Klout is a service that gives a metric to how influential you are in the socialsphere. You can check yours out at www.klout.com. 

But here is why it is important. I was speaking at two events this week. Quite a few people were wondering about the effectiveness of social media and whether it’s just for kids. I get asked this question a lot and, having put some serious thought into it, here’s what I have come up with. 

Most people don’t have social success because, quite simply, they are networking with the wrong people. You can have 75,000 twitter followers but if none of them have any “klout” then your message is not going to get amplified. In every niche, there is a thought leader, maybe several, and they key is to start a conversation with them. Remember: one simple retweet or “like” can give you a major boost. 

And this is why we like Klout. It allows us to profile the people who follow us and the people we want to follow. Klout then allows companies to offer free gifts to people with a high Klout score (they have influence and so people will naturally listen to them). 

Go and see what score you have. More importantly, go and find people in your space with a high score and befriend them. 

Guy Levine is CEO of social media agency Return On Digital.

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