This article was published on August 30, 2011

New social media search tool, Proliphiq, is powered by the people


New social media search tool, Proliphiq, is powered by the people

When it comes to social media analytics or scoring tools, I am definitely the sort who feels as though I’ve seen it all.

That being said, when I was introduced to Proliphiq, a service that defines itself as a new social media search tool focusing on providing users with, and becoming, truly credible sources for real-time content, I wondered if it could truly deliver.

Instead of relying on AI or machine-based guesswork to determine how influential a user is on a specific topic, Proliphiq instead relies upon the combined opinions and suggestions of its actual user base along with statistical analysis to provide a more accurate score.

Proliphiq’s ranking system scores profiles based on three metrics:

  • Engagement
  • Credibility
  • Audience

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What makes the service unique is how it determines these metrics. By deeply integrating user reviews along with “personality” and “tone”, Proliphiq manages to create an entirely original tool that better engages those using the platform and hopefully provides a more accurate way to measure ourselves and our peers on the social scale.

The entire experience is very different from what you may have seen from other social profiling tools. Proliphiq manages to combine a series of fantastic features that have been proven to interest audiences attracted to tools like these (such as discovering which topics certain users are most influential in), as well as integrates new and interesting aspects that many of us have already been asking for.

To name just a few …

  • Users can more intuitively decide which topics other peers are Experts or Thought Leaders in through a series of checks and balances.
  • Users can scroll through which topics are the most popular on the platform, as well as search for top influencers via topic.
  • Users can create a “Saved Set” of people by topic combination, or by picking individual’s profiles.
  • Users can “follow” other friends or people on the service in order to compare how these users rate or stack up against their own profiles.
  • Users can fully rate and review individual personalities on the platform to decide whether these people are more “witty” versus “creative”, and whether their content is of good quality, original, or sent out at a favorable pace (among other rating scales).

In a sea of competitors (most notably Klout and PeerIndex), Proliphiq shines in a number of ways. Having already gathered stats from over twelve million online profiles, it also has a pretty sizable foundation to base its current rankings on. However, the service aims to make up for the typical vanity metrics that we normally see on other social influence measurement tools by engaging its users in a more intuitive way.

“We believe that there are fallacies in the existing services that are out there and we believe that people should be in control.”

Adam Roozen, CEO of Proliphiq

Proliphiq users have more sway over their social influence profiles.

In one example, Roozen described how Proliphiq users definitely have more control over what topics they are interested in. For instance, someone who thinks they are influential about technology can actively claim this topic.

However, the actual Proliphiq community has the option to veto or flag these topics if they feel the user has nothing to do with that specified keyword, and the system will take it out. In this way, the service incorporates a system of checks and balances that will help provide a more accurate social score for its individual users.

“Any site like this obviously requires a foundation of statistical analysis, but to ignore what’s beyond that — the human brain can do things that computers can’t — leaves something on the table. That’s the gap we fill. … We really pride ourselves on the power of the people.”

Roozen continues by noting that on other sites, there’s really nothing for content consumers to come and do. Say a user wanted to find someone really funny who talks about baseball, for example. Proliphiq is the site that will satisfy that need as it provides social search tools specifically designed to discover these individuals.

In turn, Proliphiq also provides a way for these influential users who are actively looking to be found (for instance, bloggers and journalists hoping to establish their presence online) to be discovered. In this way, the service becomes a bit of a “match making” site where thought leaders and content consumers can link up and find each other.

Whether you are searching for someone witty who talks about new iPhone applications, or just looking for a new way to manage your reputation online and see how you stack up against your peers, Proliphiq might be the tool for you.

Sign up now to pre-register for an early preview prior to its launch in October.

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