Klout measures your online influence based on your ability to drive action online. Every time you tweet, post, or otherwise create online content, you influence on some level.

Klout measures that level and gives you a Klout Score from 0-100 with 100 being the highest. Then it defines you further. Are you a conversationalist? Are you an activist? Broadcaster or specialist?

In the past few months, a Klout Score has gone from using data via Twitter and Facebook to including LinkedIn, YouTube, Foursquare (and more) to measure the people you influence, how much you influence them, how influential they are and how you influence overall. It makes sense, since these additional venues are key in the social media realm as much as Twitter and Facebook.

As a result, companies are beginning to take notice of Klout scores in offering and selecting key individuals as part of their brand campaigns, so Klout is an online tool of which to take notice. It appears to be here to stay. Companies like Mashable and TechCrunch agree. In the social media world, many are obsessive about their Klout scores as they are with their Google analytics.

Another tool in Klout is the +K feature where fellow Klout users can give you Klout kudos for your online areas of expertise. To learn more about that feature, see my post here, but it has given even more social media credence to the Klout experience. =K is all the rage, just as +1 for Google.

All in all, Klout continues to grow. Question is: are you a part of it yet?

Related articles

• After Foursquare, Klout Adds Blogger, Tumblr, Instagram, Flickr And Last.fm To Measure Social Influence (techcrunch.com)
• How to Give a +K on Klout (charlenechronicles.com)
• Klout Can Now Get You Exclusives at Funny or Die (mashable.com)