A in August was designed to improve accuracy, pulling in more variables and identifying "real world reach" with factors as Wikipedia mentions.

That number's accuracy is critical for more than online bragging rights. Companies pay Klout to offer Klout Perks--"products or experiences" to encourage high-scoring users to spread the word about their brand. For example, American Express gave $25 gift cards to encourage Klout "influencers" to shop during its Small Business Saturday event last November.

But do Klout scores generate enough ROI to warrant your small business's attention? Are Klout Perk campaigns worth the effort?

Unfortunately, Klout is notorious for its tight-lipped nature. , though, Klout claimed in a blog post that it had delivered 700,000 perks in 350 separate campaigns over two years, with 300 different brands--including big leaguers like Coke, Disney, Microsoft and American Express.