The social influence measurement platform Klout announced today that it has introduced a more accurate scoring algorithm, and as a result current scores may rise or drop.

Klout measures behaviors across a variety of platforms – such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and others – and makes the results publicly available for everyone to see in the form of a numeric score called a Klout Score.

Scores are based on influence, which is the ability to drive action. The company described this as a PeopleRank algorithm, which is based how many people a user influences, how much that user influences others, and how influential the people in that user’s network are.

With this update some users are noticing that their scores have either gone up or dropped. This is normal as new factors are being taken into account during calculations. The good news is that Klout now provides more information about why a score has dropped and how to improve it.

“We now have the power to share the specific actions that are helping or hurting your score,” explains Klout CEO Joe Fernandez. “When your Klout Score changes you will be able to match it to a corresponding change in one of these subscores and understand why the change has occurred.”

Currently more than 3,500 companies use Klout Scores to reward influencers and loyal customers with Klout Perks. While this shouldn’t be the only factor in determining who your evangelists are, it’s a helpful metric that will aid in the process. It’s also beneficial to small businesses looking to make a name for themselves among social media users.

[Via: Mashable, Image credit: Carla MacNeil]