On Your Side
How to increase your social media "score"
Much like a credit score, new websites are analyzing your online activity and assigning you a rank, and those with high ranks are raking in the rewards. Imagine someone handing over the keys to a luxury automobile for the weekend with no strings attached, or a resort offering you a room absolutely free! That's exactly what happened to mom blogger Leah Segedie--all because of her high social media score. "They came to me which is really cool 'cause, you know, I wasn't looking for it. They just found me," Leah says. Whether you know it or not, your online popularity is being ranked by websites like Klout and Kred, and everyone's assigned a number. The higher your number, the more influence you have online, and the more appealing you are to marketers. Andrew Grill is the CEO of Kred. He says, "They believe these real world people can get the message out to their community and help amplify the message." Over the last two years, more than 300 brands have offered perks to Klout influencers, including Disney, Microsoft, and American Express. Zena Weist is Vice President of Strategy, Expion, and a social media expert. She lists all the perks. "Free upgrades on flights to movie tickets, product trials. The perks run the gamut and the higher your score, probably the better the perk is going to be." Businesses are looking beyond perks, too, from dating services using scores to match potential partners, to a start-up bank making plans to consider scores for loan approval. Some recruiters are even checking out the scores for job applicants. "The score can be a benchmark if the job has something to do with social media. If you're connecting with people on the web, if you need to be influential," Weist explains. So how can you raise your current score? Experts suggest you start by sharing stories about topics you're interested in on Facebook and Twitter. The more re-tweets and shares you get, the higher your score will rise. "Be more useful, be more relevant. Talk to your community," Grill suggests. As for Leah and her family, they love the perks they've already been given, and are always on the lookout for more. "If a contractor would call me and say, 'Hey I'd love to remodel your house for free.' you know, that would be fantastic too." Experts say it's important not to get too obsessed with your score, which could go up and down daily, and aim for long term growth instead.

















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