Tuesday 26 April 2016

What's your Klout?


by Simon Kennedy
"We're no longer looking for proof of concept. We want to see proof of audience."
About a month ago, I attended the National Screenwriters Conference thanks to a grant from Screen Queensland. Dozens of veteran writers and producers from the Australian film and television industries generously shared their time and experience with emerging writers like myself. One of the hot topics was the rise of webseries.

Like in music, publishing and photography, the technical and financial barriers to producing and distributing film have diminished. Now all you need is a smart phone and a connection to the internet and you can upload your own YouTube video. With the threshold for entry so low, the traditional gatekeepers - record labels, publishers, film studios - are often bypassed. The audience has become the new gatekeeper.

One of the conference speakers summed it up like this: "We're no longer looking for proof of concept. We want to see proof of audience."

In this age of rankings, it's not surprising to discover that alongside books, movies and businesses, it's now possible to rate a person's online influence. According to this article in Forbes, people in certain industries are hired and fired based on their "Klout Score". You may not have Brarak Obama's Klout of 99, or Justin Bieber's impressive 92, but in the interest of understanding your online platform and profile, how big is your Klout?




But hang on! Aren't we meant to make God famous, not ourselves? Is all of this important?

It is if you want your message to be heard above the clamour of voices shouting for attention. I believe the danger lies in the quest for personal fame becoming the end rather than the means.

What do you think?


___________________________


If you want to join a discussion about the intersection of writing and faith, why not consider being part of an Omega Writers group, either online or in your local area (if you don't see a group for you, we're happy to help you start one!). We also hold retreats and an annual national conference to help you connect with other writers, learn the craft of writing, and build your Klout. Members receive discounts on all of these things but you don't need to be a member to be involved. Pop in and say hi!


___________________________


Simon Kennedy is the current President of Omega Writers. His YouTube Channel, Songs with Simon, has over 14 million hits and one of his TV show concepts has recently attracted development funding from an Australian network.



Cross-post with ACW

5 comments:

  1. Hi Simon

    Interesting post - and good point. There is a fine balance between putting our work out there so that people can see/read it and being caught up in wanting fame for our selves. Being a confirmed introvert - I would love my work to be famous while being unknown myself but, as you point out, that is not how it works today.

    One question. I've not bothered with Klout as I've thought there were other ways to demonstrate 'audience' (e.g. number of followers in different social media, google ranking). Do you think publishers look at a Klout account?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Jenny,

      I'm not sure that all publishers would but it strikes me as a convenient way for them to get a quick summary of a potential author's online presence. I wouldn't be surprised if Klout or a similar tool became more important in years to come.

      Delete
  2. My Klout score is 44, although my youTube has become unlinked, and a bug on Klout is currently preventing me from re-authorising it.

    There used to be a cool feature where you could compare scores with your friends, but that seems to no longer be available.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sounds like you've been using Klout for a while, Adam? Do you think Klout has much clout?

      Delete
    2. My Klout is linked to Twitter, so whenever I go into Twitter I see the scores of everyone in my timeline.

      I think Klout has a use as a way of showing social media influence, but it's only part of the picture. Social media influence doesn't necessarily sell books (or anything else), and many authors are finding email lists are a more powerful marketing tool.

      Delete