The Internet has been abuzz over the past 48 hours with chat relating to a change in the way Klout measures social influence. For many people it’s a big deal, while others appear completely unfazed. So should you be concerned?
Do you use social media?
If the answer is no, then you can forget all about Klout. Without a Twitter, Facebook or Google+ account it is impossible to obtain a Klout score.
Should I focus on improving my Klout score?
If you are a business, absolutely not! Your core focus should be providing the very best products and services to customers, rather than chasing down a rather arbitrary guide on how popular you are. Make the use of social media another channel by which you interact with clients, resolving their issues and educating them. Make that your overall goal and your Klout score may well improve as a result. 
However, just because your own Klout score may be irrelevant to your business, you may find it a useful way to track down individuals who could add value to your proposition. Businesses can use Klout to identify individuals who are influential in their industry or key demographic and link with them. By providing “thought leaders” (as Klout classifies them) with demos or free access to your products, they become much more likely to talk about your business with their network of contacts, increasing your pool of leads and your brand exposure.
Does it matter?
At the end of the day, Klout is a tool which has many keen fans and just as many detractors. The results generated by Klout are an interesting metric into which users can read as much or as little as they want. It won’t harm your business to check it out, but as with any “influence measurement tool”, there are no guaranteed returns.
