Do You Have Klout?

Updated on 11/14/11. Originally posted on 11/13/11

I have a confession. I am obsessed with checking my Klout score. I check it almost daily. Perhaps it is my competitive nature, but when my score drops I get a little bit disappointed.

 

This was a 49 just the other day. I don't know what happened. I'm so upset.

Klout.com is a way to measure your online engagement. You can link it to several of your social media profiles: Facebook, Twitter, WordPress, Blogger, LinkedIn, FourSquare and more. It uses an algorithm to calculate a score that expresses your online engagement by factoring in Tweets, reTweets, mentions, likes, comments and more. Klout will also tell you what areas you are influential in.

The topics I'm influential about.

So, what’s the point? Well, there is actually a lot of speculation as to whether or not your Klout score really means anything at all. Some people say that it should only be one way you measure influence while others argue that it is the only way. Recently, Klout changed the way they measured your influence. There was outrage over the changes as many people saw a drop in their score by over ten points or more.

Honestly, I may obsessively check my Klout score, but I don’t let it influence the way I use social media. I’m not going to go out and begin Tweeting constantly or begging for likes or comments just to increase my score. I use it as way to monitor my social media use and see when maybe I’m getting a little lazy in my engagement. I enjoy seeing which areas Klout thinks I’m influential in as well as checking the scores of my friends.

So, what about you? Do you check your Klout score? How do you feel about the changes?

To Link or Not to Link

We’ve all seen it. Many of us have probably even done it. Some swear by it while others shudder at it. You know the signs: Random hashtags in the middle of a Facebook posts and Tweets cut off in the middle of a sentence with a link to a Facebook post too long for the 140 character limit. The social media world is divided over this one simple question.

Do you link your Twitter and Facebook?

Sean Dixon from the Convention and Visitors Bureau in Springfield visited with our COM 509 class last Monday. One of the things he discussed was the question as to whether or not organizations should link their Facebook and Twitter. I’ve seen this done on both business accounts and personal accounts. The defense is always the same – it saves time. Rather than coming up with two totally separate messages/posts, you can just use one and post to both platforms.

However, Sean brought up a good point. No matter what you do, you want your communication efforts to look polished and clean. A hashtag in the middle of a Facebook isn’t clean. That extra effort can make all the difference.

I’m inclined to agree with Sean. Think about it. You wouldn’t send a press release out with a hashtag in the middle of it or stopping in the middle of a sentence because went onto a second page. You’d take the effort to make the press release look as good as possible. This should be true of ALL of your communication.

So, what do you think? Is it pointless take the time to come up with two separate messages for Facebook and Twitter? Or is the effort necessary? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Wine + Social Media = A Really Goode Job

Last semester I took a class called “Cases in Public Relations.” In this class we had to do a presentation over a PRSA Silver Anvil Case. I choose a case that held two of my interests: Wine and social media.

Murphy-Goode is a winery located in Ca. They found that with the recession they were losing profits and wanted to do something to combat this. So, they created the “Really Goode Job” campaign. Using social media, they spread the word about a contest for a job opening at Murphy-Goode. The winner got a job doing social media for the winery. Basically, they were paid to move to where the winery was, drink wine, eat good food and tell people about it via social media. Um…can you say SIGN ME UP?!

The result was phenomenal. They had hundreds of submissions. People got to vote on the videos on the Murphy-Goode website. Here is the winner, Hardy Wallace’s submission.

I just LOVE this idea! Obviously, PRSA did as well because it won a Silver Anvil. I think it is a great way to creatively bring social media into an organization and integrate it!

Have you seen any other organizations use social media in a creative way?

Twitter Chats: Follow the #hashtag

Tuesday night I participated in a Twitter Chat hosted by PRSSA National. It was focused on developing a relationship between PRSSA and PRSA chapters. It was the second time I’ve participated in a Twitter Chat and each time I seem to enjoy it more and more. It is a fantastic way to connect with other Twitter users who are interested in the same topics you are. It’s fast moving and before you know it all the questions have been asked and you’ve learned a lot of great information. Needless to say, it inspired a blog post! This post will hopefully cover all of the basics of participating in a Twitter chat.

What is a Twitter Chat?

Twitter Chat allows for many people to discuss a certain topic  in real time.  They are scheduled events (although there are some that are ongoing). A certain hashtag is used for the chat. For example, in the PRSSA chat I participated in #prssa was the hashtag used. Anyone who wished to participate in the chat would use that hashtag in their Tweets. Usually, there is a moderator or two that asks questions based on the topic. Participants answer then answer the question. Generally, only one question is asked at a time. Depending on the number of participants, the chat can often move very quickly. There are tools that can be used to help keep up with the chat. I’ll get to that later in the post.

Why Participate in a Twitter Chat?

Twitter Chats have many advantages. First of all, there is a good chance you will be chatting with Twitter users that are interested in the same topics you are but that you don’t already follow (and users who don’t follow you). It provides an excellent way to network with Twitter users that are interested in the same areas you are. In the #prssa Twitter Chat I was able to chat with PRSSA members from around the country (and in Argentina). PRSA professionals also participated in the chat which is another major benefit. Often, experts on the topic will participate and share some great insight. It is a great way to brainstrom, receive advice and ask questions.

Step One: Finding a Chat

There are Twitter Chats out there for tons of topics. Anything from being a new parent, to looking for a job, to writing poetry and more. Here is an editable Google Doc of over 500 Twitter chats: Twitter Chats. You can also find out about Twitter Chats by following Twitter users who you are interested in. Often they will post information about upcoming chats.

Step Two: Set Up Your Twitter Profile

If you want other users in a Twitter chat to follow you you should be sure your Twitter profile is filled out. A photo and information in your profile will help immensely with gaining more followers. If participants can know what sort of Tweets to expect from you outside of the chat, they will be more likely to follow you.

Step Three: Get Acquainted With TweetChat.com

It is a good idea to visit TweetChat.com before your Twitter Chat. When you first visit the website, you will see that you have to allow Tweet Chat access to your Twitter account. When you link the two, you’ll find the background you have set for your Twitter profile will become the background for Tweet Chat, too. The next step is to put in the hashtag that you want to follow. Try to put in the hashtag “prssa”. When you do, you’ll see any tweets containing the hashtag #prssa will show up – even if they didn’t take place during the chat. Try putting in a couple of hashtags that you are interested in following.

The really cool thing about Tweet Chat is that it will automatically add the hashtag you are following to any Tweets that you send from that platform. It also automatically removes however many characters the hashtag takes up from your count. It makes it easy to keep up with the chat and you don’t have to constantly remember to add the hashtag. It also has a ‘pause’ feature that will pause the chat while you scroll down to view Tweets.

 

Screen shot from my most recent PRSSA Twitter Chat

Step Four: Chat Away!

Once you find the next time for the Twitter Chat that you’re interested in, you are ready to chat. There are a few things you should know as you’re chatting. First of all, engage other participants. If you find a comment they made interesting, feel free to reply to them. You also are encouraged to Retweet any Tweets you find interesting. As you chat, remember users that you find particularly interesting or that  you have engaged with and feel free to follow them if you want more insight.

Step Five: Follow Up With Connections You Made

It is a good idea to follow up with connections you made during your Twitter Chat. If someone retweeted or replied to a Tweet, shoot them a Tweet saying thank you. Follow anyone you found interesting and let them know you appreciated the information you shared. If a professional or expert participated in the chat, be sure to thank them for their time. Treat it as you would any other networking opportunity.

Have you participated in a Twitter Chat before? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Spam & Scams

Recently, I’ve been faced with an onslaught of spam messages on both Facebook and Twitter. Some are offering a free iPad with just one click, others claim that there is a bad blog about me that I need to see. No matter what the hook, it is obvious that people are clicking the links and spreading the spam.

 

Direct message spam on Twitter

I remember this being a problem with email (in fact it still is). However, the trend in social networks is moving towards sharing links which makes your friends and followers easy targets.

How can you avoid spamming everyone connected to you via social media?

First of all, always check permissions from applications that you use on Facebook. It is easy to just allow an application permissions if you are more interested in seeing what the application does. However, if you take a moment to read through the permissions you may find that you are allowing an application to not only post on your newsfeed but also your friends’ walls. If an application needs that sort of permission, there is a good chance it spam.

It can also be as simple as not clicking on links you are unsure of. Try to hover your mouse over the link. Often, the full URL will pop up. If it doesn’t look reputable, then it probably isn’t. You can also ask the sender of the message/post if they sent the post to you. It is always better to be safe than sorry!

Be aware of what scams or spams are popular in different social networks. For example, you can follow Tweet Smarter on Twitter and be updated on scams that are popular.

What do you do if you click on a spam link?

If you happen to click on a link that is spam, be sure to immediately change your password. You may also want to run a virus scan on your computer to confirm that the link didn’t infect your computer. Monitor your account closely for the next several days to be sure you aren’t still sending out spam. If you have allowed a Facebook application permissions to post on your friends’ walls you can go into your account settings and deny that application permissions.

What has been your experience with internet spam or scams? What do you do to avoid falling victim to them? Share your insight in the comments below!