Use Klout to build your Social Network

Designed to measure your influence, Klout is also a great networking tool

The outward focus of Klout is to measure social influence online, but it is also a great way to grow that same influence, using Klout as another place to interact and meet new people. Their +K system for assigning influence can be a great way to grow and help others do the same.

What is Klout?
In their own words "When you recommend, share, and create content you impact others." Klout attempts to quantify that influence by assigning a numeric score to your influence online. While this may seem pointless to some, it is already being used in everything from job interviews to customer rewards. One part of Klout´s system is the "+K" a means they developed to allow users to give other users ´points´ for being influential about specific topics. Using Klout´s +K system you can actually ´bestow´ that influence on others and they can return the favor back to you.

Using Klout to grow your network
Using this as a way to grow your network becomes easy after you get into it. If someone gives you +K for a particular topic you can then turn around and give them +K back. That, in and of itself isn´t such a big deal, but when you start to find new people through Klout´s topic pages and share +K with others who are influential about the same topics as you, or those that interest you, it becomes very powerful.

Just this morning I´ve added 5 new followers on Twitter and G+ who I discovered through sharing +K all of whom followed/circled me back. All 5 are engaged, and in some way have related interests.

So try it for yourself. Explore the Klout Topic pages and try giving some +K (you get some every day to hand out and you get more when people give you some) Then see who interacts with you as a result and start your connection with them. I now make checking Klout a part of my morning routine.

Need some help getting started - Find my topics on Klout here:
http://klout.com/#/pawprint_net/topics

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