Last week’s #measurePR chat was interesting. Well, it’s always interesting, but last week I was teaching a workshop in Houston, and #measurePR was a part of it.
Even for those of you who are seasoned Twitterchatters, lemme tell y’all, teaching and moderating a chat at the same time ain’t no piece-a-cake.
(Did I get sufficiently Texan with that previous sentence?)
Seriously, it was a lot of fun explaining how I moderate a chat while … actually … moderating a chat.
Our guest last week was Klout’s Megan Berry, who returned for an encore performance to #measurepr since, you know, everyone’s krazy about Klout. And everyone’s ekually krazy about social media measurement.
And given how kontroversial Klout is, what better guest to address their questions?
Here’s a sample of the chat:
1. Ken Mueller asked how Klout determines one’s Klout “style,” e.g. “pundit,” “dabbler,” etc.
Megan: “We look at how you are using networks as well as your audience’s reactions to your content. For instance, if [you] have lots of one on one interactions, you might be a socializer.”
2. How do you decide who gets Klout perks? If [two] people have the same score, do they get the same perk?
Megan: “People are chosen for perks based on score and topical expertise.” (And she also said that depending on where the perk is located, the location might be a factor.)
3. Aimee Woodall, who was at my workshop (she’s very smart! follow her!), asked a good question: “How can people use their Klout scores to benchmark and improve overall engagement/activity?”
(I thought this was a good question because it didn’t focus on the ego benefits of Klout but, rather, if you take it as an activity measure – granted, to me that still says ‘Twitter” activity measure – it focuses on improving one’s activity as opposed to simply one’s score.)
Megan: “As you try different tactics/messaging, you can see how that impacts your score. You could also go in depth by looking at subscores. [That] will help you understand where that increase is coming from.” And @alphamommie said, “I also benchmark my score with others in my industry using lists.”
Re: the recent Klout/FourSquare integration, Megan said if you do integrate and are influential on “that” platform (I assume FourSquare), you’ll see a difference. If not, you won’t be penalized. To which Jennifer Zingsheim Phillips took exception (and I can’t say I blame her!).
Too much awesome!
Here’s the full transcript of #measurePR from IABC/Houston for your reading pleasure. Once you read it, I think you’ll agree… it was pretty good, eh?
And definitely save the date for next week, when Marshall Sponder – a web metrics guru! – will be joining the chat to talk about social media analytics. Yes, I said “guru” and with good reason… because if anyone lives, breathes and dies (except that I hope he won’t have to die for it) social media metrics, it’s Marshall. His book, Social Media Analytics, will be shipping soon, so this is a great chance for you to get a sneak preview, as it were.
So, remember: 12-1 pm ET, August 2, is the next #measurePR Twitter chat with Marshall.
Please do join us – and if you have questions for him on social media metrics, would you do us a solid and leave them in the comments?
Thank you!
Image: Courtney Carmody via Flickr, CC 2.0
[…] which begins at Noon EST. All you have to do is follow #measurePR to join. The details are in Shonali Burke’s blog Waxing Unlyrical near the end of a recent post on the last week’s #measurePR chat with Megan Berry of Klout […]
@MHBusiness @shonali looking forward to our group chat today #measurepr
@jenzings @webmetricsguru Have to say that I agree with Jen here! @JoAnnLefebvre
@rachaelseda I prepped HootSuite, Tweetgrid and an earlier transcript ahead of time to show folks how I switch back and forth between them. It was really interesting to do it “live” in front of an “audience.” The main difference, for me, was that I was explaining it as I went along, so I wasn’t 100% focused on the chat stream as I usually am. Having said that, it was probably a difference of looking at the stream every 20 seconds instead of every 5 seconds, heh!
I also made sure to only look at DMs on my iPhone (which was not hooked up to the projector). Because sometimes sharing DMs publicly can get you into trouble, y’ know…
I was so happy you joined, and hopefully this will not be the last one that you DO join!
@jocmbarnett Thank you for sharing!
@shonali I’ll take a look – been so busy and the Digital/Kindle edition of Social Media Analytics is now avail – http://t.co/1DAuHDC
I was actually wondering how you did that and forgot to ask! I really enjoyed the chat, it was my first time on and of course I can’t believe I’ve been missing out on such great conversations and learning moments. Thanks!
@shonali getting there
@JoAnnLefebvre @webmetricsguru I think part of the issue is defining influence. In my book, even if Klout is looking deeply into Foursquare data, it doesn’t meet my criteria for measuring influence. To me, influence means a person’s ability to affect change or an action. For example, the only way that Klout could measure influence based on Foursquare data is determining how many people visited a location *as a result of* someone checking in there. How do you measure that if there isn’t a way to “credit” the person on Foursquare who drove you there? Again, to me, influence is the output–it cannot be measured based on one person’s Tweets/checkins, etc. If I Tweet “everyone should check out the new McDonald’s Happy Meals” and my followers are DINKs and foodies, it’s highly unlikely that the tweet will actually drive anyone TO McDonalds–even if I have a zillion followers. Same with checkins–I can check-in at Starbucks, McD’s, and a bunch of local restaurants, but unless my check-in drives others to go to those places, it isn’t influence.
Is it message dissemination? Sure. Could it plant the seed for someone to go there later? Maybe. But unless my statements/suggestions/requests directly result in an action on someone else’s part, it isn’t influence in my opinion.
@webmetricsguru I hope you’re feeling a little more rested today. Looking forward to Tuesday!
@kristinwadge Thanks for sharing, Kristin, and HI! How are you? It’s been a while…
I’m getting a second Subway card. I would argue with @jenzings , that check-ins can measure influence. Depending on how deeply Klout is looking at FS data, it’s certainly possible to pick up keywords about food and service at restaurants and other places where people buy or consume food. ,
I don’t know if Klout is only looking at the type of location I’m checking in from, or if they are actually looking at the content in my posts. I’ve given @webmetricsguru the assignment of figuring out the depth of data Klout is using to identify food-influencers.
@shonali thank you!!!! Was so exhausted last night I had no chance to look at material u sent, but will, tnight
@40deuce Excellent! webmetricsguru and I will hold you to that.
@jennimacdonald I got my Subway sandwich card as well, though am yet to redeem it! I do enjoy some of the Perks though, as I said earlier, Spotify is the only one that really resonated with me. A while back I received a Perk for a new TV show – can’t remember the name – but what turned me off BIG time was that the packaging was all bird’s nest (or seemed like it) and made such a mess in my dining room. Eeeww. Needless to say, I’ve neither watched that show (not just because of the Perk but because it just didn’t spark interest) nor talked about it.
However, from what Megan has told me earlier, the Perks do pay off. So I guess people like me are in the minority!
Last week I moderated the chat while also showing the folks at my IABC Houston workshop how it works on the back end. Quite the juggling feat! Klout was the topic. Next week we’ll have Marshall Sponder on – someone I’ve been hoping to have on forEVER… so definitely don’t miss it!
@skypulsemedia ;-)
Shonali I know that there is a lot of controversy with Klout and I do not completely agree with the platform. A twitter friend yesterday tweeted that Klout said she is more influential than the CEO of Klout. Of course she said how can that be, but on the flipside I am LOVING Klout Perks!I’ve gotten free wine, moving tickets, subway sandwiches, I guess social media initiatives do pay off. : )
@TomMoradpour you are not overlord of all carbonated beverages? I am calling Indra right now to fix this.
@skypulsemedia Nope… I only deal with Pepsi :-)
@tommoradpour this your creation? Do you do the Dew? http://www.mountaindewstreetart.co.uk/enter/ cc @goonth
Exciting!
I’m a big of Marshall’s writing and waiting on my advance copy of his book.
Will try my best to be there next week.
Cheers,
Sheldon, community manager for Sysomos
@jenzings We were trying to figure that out last week as well, while the chat was going on (I was at IABC/Houston, so the chat was “live” from there). I’m as stumped as you, Jen.
@jenzings @HowieSPM tommoradpour @Griddy Ditto. I think the last time I logged into Klout, a few days ago – oh, it was last week, when I was at IABC/Houston & we were looking at it because of the chat – it said something like, “Oh no! Your score has dropped by X!” Me: Big deal.
@HowieSPM Exactly!
@HowieSPM I think you should go @Griddy on your comments more often!
The only Perk I’ve found of use so far was the Spotify one. THAT I really loved.
@skypulsemedia Thanks mate!
@jenzings bad news for Klout is no one is checking in. I gave examples yesterday that really it’s zero now days because we don’t have an incentive and the excitement has passed. I look at Places, Gowalla, Foursquare and when I pull up businesses that are packed always and they have 1-3 check ins a day that really equals zero.
Howie, I feel the same way about scores dipping–if they dip because I go on vacation, well to me that’s a bug not a feature of a tool. Human beings need breaks, and if a tool is going to penalize you for taking a break or having a life all it really signals (to me at least) is that the tool can’t be taken too seriously. @HowieSPM tommoradpour @Griddy
Heh, thanks for calling out my question–I’m still mystified as to how check-ins can equal influence. Even if you are the Mayor of the Starbucks at 3rd & Main, you don’t have *influence* unless you are <i>convincing others to go there too.</i> When I see someone is the Mayor of a Starbucks, I think “hm, Person x sure goes to Starbucks a lot.” That’s it.
I think that Klout is trying hard, and they continue to make improvements. But as usual, I’m questioning the use of the word ‘influence’ here. They are measuring online activity, and that becomes more apparent as they work to integrate more social tools into the score. Activity doesn’t = influence, and even a great deal of interaction doesn’t = influence. The ability to get others to act on your suggestions or statements is the definition of influence, and I remain unconvinced about a tool’s ability to accurately measure that consistently.
BTW I recently blogged proof of the lack of Twitter Viral Sharing. I saw a few Mashable Articles posted by mashable. The most retweets was 70+ out of 1.5 million followers. But I bet the clicks on that link were in the 1000’s. Made me rethink what is important which is clicks not shares. What if I could get a piece of content to go viral on twitter and get 1 million people to retweet yet no one clicks the damn link? And we all do this! We are busy I see a link from @Shonali and retweet it because I am her friend and want to support her and then I might forget and go back and read it!
I had a Twitter discussion on Klout with tommoradpour who is really smart. And he said the most enlightening thing I have ever heard about Klout. He said Klout measures….your Klout. Which I took to mean we have to forget what is in our head about social influence, what it is, can it be measured, is it important etc etc etc. And look at Klout and what they claim they are measuring and that is Klout. Nothing more and nothing less.
I personally have decided I don’t care about Social Online Influence except one specific area, if I can identify bloggers of influence better using a measurement tool then I will use it. But I really don’t care about people who tweet and them tweeting stuff for me or a client since so little actual pieces of content go viral or make it past one or two people. I don’t need Klout to find Tweeters to befriend. Topics go viral. But not tweets. And with 70% of Facebook accounts 100% private and with people migrating to G+ who have influence and also are having their posts private it isn’t something I care about. So little communication is does on Social networks vs say word of Mouth, or Email or SMS Text or the Phone.
And if some people get Perks great. But I don’t see those Perks as moving and sales needles or awareness for Brands. I have not seen one person get a pass to a movie premier who then broadcast how great the movie was. What I have seen is a few tweets saying they are at the premier because of Klout then dead silence. I don’t think Virgin America experienced an increase in sales with their free flight give away. We still all shop on price and then if price is equal pick the airline we like best. If Virgin was crappy to fly (they aren’t) we would take the free ticket but never return unless they were the cheapest.
Lastly since I have been tweeting less when I go to Vermont my score is now dipping below 50 and I realized the reason I got to 62 was because it was winter, I had no social life and did nothing but tweet. Much prefer having a real life and a lower Klout score! 8)
I feel really good when I go @Griddy with my comments!