet, not really interested in Filmmaker Blogs, but god damn you’re on fire with your “social media” posts.
Dan, too funny. Somebody just shared this post today, 9 months later. Quite fitting as #Klout just gave birth to the new #Klout algorithm! What’s more funny is that this post is still 100% relevant, only the obsession with Klout scores has grown worse, not better. 😉 Same as it ever was… http://youtu.be/-io-kZKl_BI
Klout was a flawed system then, now, and will continue to be flawed. Unfortunately it’s all we have right now and if people want to let it consume their online actions, so be it. As for me and my household, we will watch The X-Factor…
Hug 🙂
Those are the tough questions and resolutions to face. The online influence discussion reminds me of a quote from Abe Lincoln, “Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.” I have to constantly remind myself that my online persona is only ONE facet of my character.
So one year later did you meet your Klout goals and have you met Lady Gaga yet?
[…] The Klout Myth and Living Above the Influence by Dan Perez at The South Florida Filmmaker […]
Important and thought-provoking post, even a year later. Klout lost even more of my respect when I read something about how much your Klout score drops if you are only on one social media platform (for example, you tweet but you are not on Facebook). The way these things are measured doesn’t make any sense to me, and I’m pretty sure I’d feel the same way even if 100 people explained it.
[…] I guess this is okay. I can’t hold on to every relationship, nor can I be as connected with everyone as they would like for me to be. We all pick and choose where to gift our attention. I’m certainly not the only one thinking about this. It reminds me of a brilliant post written by an online friend of mine, Dan Perez: The Klout Myth and Living Above the Influence. […]