The Official Klout Blog

Tweet

At Klout, we know that understanding your influence through the Klout Score, Moments and analysis is just one step toward being recognized for your influence. We launched our Klout Perks program to recognize influencers with amazing products and experiences, and have partnered with major brands like Sony, Nike, Microsoft, Disney, Audi, Gilt and many others in an attempt to keep upping ourselves. Influencers clearly like this recognition – we delivered our one millionth Perk last week!

We think we’ve found another way to top ourselves…

Today we’re announcing a partnership with American Airlines that gives Klout users access to nearly 40 worldwide lounge locations including San Francisco, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, Tokyo, London and many more. Starting today, if you have a Klout Score of 55 or higher, you can gain access to the Admirals Club by going to www.aa.com/klout. You do not have to be an American Airlines passenger to be eligible for this Perk.

This is only the beginning of the momentum we’re seeing with businesses and brands who recognize the power of Klout to further reward their best customers, and introduce themselves to a great breed of new customers.

Go to www.aa.com/klout to get your Klout treatment!

Tweet

At Klout, we love having the opportunity to connect influential people with exclusive experiences or products. Rewarding people for simply being themselves online and engaging their audience with their opinions is an awesome job to have.

Our latest Klout Perk comes from Sony Electronics. They are also big fans of getting cool products into passionate people’s hands. We have teamed up with Sony to reward 5,000 active lifestyle influencers with the Sony Walkman W. The Sony Walkman W is for fitness fans—water resistant, cord-free and only takes three minutes to charge. In addition to that, the top five influencers who create the most engaging content will be upgraded to the brand-new, waterproof version.

We’re always adding new Perks and the best way to get selected is to register for Klout today and start creating engaging, authentic content. Keep your eyes peeled for when we find the perfect Perk for you!

Tweet

Our goal at Klout is to help people understand and be recognized for their influence wherever they go.

One of the most visible ways we recognize influencers is through Klout Perks. Today, we are ready to take Perks to the next level—onto partner websites and your phone.

Perks provide influencers with exclusive access to products, services and experiences that match their interests. Perks also help businesses engage with influential people who are likely to help spread the word about their products. Since 2010, we have delivered more than 800,000 Perks to influencers through more than 450 partnerships. Some of our most recent Perks were also some of our most popular: free Sony X Headphones, early access to Nike’s Fuel Band and multi-day test drives of the new, electric Chevy Volt.

Perks on Your iPhone
We’re excited to announce that as of today’s release, you will be able to discover and claim Perks directly from your phone. Our updated iPhone app will notify you when you are eligible for pre-qualified Perks, and then allow you to claim that Perk immediately, wherever you are.

We’re also taking our iPhone experience a step deeper by including a full integration with Apple’s new Passbook. Using the updated version of our app, you can add your “Klout Card” to Passbook, which will display your name, photo and Klout Score all in one place. With your Klout Card, you can show off your influence and get access to special services and experiences from the businesses you love.

Perks around the Web
A few weeks ago, we released the KloutPass SDK, which allows partners to authenticate and register users with Klout. Today we are announcing that 500px—a Toronto-based photo community that lets you discover, share, buy and sell photographs—is the first partner to embrace our KloutPass SDK. Based on your Klout Score, you can receive savings off of your premium 500px account, up to 100 percent. More information about the 500px Perk is available here.

Perks on Klout
Finally, these new Perks avenues are accompanied by updates to the Klout.com Perks experience. We believe that everyone’s influence is unique, thus your Perks will now be more catered to you than ever before. They are also easier to claim and share with your friends, and will allow you to add yourself to a wait-list if you happen to miss something you like. So whether it’s a free Burt’s Bees gift pack or a spot at the open bar at next week’s Cadillac red carpet event, don’t forget to keep an eye on your inbox to see the Perks we have for you.

We’re really excited to give influencers more chances to be recognized, and we can’t wait to get your feedback.

Tweet

Two years ago, when Klout was a scrappy startup in Twitter’s basement*, we created a little program called Klout Perks. The thinking went something like this: we’re building a product that will lead to a meaningful understanding of the world’s influence; we’ve taken the first steps at shedding light on each user’s influence by giving them daily analysis of their online engagement, including a Klout Score; now it’s time to recognize influencers with tangible benefits.

Brands had already lined up to do business with us, but we wanted to find a way to put influencers’ needs first while giving brands a new way to engage with this powerful audience. That’s how we came up with Perks – exclusive products or services that are awarded to users based on their influence.

Looking at the data two years later, it appears to have worked. Since July 2010, we have delivered almost 700,000 Perks across 350 campaigns. Perks caught on way faster than we anticipated – within a year, the number of Perks we’d delivered had spiked 80 percent. Over 300 brands, including Disney, Microsoft, HBO, American Express, Chili’s, Chevy, Spotify and Gilt (to name a wee few) have offered Perks in over 30 categories, running the gamut from fashion, health, travel, technology, entertainment and sports. And, this month will be the first time in Klout history that we’ve offered a different Perk for 30 consecutive days.

Growth metrics tell a nice story, but our user ratings are pretty awesome as well – Perks average a customer satisfaction rating of 4 out of 5 stars.

Our recent launch of Klout Brand Squads is an expansion on the idea of empowering and recognizing influencers. We’ve now launched squads with Red Bull, Turner’s Falling Skies and Dallas, and HBO’s True Blood. More brands are launching squads in the months ahead.

All this, and yet we’ve just barely scratched the surface. The momentum we’ve achieved with Perks has inspired us to find more ways to recognize your influence. In the meantime, we are fast-tracking improvements on every aspect of Perks, including rolling out product updates that will better target Perks to influencers, and setting higher quality standards for the Perks our partners offer.

*AKA, the first floor of Twitter’s former office building.