Still, many companies are trying to do just that. Most make analytical software that seeks to measure how much influence individuals have on social networks.
Klout, a San Francisco-based startup, is an example. It offers a service that ranks people and content on mainstream social networks like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Klout is a useful tool for marketers trying to identify how much influence people have in a particular field.
Klout has raised $10 million in venture capital to help build out its analytical software.
KloutScore numerical rankings are based on such factors as how many people are following and friending you, and how widely your content is spread through retweets and other amplifications.
Other social metrics firms look at similar factors to measure social influence. Twinfluence, PeerIndex, Twitalyzer and TwitterGrader are a few in the same category.
One thing is clear: social analytics is going to be a big business. It bears watching for people and companies interested in measuring their own influence and that of others.