If you’re in business, but think it doesn’t matter if you “matter” in the digital world be warned…

Search rankings are currently changing from being based on keywords to being determined by your social network.   What this means is that your ability to persuade and influence folks in your social graph elevates you as a value proposition.  Someone with greater social standing may take the number one search results spot.

Why does this matter?  Because the “digital currency” earned online has migrated into the offline world affecting how buyers/sellers, employers/job candidates, entrepreneurs/investors, marketers/media, philanthropists/donors, brands/consumers, friends/groups – and on and on –  interact and respond to each other.   With the blurring of lines between the real and the virtual worlds, your listeners may not even know you, but by following you on Twitter or Facebook, they feel connected with you and therefore can be influenced by you.  On the other hand, if your listeners don’t consider you sufficiently influential or connected online, that lack of digital credibility may lead them to be less inclined to follow your call to action in person.

Tools created by emerging technology companies like Klout, PeerIndex and Kred measure your influence, connections and ability to drive action through your social networks, quantifying your “value” to particular audiences.  In essence, you’ve become a number online and offline that  can propel or derail your success. For example, Klout, currently the largest of the three technology companies, scores you based on 400 variables, on a scale from 1-100.   That new job you desire?  According to Klout, a score of around 70 and up will almost guarantee your chances of getting it.  Though widely criticized, the job description of Salesforce.com, a well-known technology company, included “Desired Skills” of a Klout score of 35 or above.

Seeking competitive advantage?  Major brands are strategically identifying their customers’ digital currency to determine who will give them the best bang for the buck.  And these are fast becoming the individual in whom they’ll invest their resources and resourcefulness.

In business the customer or clients are always voting.  Obama proved with his first election that driving results through social media influence worked as it will work for you in your business endeavors, as well.

What all this means to you is that your success requires being ambidextrous.  You must devote your time and energy to become an authentic authority that enhances your credibility in both online and offline worlds.