Asia is home to the world’s fastest-growing social media market, expected to reach up to 400 million users by 2025. Thanks to its young, tech-savvy demographics and rising disposable income, Asia has huge untapped potential for marketers. By 2025, the internet economy is on track to grow to $300 billion.

Cross-border e-commerce is on the rise, and KOL (Key Opinion Leader) marketing is a great way to grow your brand awareness and create a long-lasting positive perception.

Similar to an influencer, a KOL is an expert or industry leader with a niche and engaged audience on social media. The key difference between celebrity marketing and KOL marketing is that the latter is more focused on credibility and trust. When brands partner with KOLs, they tap into their influence essentially to vouch for the quality of their products or services.

Asia’s KOL Marketing Boom: 3 Reasons To Work With KOLs

Did you know 4 in 5 middle-aged online shoppers have made a purchase because of a KOL endorsement? Recommendations made by industry leaders carry weight and help brands create positive word-of-mouth and shape consumer perceptions. The high level of trust in KOLs is slowly spreading across Asia with China leading the way.

With clever content strategies and KOL marketing campaigns, many brands have taken the Asian markets by storm.

Olay launched a campaign called “Fearless of Judgement”, featuring La Mu Yang Zi, a well-known Chinese actress with a chubby physique and plain appearance. By going against the mainstream beauty standards, their online talk show on the “Pursuit of Fearless” raked in over 7 million live audiences and over 450 million views on Weibo.

A few other popular KOLs in China who have gained huge following are 房琪 Kiki (Travel), 小杨哥 Brother Yang (E-commerce), 程十安 Shian Cheng (Beauty) and Wangyu 骆王宇 (Cosmetics).

In the last couple of years, several brands have tapped into the potential of KOL marketing — right from McDonalds to Vivo, and BMW to Booking.com.

To promote its plug-in BMW eDrive in South Korea, the brand launched its “e-ideal Vibe” campaign on TikTok in collaboration with K-pop KOL Henry and attracted 46 million video views. Similarly, Booking.com, a Dutch online travel agency, partnered with five KOLs from India and reached 5 million Indians on Instagram gaining over 462,000 engagements.

Before we delve deeper into 5 proven strategies for successful KOL campaigns, here are three reasons why you must consider it:

Wider audience: When you collaborate with a KOL, your brand is exposed to their audience. Engaged followers are more likely to like, comment on, and share your content with their friends and acquaintances.

More sales: When more people see a KOL’s trust in using your product, they’re more likely to consider buying it themselves. Moreover, the industry leaders create sponsored posts or run contests that give away your product as a prize.

Higher public support: KOL support makes you credible. This can lead to more sales, a larger community, and more opportunities to collaborate. Thus, KOL marketing not only has a lasting impact but also generates repeat business.

How To Choose the Right KOL?

To stand out from the crowd, partner with KOLs who are experts in your field and share your brand's values. When choosing the right KOL, businesses must consider five key factors:

Relevance: Are they a good fit for your brand?

Reach: How many people can they connect with?

Engagement: Do they captivate your audience?

Influence: Can they sway opinions and decisions?

Consistency: Are they reliable over time?

These factors are important, but let’s elaborate a bit more:

Similar audience and interest: Choose KOLs who are relevant to your target audience. Examining the audience size, quality, demographics, and reviewing their content will help you be clear about what you hope to achieve from the partnership. Connect with KOLs who are popular among your target audience in Asia.

Set clear goals and objectives: Be clear about what you want to achieve. Do you want more people to know about your brand? Sell more products? Or do you want to generate more leads? Once you have clarity on your goals, identify the right KOLs and craft content that will help you achieve them.

Here are some specific examples of KOL marketing goals:

Increase brand awareness: Want to get your brand in front of as many people as possible? Find KOLs who have a large following in your target audience.

Drive sales: Want more people to buy your products or services? Partner with KOLs who can promote your products or services to their followers.

Generate leads: Want people to reach you so you can learn more about their interests? Work with KOLs who offer coupons, discounts, or other incentives for people to sign up for your email list or contact you for more information.

Know what KPIs to focus on: Create a clear roadmap for KOLs to understand your marketing goals, so you can communicate effectively. Regular reporting will keep everyone on the same page. Measure the KPIs that reflect the true essence of your KOL marketing campaign.

Audience: The size and demographics of the KOL’s audience are important factors to consider. Brands should choose KOLs who have a large and engaged audience that matches their target market.

Reach: The number of people who see their content. This can be measured by the number of followers they have on social media, the number of views their videos get, or the number of people who read their blog posts.

Engagement rate: The percentage of people who interact with their content. This can be measured by the number of likes, comments, and shares their posts get.

Conversion rate: The percentage of people who take a desired action after seeing the KOL’s content. For example, the conversion rate could be the percentage of people who click on a link to the brand’s website or who make a purchase.

Sales lift: Increase in sales that can be attributed to the KOL marketing campaign. Calculated by comparing sales before and after the campaign.

Brand awareness: The percentage of people who are aware of the brand after seeing the KOL’s content. Measured by surveys or by tracking social media mentions.

Sentiment: This is the overall attitude towards the brand after seeing the KOL’s content. Evaluated through surveys or by tracking social media sentiment.

Create high-quality content: The content that you create with your KOLs should be high-quality and engaging. It should be something that your target audience will want to share and interact with.

Track and measure your results: It is important to track and measure the results of your KOL marketing campaign so that you can see what is working and what is not. Use the learnings to improve your campaigns in the future.

How Can Brands Contact KOLs?

The best way to contact KOLs depends on your budget and needs. Here are two ways:

Directly contact KOLs. Find KOLs on social media by searching for relevant hashtags or keywords. This method is more suitable for reaching out to mega-KOLs.

Use KOL agencies. KOL agencies have a well-established network of KOLs and offer one-stop marketing services. They can help you communicate with KOLs, but there may be an agency fee.

If you are on a tight budget, directly contacting KOLs may be the best option. However, if you are looking for a more streamlined and hands-off approach, using a KOL agency may be a better choice.

Credit: Annabelle Poincheval 班小美/ LinkedIn

How To Negotiate and Collaborate with KOLs

Choosing the right KOL is only the first step. Don’t be afraid to negotiate with KOLs to find a price that works for both of you. Sign a clear contract with the KOLs. This should outline the terms of the partnership, such as the compensation, deliverables, and expectations.

KOL rates are not set in stone and can be negotiated. Here are some tips to get the most out of your campaigns:

Propose a long-term collaboration

Long-term campaigns can be a good way to negotiate KOLs’ rates. Additionally, long-term campaigns can help to build trust and rapport between the brand and the influencer, which can lead to more successful collaborations in the future.

Find KOLs who are already familiar with your brand

This will save you time and money in the long run, as you won’t have to educate the influencer about your brand or its products. Additionally, they are more likely to create content that is authentic and engaging.

Use pay-for-performance to negotiate with KOLs

Pay-for-performance (PFP) marketing is a type of marketing where the brand only pays the influencer when they achieve certain predetermined goals, such as generating a certain number of clicks or sales. This can be a good way to protect your budget and ensure that you’re only paying for results.

Offer other benefits and barter deals

In addition to financial compensation, you can also offer KOLs other benefits, such as free products, access to exclusive events, or the opportunity to collaborate on other projects. This not only makes the collaboration more appealing but also builds goodwill.

Use data to negotiate with KOLs effectively

When negotiating with KOLs, it's important to use concrete data from their profiles to support your requests. This could include information such as their follower count, engagement rate, and reach.

Give the KOLs creative freedom. The best KOL marketing campaigns are those that feel authentic and genuine. Give the KOLs the freedom to create content that they are excited about and that their audience will find engaging.

How Much To Spend On KOL Marketing in Asia?

The cost of KOL marketing varies depending on the platform, the KOL’s following, and the type of campaign. In general, the cost per view on Weibo is the lowest, followed by WeChat and TikTok. However, WeChat posts have a far higher click-through rate (CTR) than Weibo posts, even though they are more expensive.

Here’s a broad range of costs for each platform (varies with each KOL and their follower reach):

Weibo — 60K RMB per post
WeChat — 40K RMB per post
Xiaohongshu — 1000 to 10K RMB per post
TikTok — $500K to $1M per post
Instagram — $50K to $500K
X (formerly Twitter) — $100K to $250K
Facebook — $250 to $25K
Linkedin — $3K to $20K

(Source: Dragon Social and Influencer Marketing Costs)

5 Proven Strategies for Effective KOL Marketing

KOL marketing does not come without its challenges. Brands need to carefully consider the KOL’s audience, reach, and engagement rate, as well as their authenticity and credibility. Another challenge is that KOL marketing can be expensive, especially if brands want to partner with top-tier KOLs.

After you’ve chosen your KOL, here are 5 proven strategies that will ensure the success of your marketing campaign:

Predict Customer Behaviours

People in the digital age buy things after being attracted to them, interested in them, searching for them, taking action, and sharing their experience with others. Forget the traditional AIDMA model (Awareness, Interest, Desire, Memory Action) model and follow the AISAS model (Attention, Interest, Search, Action, Share). According to a report, 84% of consumers trust peer’s online reviews. KOL marketing is a great way to get positive reviews.

Tailor Platform-Specific Brand Voice

Build your brand equity by being present in many different places and speaking with a consistent voice. The key takeaway is that you should not rely too heavily on any one marketing strategy or KOL. Show variety yet be consistent in your brand tone.

Credit: Image by rawpixel.com on Freepik

Create Overall Positive Customer Experience

When customers have a positive experience with your brand, they are more likely to recommend you to others, and do business with you again in the future. KOL promotion is a great way to get your target customers to directly interact with your products or services. But don’t forget about the landing page! A poorly designed landing page will ruin all your hard work.

Use Custom QR Codes To Track ROI

Discount codes and QR codes are a powerful tool for marketers to track the effectiveness of their campaigns and learn more about their customers. Build trackability everywhere, whether your posts and videos are on Instagram, TikTok, WeChat or Weibo.

Avoid False KOL Data and Protect Your Brand

Almost 20% of traffic attributed to the top tiers of livestreamers comes from fake accounts. This figure rises to almost 30% for smaller-scale livestreamers, according to research by Miaozhen Systems and China Advertising Association. Do not take data supplied by KOLs or multi-channel networks (MCNs) at face value. Instead, dig into the KOL's account and previous posts to try to assess the actual level of engagement on their content.

A well-thought-out KOL marketing strategy is key to success in the Asian market. But simply partnering with KOLs is not enough. Brands need to have the right approach and tactics to make the most of this powerful marketing tool.

At Comms8, we specialise in helping businesses leverage the power of both KOL and KOC marketing in Asia. With our expertise, we can assist you in harnessing the influence of KOLs to boost your brand's credibility and awareness. Contact us today to learn more about empowering your brand in the dynamic Asian market.

KOL Marketing in Asia: 5 Proven Strategies to Unlock Successful Campaigns