Do you consider yourself a social media big shot? Perhaps, even a “guru?”
If you have over three thousand Facebook friends, are followed by Andy Cohen on Twitter, and are the Mayor of The Big Bean coffee shop on Foursquare – you might well be. But, how much influence do you REALLY wield in the social media world? After all, everyone can tweet and post to their heart’s content, but how powerful is your message?
As social media continues to be a viable and powerful marketing and communications channel, organizations and businesses are looking for power they can quantify. Enter Klout and Kred, two of the internet’s most popular ways to measure online influence. For ages, we just had Klout to give us an idea of who was “popular and powerful.” Now, Kred seems to be catching on. Let’s look at the “kontenders.”
Launched in ’09, Klout is the king social media measurer. It is able to synthesize information together, like: “Your Most Influential Social Media Moments,” influencers, and broadcast type – all to tabulate a score. Your score is a number from 1-100, and indicates your true reach, amplification, and network impact.
Klout is your social media muscle, and comparing scores is the digital equivalent of talking about how much you bench press. Individuals with high Klout scores have been showered with gifts through a rewards program called Klout Perks, and many businesses have launched successful Klout Campaigns where they target high-scoring Klout clans to tweet and post about their products. Some companies are even hiring employees based on their score.
Kred is the newer, and fresher, social media barometer. Founded three years after Klout in 2011, Kred also measures influence and outreach. Kred has significantly upped their efforts to become a rival to Klout’s stronghold. Kred’s measurement is based on a scale of 1-1000and their website allows you to target specific users who’s Kred force is strong in niche communities, such as Real Estate, Doctors, and Fashion.
Kred allows you to use their site as a database, keeping track of your actions and community. This is where Kred pulls a bit ahead of Klout. Being able to have this kind of data at your hands fairly easily is priceless. They also offer some treats, called Kred Rewards (similar to Klout Perks). While Kred isn’t online casino as widely used as Klout, I applaud their efforts for making their site easy to navigate and allowing us access to leaders in the social media community.
So, the verdict? The geek in me loves Kred’s ability to compare scores with other influencers, while my thrifty nature loves the discounts I can get through Klout Perks. Perhaps my staunch Catholic mother has something to do with this though…
Speaking of staunch, while I was an avid fan of Klout, I feel that the site lacks the exciting interface offered by Kred. Klout has minimized the amount of analytics available and there’s no database to search and connect to like there is with Kred. I love Kred’s visual site and I’ve even exchanged a tweet or two with the company. Fun fact: Klout and Kred share the same building in the SOMA area of San Francisco!
In a recent poll judging Klout vs. Kred, Klout won with 38% of the vote. The second highest vote however was “Neither: Both are still in their infancy” with 29%. I don’t think that gives either a real edge, and certainly shows that the industry is looking for a bit more time before choosing a winner.
Enough about what we think, what do YOU think? Cast your vote for the social media measurer you prefer. It’s election year after all – and I’ll be counting those hanging chads.
