Last week we promised you an explanation of Klout scores, so here it is GLAD WORKS friends!

Klout is a social media analytic that measures a user’s influence across their social networks. It’s a great tool for you to use if you’ve been at this social media thing for a few months and you’d like to see what kind of progress you’re making. You can use your Klout score to help you measure your overall web influence, and you can compare your results over a period of time to watch yourself go from a fledgling tweeter to a social media superstar! Plus, if you’re the competitive type, you can totally publish your great score and rub everyone’s faces in it: “Who’s the boss, now?  That’s right. It’s ME!” 

Ahem.

The Klout analysis is done on data collected from Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. It measures the size of your network, the content you’ve created, and how other people interact with that content to give you an idea of the size of your web influence.

Part of your web influence score is configured by looking at data points from Twitter such as your following count, follower count, retweets, list memberships and how many spam/dead accounts are following you. It also looks at how influential the people who retweet you are, and the number of unique mentions you get.

That stuff from Twitter along with your activities and connections from LinkedIn gets all mashed up together. Your Facebook comments, “likes,” and the number of friends in your network get thrown into the soup too to come up with a Klout Score. A Klout score ranges from 1 to 100. The closer you are to 100, the more you’re rocking it out on the Interwebz! But that’s just the Internet. It has no idea how you’re doing in real life; so don’t be insulted if it seems low. You could be All Kinds of Fabulous in real life and still have a crummy Klout score. It just means that your Internet presence needs a little sprucing up. Clearly, Klout scores provide great feedback, which is what you need if you’re really trying to make a go of this web influence thing.

If you’re still not convinced that Klout isn’t just a popularity contest, but a useful tool, WAIT!  There’s more!

We should probably tell you that experimental brands and businesses are testing out programs that provide special perks to social network users with high Klout scores. You know what that means, don’t you?  FREE SCHWAG FOR YOU!

Klout is also now working to identify topic experts. Can you imagine what it would be like if you established yourself as a topic expert?  That would be pretty great for business, we’re thinking, and it’s something to strive for.

What’s more is that your Klout score can travel with you across the web. Twitter clients like Seesmic show Klout scores attached to tweets, and that can have a tremendous impact on how your status updates are perceived by your followers. The higher your Klout score, the more people will think you’re A Very Big Deal, and they’ll tend to take your word as gospel, which is always nice.

Anyway peeps, that’s the Klout deal. Just remember to keep an eye on all your social media accounts and be as participatory as you can if you want to show the world your awesomeness. Start re-tweeting people and responding to their tweets. Get on facebook and say something fabulous that will encourage people to “like” and comment on what you’re saying!  Things will start happening for you, and you’ll be publishing that Klout score with pride in no time at all!

PS: Next week, we’re changing direction and giving you a rare insider’s look at GLAD WORKS. WEEEEEE!  You get to see our recycling bin!