Klout Is Shutting Down, but Here Are 5 Social Media Tools You Can Use to Replace It The popular social scoring tool is closing shop, so here are some other options for those who care about online influence.
By Rachel Perlmutter •
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Recently, Lithium Technologies announced on its website that it would be shutting down its social scoring service, Klout, on May 25, 2018, which it had purchased for a reported $200 million back in 2014. Lithium Technologies' reasoning for closing down this once-popular platform was that "Klout as a standalone service is not aligned" with its long-term strategy.
For those not familiar, Klout was a tool that allowed users to link up their social media accounts and even their blog sites to see how influential they were online. It gave everyone a score out of 100, so you could see how you measured up against other influencers and thought leaders online. (All of a sudden, we're realizing the influence behind Black Mirror's episode, "Nosedive.")
One of the good things about the service was that, based on your social activity and posts, Klout would give you a list of associated keywords and topics you were most aligned with. So, if your branding goal was to be an expert on dental care, you could see if your posting pattern supported your goal. Furthermore, it allowed others to see what topics you were most influential in as well.
For those still interested in social influence for the longer term, there are other options. Keep in mind that with the rise of data and privacy concerns in social media, many of the tools still available today may not provide the same level of depth in data as Klout did.
1. Social Mention
Probably the best tool today that closely resembles the level of data Klout had would be Social Mention. It's free to access, and users can search and receive data for just about anything. Unlike Klout, you don't have a score in a traditional sense, but it does provide its own formula for determining your other metrics, like Sentiment and Reach. You can also view top keywords surrounding your search term, whether it be another keyword or your brand handle.
Related: How Many Social Media Tools Do You Really Need?
2. Empire.Kred
If you're very into social influence and want to grow your audience at the same time, then Empire.Kred's gamification method might be up your alley. While this is probably more of a growth tool rather than an analytical one, the platform gives you a fair amount of data that you can track over time to see how well you're performing, not only against yourself, but against others, too. On top of that, you can even complete missions and grow your online presence using this tool.
3. Twitter Counter
If Twitter is the name of your social game, then you might want to take a look at Twitter Counter. It's a pretty straightforward service that gives you the kind of data Klout gave, but only for your Twitter account. You can also compare yourself against other competitors, monitor other keywords and hashtags, and manage data between multiple Twitter accounts.
Related: 3 Social Media Tools Entrepreneurs Should Be Using Every Day
4. Hootsuite Insights
For those who have more room in the budget and need something more sophisticated, then Hootsuite Insights could be worth your while. Formerly uberVu, this tool provides deep level data across many of your social accounts and platforms, and not just Twitter. Again, there's no scoring system if you're looking for that sort of gratification or tracking method, but there are plenty of other stats and metrics that you can track over time to determine your effectiveness.
5. BuzzSumo
One of the most popular tools used by many major brands can track your social data and your online content, too. BuzzSumo's variety of tools helps users get a fuller, bigger picture of their activity online, whilst comparing themselves to other competitors and brands online. This is, at its core, very similar to what Klout was doing.
There are many, many other options online for measuring your social influence. Another route to take is to sign up for platforms that are targeted to those interested in influencer marketing. You can check out some of these online tools and sign up as an influencer to get an idea of how you look to other brands out there.
What are some of your favorite tools for measuring your online presence? I'd love to hear about them in the comments below.
