Recently there has been much written about Klout (www.klout.com) , a metric to compare how much “clout or klout” a twitter’er possesses. Klout scores can range from 1 to 100 with
higher scores representing a wider and stronger sphere of influence. Klout uses over 35 variables to measure True Reach, Amplification Probability, and Network Score. Carrier Klout is enhanced by being retweeted, engaging in conversations as well as follower count. Clearly follower count has a significant impact looking at the table below but the industry leading conversion metric by Progressive has pushed their ‘klout’ up. New York Life is, according to Klout, a dabbler which is possibly a new description for the company but as they increased their count by 265% last month, klout could be catching up.
| Follower Rank | Company | Previous Follower Rank | Followers | Klout Score | Klout Rank | Klout Description |
| 1 | USAA | 1 | 10738 | 46 | 1 | Persona |
| 2 | State Farm | 2 | 7596 | 30 | 6 | Connector |
| 3 | Aflac Duck | 3 | 7210 | 37 | 2 | Connector |
| 4 | Allstate Insurance | 4 | 6177 | 31 | 5 | Specialist |
| 5 | Progressive | 5 | 5209 | 34 | 3 | Connector |
| 6 | Chubb Insurance | 6 | 3340 | 23 | 8 | Curator |
| 7 | Farmers Insurance | 8 | 2972 | 32 | 4 | Conversationalist |
| 8 | Nationwide | 7 | 2859 | 25 | 7 | Connector |
| 9 | Travelers | 10 | 2050 | 11 | 15 | Activist |
| 10 | GEICO | 12 | 2038 | 21 | 11 | Specialist |
| 11 | Liberty Mutual | 9 | 1954 | 23 | 9 | ThoughtLeader |
| 12 | The Hartford | 11 | 1870 | 21 | 12 | ThoughtLeader |
| 13 | Esurance | 13 | 1292 | 18 | 13 | Feeder |
| 14 | American Family | 16 | 1261 | 7 | 17 | Specialist |
| 15 | Northwestern Mut | 14 | 1123 | 23 | 10 | ThoughtLeader |
| 16 | New York Life | 20 | 1045 | 6 | 18 | Dabbler |
| 17 | Thrivent Financial | 15 | 1018 | 6 | 19 | Persona |
| 18 | Zurich NA | 17 | 755 | 5 | 20 | Feeder |
| 19 | Westfield | 18 | 684 | 10 | 16 | Connector |
| 20 | Amica | 19 | 589 | 12 | 14 | Conversationalist |
What do these Descriptions Mean?
Specialist (Allstate, GEICO) |
| You may not be a celebrity, but within your area of expertise your opinion is second to none. Your content is likely focused around a specific topic or industry with a focused, highly-engaged audience. |
Connector (State Farm, Aflac, Progressive, Nationwide, Westfield) |
| You are a constant source of information to your friends and co-workers. There is a good chance that you probably introduced several of your friends to Twitter. Your taste and opinion is respected and your judgment is trusted. |
Persona (USAA, Thrivent) |
| You have built a personal brand around your identity. There is a good chance that you work in social media or marketing but you might even be famous in real life. Being a persona is not just about having a ton of followers, to make it to the top right corner you need to engage with your audience. Make no mistake about it though, when you talk people listen. |
Curator (Chubb) |
| You highlight the most interesting people and find the best content on the web and share it to a wide audience. You are a critical information source to your network. You have an amazing ability to filter massive amounts of content to surface the nuggets that your audience truly care about. Your hard work is very much appreciated. |
Conversationalist (Amica, Farmers) |
| You love to connect and always have the inside scoop. Good conversation is not just a skill, it’s an art. You might not know it, but when you are witty, your followers hang on every word. |
Thought Leader (Northwestern Mutual, Liberty Mutual, The Hartford) |
| You are a thought leader in your industry. Your followers rely on you, not only to share the relevant news, but to give your opinion on the issues. People look to you to help them understand the day’s developments. You understand what’s important and what your audience values. |
Activist (Travelers) |
| You’ve got an idea or cause you want to share with the world and you’ve found the perfect medium for it. Your audience counts on you to champion your cause. |
Feeder (Esurance, Zurich) |
| Your audience relies on you for a steady flow of information about your industry or topic. Your audience is hooked on your updates and secretly can’t live without them. |
Dabbler (New York Life) |
| You might just be starting out with the social web or maybe you’re not that into it. If you want to grow your influence, try engaging with your audience and sharing more content. |
