I know that you are obsessed with social media. You read this blog, you have a Facebook with 800 friends, you tweet everyday, and maybe you even run your own blog. But did you know that you can receive a score of how influential you are amongst all of your social media platforms? It’s called your Klout score, and the Klout webpage is on a mission to rank the influence of every human being that actively uses social media. This so-called “score” is calculated using an algorithm that measures a variety of variables such as frequency of posts or updates, the number of likes or retweets, and shares of your content on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tumblr, etc. This score is out of 100 points and high scorers can qualify for “Klout Perks” like freebies from companies eager to advertise their own products. Who has a perfect Klout score you ask? President Obama and Justin Bieber. I personally have a Klout score of 47 which according to wired.com is on par with the Aflac Duck.

If you are in the interviewing process or on the lookout for jobs, be aware that not only do some employers check on your Facebook, but many may even check your Klout score. This pertains especially to jobs that have a strong focus on social media or technology. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t become so obsessed with improving your score or tweeting something every minute, but it’s important to be aware of as our society greatly encourages us to be involved with social media.

What can you do to improve your Klout score?

1. Improve the “cadence” of your posts and tweets. This means post more often and keep content relevant.
2. Focus on updating about one topic instead of spreading yourself thin among many topics.
3. Make and keep relationships with high Klout scorers who are likely to respond to your tweets or retweet them, therefore sending your content out to others.
4. Keep things upbeat and positive and stay away from negative topics or “bad day” posts.