Klout

I've been toying with Google+, even having created a Google+ Page for KnowProSE LLC, but there's some things that Google+ simply doesn't seem to be doing right - and maybe they will in the future.

First, and foremost, the method for adding people is wonky at best. Much of the social networking done pre-Google+ on other social networks doesn't seem to be leveraged well. The networks built on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn don't seem to be reflected well on Google+. I'd have thought that maybe some brilliant engineers would have leveraged the APIs from at least Facebook and Twitter to connect the accounts as, for example, Klout does. And the process of adding people to circles, while well intentioned, suffers from being - at least in my experience - unpredictable in who Google+ picks. It's not that Facebook is better in this regard, but Facebook at least shows some of the common friends as a reason for suggesting people.

Next comes the issue of people who work for companies that use Google's services and thus have a work account and a personal account, assuring that people have to constantly switch accounts to post things on personal or work related Google+ presences.

Last, but not least, the workflow for interacting with Google+ is akin to stuttering when compared to others social networks - but it is made easier with this browser agnostic Google+ Bookmarklet.  You likely didn't know it existed unless you did a search specifically for it (as I just did). But integration with third party applications such as HootSuite, allowing people to share across networks so that cross-pollenation is possible, is missing still. Despite Mashable's misleading title, Google+ Pages Can Now Be Managed With Third-Party Apps, Google+ pages cannot yet - they are planned to. Bad Mashable. Fix your headline.

Does it mean that Google+ will not improve? Of course not. But in speaking with other social media pros, Google+ has yet to become the river that other social networks are. Google+ grew at an astounding rate not because of popularity as much as leveraging a pre-existing customer-base, but that doesn't mean it's being used as much or that it's as usable as other social networks. In trying to add new features, Google+ is missing some of the most for usability so far.

This is all pretty hard on Google, I know - but it's fair and meant constructively. I've no problem with Yet Another Social Network, it's another flavor added to the mix. More taste testing, though, seems to be necessary.

Image by Theme Park Mom via Flickr

With all the issues that have been surrounding Klout's algoritthm changes and with the constant deluge of metrics discussions when it comes to social media, here's your wakeup call: your online reputation means more than your collections of numbers and charts.

Granted, the charts are pretty and they are great for meetings when the boss wants to know what you've been doing. And if you're a solo shop or an individual, stats are sexy and may compensate for other parts of your life that aren't what you would want them to be. Great statistics can give the impression that we're doing something correct, poor statistics can mean that you're doing something wrong - but if numbers are what are consuming your content, it's time to move off Sesame Street.

People consume your content. People either think highly of you - or not. And when people think highly of you, they may not consume every little tidbit that you tweet, blog or stick on your Facebook page. When people don't think highly of you, they may still visit your links.

I'll pick on someone everyone else picks on: Is Paris Hilton's reputation on par with her statistics?

The point is that metrics and statistics have never been successfully implemented in measuring human relationships. The Hedgehog Dilemma, amongst other things, factor in.

What you need to be worried about isn't so much the metrics but the brand - your brand. Your reputation. Are you who you want people to know you for? That's what the core of social media is really about.

If your statistics suck and you really want to expand your network, find others with solid reputations to interact with. Don't worry about the statistics as a measurement of success - instead, look at the metrics as a flawed method of understanding your reputation and reach within social media.