EdgeRank and Klout are two analytical programs that can provide you, as a social media user, with an indication of how you rank or compare with other social media users.
In a less competitive view, the EdgeRank and Klout algorithms provide a metric to help you determine the content, activities and conversations that others enjoy. A word of warning: while high scores are favourable, the motivation behind the content and the activity should always be authentic: to create and share thought-provoking, useful and entertaining information.
So as you read the rest of this article, keep the following words in mind: relevant, informative, useful, and meaningful.
EdgeRank
This is the Facebook news feed algorithm that determines which content appears in other people’s Facebook newsfeeds. It is impossible for every activity of our own or our Facebook followers users to be captured and shown in our news feeds
If your content doesn’t rate well, it simply won’t appear in your follower’s feeds.
Each share, like, tag, post and comment is classified by Facebook as “edges”.
So how can you ensure you rate well?
Your content is judged according to affinity, weight and time decay. The higher your score in each of these factors, the more preference your content will be given.
Affininity
This component of the algorithm is about the frequency with which you interact with others. If you post regularly on the wall of a particular friend or business page, your affinity score with that person/business will be high. The higher the score, the higher the chance of your news being seen by the people you interact with most.
Weight
This is essentially the activity that your content generates. For example, the Edgerank algorithm will score the amount of shares, likes, friending, tags and comments (“edges”) your news has attracted. If your news generates a lot of activity, it will be given preference to lower level news that generated no or little engagement/activity.
It is important to know, too, that each activity is judged according to the effort needed by generator of the “edge” or activity. In other words, each edge is scored and ranked differently and a comment, in which the user has had to think and formulate words, will have a higher score than a like where only one click is needed. However — and this is important — the amount of edges or activity is factored in, so if the original content was only text – as opposed to a higher ranked photo – but generated a more activity than the photo, then the original text post will have higher EdgeRank than the photo.
In short, weight measures reach, engagement and resonance.
Time Decay
This component of the algorithm has a negative tone to it but it essentially highlights the frantic rate at which new content is uploaded and shared, and thus reminds us that what we say on social media has a minimal window of opportunity to capture the attention of others. Keeping the time decay component of the Edgerank algorithm in our thoughts when we create and share content, will remind us to keep our content relevant, entertaining, fresh and useful.
A great inforgraphic, with 6 tips on how to increase your EdgeRank score is available below:
http://mashable.com/2013/05/07/facebook-edgerank-infographic/
How can I see my EdgeRank score?
As usual, Facebook has kept their secrets close to their chest. However, one way to check your EdgeRank score is to discover how many people you’ve engaged with.
Facebook analytics tools such as:
EdgeRank Checker – http://edgerankchecker.com/
Facebook Pages Manager – http://allfacebook.com/how-to-facebook-pages-manager-app_b89572
Unified (previously PageLever) – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbrgWxRNb2Q
Klout
This website and app uses analytics to rate your social media profile and influence between 1 and 100. The more you post and engage with others and they engage with you, the more this is reflected in your Klout score.
When you sign into your Klout dashboard, you’re able to see the score attached to each activity across your social networks. However, don’t get too fixated on your score. As I said previously put it into the context of relevance, information, usefulness, and meaning for your followers.
For example, my current Klout score is 35. Justin Bieber’s is 99. But from the two choices who do you think other social media zealots will likely follow and connect with? And if someone wants to follow a pre-pubescent, chart topper with a chiseled jaw and six pack, I certainly wouldn’t be the first, second or 1000th choice.
My Klout score
Needless to say but I’m going to anyway: I haven’t taken any shirtless selfies of my buff, tattoed bod and posted them on Facebook or Twitter. And I don’t think Bieber has written about the importance of business to be honest and engage in two way communication for mutual respect, relationship and connection.
Mine, yours and Bieber’s scores should be viewed within the context of our areas of expertise and industry. So if you must compare yourself, compare yourself within the circles of people and businesses that you respect.
I truly hope this article was useful, informative and entertaining. If you have any subjects you’d like me to write about, please don’t hesitate to comment and let me know.
* To create a free Klout account and start checking out your score click on the below link.
Social Media. Marketing. Public Relations. Customer Engagement. Connection. 