We all know how impactful social media is. We know we have to “engage” with our clients and “interact” with them through new media, but who wants to engage or interact with a plumbing company, or an insurance agency? Social media marketing is not without its challenges and it’s rewards lead to better brand awareness and more sales.

So the question is how do we do it successfully? How do we drive people to not simply “Like” a fan page but actually interact with it? Respond to posts and share them. After all, that’s the name of the game. All the analytics available for new media discuss going viral and how many are talking about you and your brand.

So now we have Klout to tell you how you are doing. Ever been asked what’s your Klout score? Klout is a company that measures your social media influence. Higher scores on a scale of 1-100 indicate your level of this influence, and if you are in the game, a 10 is pretty embarrassing. Only 5% of those in the social sphere have a score of 50 or above.

And not only this, but brands are looking at Klout scores and offering freebies to those who have the “clout”. Anything from a weekend use of a new car, free printed photo albums, tickets to exclusive events, even free digital gadgets. Companies are highering based on Klout scores. No kidding! A story about a man who was applying for a marketing position was asked his Klout score durring the interview. He responded with a quizzical “Hugh?” and then the interviewer looked him up and found out his was in the low tens. They ended up hiring someone who was in the mid 60’s.

The world is changing. Analysis of content and data ever more precise and can tell a lot about effectiveness, whether a digital branding campaign or a persons personal or business life.

You are in the marketing business. You are selling new media services. Check out our upcoming featured distributor interview with Todd Herschberg. He has an amazing 77 klout score.

Let me ask you . . . what’s your Klout score?