SxSW is known for hosting the most exciting product launches and valuable networking events. We’re excited to be in Austin for SxSW Interactive and looking forward to meeting our Klout influencers. Whether you’ll be in town for panels, meetings or just to enjoy yourself — be sure to say hello to Team Klout!
The data is out there. It’s accessible, and you can consume it, visualize it, and act on it, many times for free. It’s big data for everyone. [M]ake data-driven personal decisions about what to watch, what to buy, and be ahead of the trends.
Reality TV shows, specifically competition-based series, just make for good drama. Well, mostly. Piloting those shows are the big personality hosts, such as Ryan Seacrest, Jeff Probst and Heidi Klum. These are people with some serious Klout. It raises the question, which reality TV show host has the highest Klout Score?
You can see the complete rankings in our newest Klout Pulse list, Reality TV Show Hosts.
We put the hosts of the hottest reality series in a list together to compete for our top spot, the way contestants on their shows do every day.
If Klout Pulse is new to you, we’d love to hear your suggestions for lists. Take a look at our other lists, and let us know which list you’d like to see created by tweeting at us with #KloutPulse.
We are super excited to announce that we have teamed up with Cirque du Soleil to invite 50 Klout users and their guests to #EVOKE13, a special SxSW Interactive event at Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theater on March 12. #EVOKE13 features a specially-created act by Cirque du Soleil exclusively for SxSW, showcasing acrobats, dancers and characters from Cirque du Soleil resident shows in Las Vegas and Orlando. It’s bound to be one of the hottest shows in Austin.
Starting today, Klout users with the Klout for iPhone app who are at SxSW Interactive can opt-in to become eligible for the Klout Perk, which offers special seating in the VIP mezzanine area of ACL Live, complimentary drinks and a VIP swag bag.
Also included is panel discussion hosted by colorful Nerdist Industries Founder Chris Hardwick, along with internet personality and Cos Player Meg Turney. The Divine Fits, who released one of 2012′s most critically acclaimed albums, A Thing Called Divine Fits (Merge), will also perform a set. The night will top off with a set from GRAMMY nominated producer, DJ Sam Spiegel.
SxSW attendees can redeem this Perk in three easy steps:
1. Opt-in: you will receive a notification when you download the app, then just hit “OK”
2. Go to SxSW and walk around: you will be automatically entered when we pick up your location
3. Redeem if you win: if you receive a notification that you have won the Perk, bring your phone to the event and show your Klout Card from the Passbook on your iPhone
Voila!
To become eligible for the VIP Klout Perk, download the Klout for iPhone app. When you are notified of your eligibility for VIP offers from Klout, click “OK” and you will receive confirmation of your selection. Once in Austin for SxSW Interactive, Klout will send offers to eligible influencers who have opt-ed in to the VIP program. Fifty influencers will then be notified that they have received the Perk. For entry, just show your Klout Card from the Passbook on your iPhone.
Doors will open at 7 p.m. with the event starting at 8 p.m., and all SxSW attendees are welcome. If you’re at SxSW Interactive and looking for things to do in Austin, make sure you have your Klout iPhone app downloaded. It might be your ticket to this amazing event.
Last week, Klout hosted Bay Area Girl Geek Dinner‘s 34th event. Girl geeks from all over Silicon Valley gathered at our headquarters to talk about their colorful career paths and how they arrived at the career they have today.
Here’s what we talked about:
Kloutlaws Ride Together
Katelin Holloway, our Director of People & Culture, gave attendees an inside look at our culture at Klout and what it means to be a Klout employee. “We identify ourselves as Kloutlaws first, everything else simply enhances our experience here. We are women, parents, athletes, mathletes, engineers, and interns, yes. But when we’re at Klout, we’re a family.”
It’s important to reach out to your influencers, even the ones who seem out of your reach Sahana Ullagaddi, our Community Manager, spoke about the importance of reaching out to people who influence and inspire you, especially when they may seem out of your reach. We’re building a platform at Klout to help users discover interesting and influential people, but we aren’t able to facilitate that introduction for you. The next step is reaching out.
Focus on authentic curiosity
It seems intuitive to connect with people who you have several things in common with, but it’s also important to consider the people who you have nothing in common with. Try connecting with people with diverse topics of influence or with people where it may not be so obvious exactly how to connect the dots. This is often where the magic happens. Sahana shared from her personal experience that the less expectation she had for her mentorship relationships, the more she was invested in learning from them.
Highlights from our tech panel “Stay uncomfortable. As soon as you’re comfortable, you’re not learning.” – Yize Li, Software Engineer
“Connect with as many networks as you can and engage as much as you can and your score will soar!” – Michelle Riles, Lead User Operations Associate
“Don’t be afraid to pursue change and try something new. What’s really important is to try to challenge yourself.” – Daisy Liu, Software Engineer
“We can improve the environment for women in technology by continuing to attend events like these.” – Melanie Goetz, Research Engineer
“I’ve had a unique experience, having had worked at Klout as an intern before joining the company full-time. I decided to come back because I loved our team.” – Christine Nguyen, Software Engineer
We’d like to thank everyone who attended our Girl Geek Dinner. It was incredibly rewarding for us to be able to meet so many of you in person. If you weren’t able to make it to this event (or if you did attend and left wanting more), we plan on hosting a series of Kloutups in the near future. Keep your eyes peeled!
It’s no secret that some of the most passionate conversations in social media revolve around sports. Our favorite teams and athletes spark them every day because they work hard, compete, and, in their best moments, win while pushing all the limits. Here at Klout, we’re just as passionate about helping everyone understand and be recognized for their influence.
Today we’re excited to announce an editorial partnership with ESPN The Magazine that brings together the world’s best sports writing and Klout’s insights into social media influence.
Our shared goal is to spotlight the growing impact of social media in the world of sports, and to focus on the stories of the athletes who are making their voices heard.
ESPN is the preeminent sports media brand, and has a rich history of innovating both the form and delivery of sports content. ESPN The Magazine is part of this tradition and has grown from launch in 1998 to reach over two million subscribers, while pushing the industry forward with groundbreaking insights and analysis.
The editorial partnership between Klout and ESPN The Magazine includes:
Profiles in ESPN The Magazine.Check out the first piece from the current print issue, reported by Sam Alipour, which takes a closer look at L.A. Clipper sixth man Jamal Crawford’s strong Klout Score and outsized social media impact.
Analysis on ESPN.com’s Playbook. Klout provided an in-depth influence analysis of Ray Lewis, the star linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens, and Katie Linendoll wrote this look at Lewis’ social prowess.
Co-developed Klout Pulse lists. We’ve worked with the editors at ESPN The Magazine to jointly develop interesting top influencer lists of athletes and teams, including the most influential NBA stars and Super Bowl players. Check them out here.
Here’s what Chad Millman, Editor in Chief, ESPN The Magazine, has to say: “Our unique collaboration with Klout allows us to serve our sports fans more extensively. This partnership utilizes the latest innovations in social media, identifying new analysis, content, and information within the scope of sports industry influencers.”
Look for more collaborations to come in the months ahead. We’re thrilled to be working with ESPN The Magazine to explore the intersection of sports, social media and influence.
It’s true. In spring 2010, a couple of guys from Klout went to Stanford and posted a sign inviting recruits to “Bro Down and Crush Code“. Almost three years later, this poster continues to show up as an example for articles about the sexist undertones of some startup engineering culture.
That was then
At the time, Klout was small and hungry. We were 12 men and 3 women: my co-founder, some engineers, a salesperson, a marketing manager, and myself. The idea that everyone has influence was (and is) our passion. And we were desperate for more people, so we all recruited.
Our intention was never to dismiss or alienate female engineers. The poster was meant to be seen in the context of meeting a Klout team member who clearly wasn’t a “Bro” at that recruiting event. “Bro Down and Crush Code” was a misguided attempt to show everyone that we were down-to-earth, funny and relatable people.
Looking back, it’s clear how uninviting and offensive that language is to many people, not just women. It’s not something we’re proud of. We are sorry about the message that was conveyed then. We don’t support or condone sexism at Klout, and our culture today has matured from what it was then.
This is now
We’ve come a long way since that spring. Today, we are over 65 Kloutlaws, nearly 30% percent of whom are women, all of whom are enthusiastic contributors to the culture we are building together. We reach out to the community by regularly hosting tech meetups, including women-focused groups like Bay Area Girl Geek Dinners, PyLadies and Women Who Code.
Our values are inclusive of everyone on our team:
Be Bold.
Punch Mediocrity in the Face.
Deliver Value with Integrity.
Get There Faster.
Kloutlaws Ride Together.
These values are our code, not a “bro’s” code. They are what we cultivate here at Klout and embody what we look for in new team members. We have made some mistakes on the way to now, but we’ve learned from them. And we will continue to work hard to provide an environment that is welcoming to everyone.
Klout believes everyone has influence, and influence comes with responsibility. Klout for Good aims to help you leverage your influence to make the world a better place for everyone.
This month’s Klout For Good charity partner hits close to home for many of us at Klout. So close that Dave Linn, founder of Cycle for Survival, personally came to the Klout office to ask for our help. Now, we are excited to join the battle with Cycle for Survival to beat rare cancers.
So, what is Cycle for Survival? It’s the national, high-energy, indoor team cycling event that funds rare cancer research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Together with its founding partner, Equinox, Cycle for Survival raises money to fight rare cancers by funding critical research. With over $21 million raised since 2007, Cycle for Survival makes a tangible and significant impact in the fight against rare cancers – 100% of all funds raised go directly to the most promising research at MSKCC within six months of each event.
Fifty percent of all people diagnosed with cancer have a rare form of the disease – including well-known cancers like leukemia, all pediatric cancers, and sarcoma – and those researching cures and treatments for those cancers need funding to make progress possible. To date, Cycle for Survival has funded 53 clinical trials and research studies, paving the way for better, more effective treatment options for those fighting rare cancers. But there is more work to be done.
Today, Cycle for Survival is a juggernaut. This year’s events are taking place at 12 Equinox clubs across the country. Cycle for Survival asked us to help, and now we are asking you.
Most of us know a friend or family member battling cancer and they need our help. Learn how your influence and donations can help combat rare forms of cancer on our Klout For Good site.
Klout believes everyone has influence, and influence comes with responsibility. Klout for Good aims to help you leverage your influence to make the world a better place for everyone.
January 12 marks the third anniversary of the devastating earthquake that left Haiti in tatters. In the time since, the island nation has regrouped and rebuilt. Now, they are ready to move from relief to lasting development, and education is the key. Haiti Partners wants to help the country gain access to education, and they are asking for the Klout community’s help.
Here’s how we can help get quality education resources to Haiti: We can donate our influence by liking and following Haiti Partners, and then sharing this cause throughout our social networks. Secondly, we can volunteer our time and talents in a variety of ways that will provide much needed aid to the Haitian people. And finally, we can donate $15 to Haiti Partners, which will put a Haitian child through two weeks of school. We all know education is paramount to helping children achieve their dreams, and we can easily help make a few dreams come true.
Klout had a big 2012, including surviving the apocalypse. We also measured billions—BILLIONS—of pieces of data to help you understand and be recognized for your influence. But who out there had the best 2012? We popped open the Klout archive to find out what people, products, companies and cities owned the web…
At Klout we’re super serious about our mission to help all users understand and be recognized for their influence. That means everyone – including brands and high-profile individuals.
The challenge in helping larger-than-life brands is the massive volume of data they evoke online. That’s why intelligent insights are quickly becoming a key tool for helping brands understand how influencers impact audiences. Luckily, there are a number of very solid platforms to choose from.
A standout in this area is Crimson Hexagon, and I’m more than thrilled to announce that starting today, they are integrating Klout influence data into their popular ForSight platform.
Crimson Hexagon has one of the most intelligent and comprehensive analytics platforms in the business, and now, their data is even more relevant with the integration of Klout. Starting today, Klout Scores are a standard component of the insights that Crimson Hexagon offers its customers, with the goal of helping them better understand the impact of marketing and business programs with key individuals.
What’s also interesting for us at Klout is the entertainment industry’s quick adoption of Crimson Hexagon’s technology to help place a value on the social presence of celebrities and would-be celebrities. The entertainment industry is increasingly looking at Klout as a social resume for their clientele, using it as a factor in making casting and hiring decisions. The industry will now have that critical influence data baked into one of their favorite monitoring tools.
Crimson Hexagon President, Curt Bloom, is bullish about what the integration will do to bolster his clients’ effectiveness online. “It’s a daunting task to make day-to-day decisions about the best way to identify, understand and reach your most important customers. I’m very excited about the work we’re doing with Klout, and I know that over time, influence data will become one of the most-watched pieces of information driving those decisions.”
Check out Crimson Hexagon’s site for more information about what they do and how it works, and I’m sure you’ll get more insight into why this partnership makes so much sense.
.jpg "Go Niners!")
.jpg "Jamal Crawford's Klout")
