As to why no mention of Google Analytics -- it's free. 

yikes! I have seem some vague classes in Klout too, but I never paid it much mind. I just set mine up when I heard the hiring tidbit, but I don't rely on it as a "social intel" tool...

I agree with you on all of that, Alison. I have even heard about employers heavily taking Klout scores into consideration when hiring. Things have REALLY changed over the last 15 years.

Hi Mashka - I suppose people could generate self-love from this sort of information... but from what I have heard, most generate self-doubt when they base their sense of esteem on social informatics. The thing is, if people feel great about themselves when they see that their stats are high, then they also feel bad about themselves when they see those same stats drop. It becomes an unhealthy habit. That's why many bloggers don't lean too heavily on analytics.... for their own self-love and self-care.

On the other hand, closing your eyes doesn't mean no one can see you. If you are writing something to add value to the lives of your readers then I say, do your best to make sure the message you write is getting delivered. I suppose if Lululemon or VS wanted me to do a yoga-wear product review for them, then i would consider writing more about on the yoga-wear subject. More likely, I would write about the emotional, physical, and spiritual benifits that yoga practice can provide.

This is totally informal, but among friends and peers I have seen a backlash against Klout because some of its algorithms are so bizarre. I recall being rated highly on "models." Huh? Not sure what kind of models - Sports Illustrated, build-your-own cars, miniature houses - but I am not interested in any of the above, nor have I ever written or tweeted about them. And I unlinked my FB from Klout when I saw it had knocked down my Klout score. You can game Klout, too, by simply tweeting about them! The general concept is good but if I was a hiring manager I wouldn't use it as a tool for measuring prospective employees and I'd be uncomfortable if, as a job candidate, that was a major measure of my potential employment. 

If you're posting social media messages solely to share pictures of your cat, kids, or pedicure, then I agree with you, Mashka. But as so many HR, marketing, and business professionals advise today, almost everybody should be in the business of creating their own brand. While that doesn't mean you can't post personal tweets, it also means it's important to keep an eye on those factors that enhance (or diminish) your social-media standing. Being followed by someone who's influential in your market gives you commonality if you meet in person; it gives you an easy opportunity to trade direct messages and make an online connection that could be helpful to your/their career at some point. 

Sure, it's self-validating in a way and a nice ego boost when someone you admire follows or "likes" you, but whether you're an individual or representing a company, the world is built on all sorts of relationships and social media relationships are vital today. Tracking them, therefore, is an important part of life, too. 

Lillian, all these tools are really necessary  for  corporate social media tools or for  independent journalistsß bloggers. But for a private blog, it is  just like a self-loving equipment- oh, look at me, I wrote about this and so many people quoted me and so many people added me as a friend.

By the way,are you going to write about yoga- wear one more time?