A great Key Opinion Leader (KOL) can work magic for your Chinese digital marketing strategy if you’re a Western marketer operating in the exciting, lucrative Chinese market!

But as with anything, the right KOL relationship takes thought, planning and good management on either side. Let’s look at some top tips for working with Chinese KOLs to benefit your Western brand.

Why KOLs Matter in China

Chinese culture is collectivist, compared to the individualistic West. This ‘what’s good for us all, is good for me’ approach means that Chinese customers greatly value recommendations from friends, family, colleagues and people they trust.

This trust extends to chosen Key Opinion Leaders, or KOLs, who are digital influencers with a strong Chinese digital marketing presence. KOLs nurture online communities of like-minded people with a shared interest or passion in any topic, from family and health to cars and DIY.

KOLs may be present on several Chinese social media platforms, or focus on one specific niche platform (bearing in mind that any kind of ‘niche’ in China can still represent millions of people!)

Because of their status as highly-regarded, trusted experts, Chinese customers also value the product and brand recommendations that their chosen KOLs share.

This makes KOLs hugely powerful partners for Western brands, particularly for sponsorship, advertising and collaboration opportunities.

How to Get the Most from KOL Relationships

Here are some tips to maximise KOL relationships as part of your broader Chinese digital marketing strategy.
Understand the KOL landscape

The KOL industry is massive in China, and it’s important to understand its characteristics, mechanisms and key players, especially within your target market and geography.

This will help you build up a picture of possible KOL partners and understand the ways in which a beneficial relationship could be developed.

Find the Right KOL: ‘Fit’, Not Trend

Every brand will have the ‘right’ KOL, but this won’t necessarily be the trendiest or most visible influencer in the market. Ideally, a good KOL for your brand will have a similar audience demographic and interests.

It can take time to build a possible KOL relationship. This period should include discussion and shared idea creation to see whether there is a true overlap of goals, and potential.

Take this period slowly so that you can be sure that the partnership will unlock value for both parties. It’s not a case of ‘picking’ an influencer and making a financial offer – it’s a relationship that needs consideration for both sides to ensure that natural, organic alignment and shared goals.

Remember, KOLs are hugely successful entrepreneurs and brands in their own right. They will only pick partners that make sense for their audience and business goals.

Take Your Time

Approach this systematically and with long-term gains in mind, rather than seeking the quick fix of a one-off promotional post!

The right KOL relationship can make your brand even stronger, but the ‘wrong’ partnership can potentially damage brands on both sides.

Look for True Influence

Western brands should look for genuine influence rather than getting hung up on follower numbers.

Often, niche KOLs have small but extremely loyal followings and can gain a higher conversion result with the right campaign. Think ‘quality, rather than quantity’.

A good way to measure impact and influence is to look at the KOLs engagement with his or her followers.

Look at the type of followers, too. Typically, they should be within a broadly similar age band or ‘life stage’ to the KOL, because the relationship is built on values that include shared, authentic experiences within a community of like-minded people.

Invest in The KOL Relationship

A good KOL relationship can unlock superb benefits when it is conducted with mutual respect and consideration. For Western brands, it helps to remember that KOLs are the absolute experts in Chinese social media and on their chosen platforms.

The more you can invest in the relationship and consider it a partnership, the more productive and beneficial it will be.

As an example, many brands initiate potential partnerships with KOLs by sending them personalised and thoughtful branded gifts that the influencer may well share naturally and organically with their followers.

Think ‘Collaboration’

Similarly, look at the partnership as a collaboration where you both work to come up with the best possible course of action and approach for your Chinese digital marketing campaign.

Your KOL will have some great ideas about the types of content that will work naturally and effectively with their followers. They will also know how best to caption posts, when to time their release and optimal delivery strategies.

It helps to listen to their insight and expertise here, on the topic they know best – their audience, and your potential customers! This is also important because audiences know instantly whether content is simply promotional or sponsored, or whether it truly offers them value.

Trust Over Content

Again, by working in true collaboration with your KOL, you will ensure the best results because trust is the key between the influencer and the audience. A KOL isn’t a ‘rent a channel’ opportunity for a brand; it’s a carefully considered, mutually-beneficial partnership.

KOLs will be very careful about the content they agree to post, because they work to share branded and promotional content in a very authentic, co-created way that feels welcome and natural to their followers.

In many ways, this approach is different and far ‘softer’ than in the West, where social media influencers are often seen as ‘touting products’ without a huge regard for their audience. In China, authenticity, trust, and value over time are key.
Consider the Broader Picture

As with any marketing channel, it’s important to have a broader picture of what you are trying to achieve with your KOL and Chinese social media, and place it within your broader Chinese digital marketing strategy.

Consider every marketing tactic within this broader picture, and place all social media campaigns within this holistic strategy, so that your marketing touchpoints link up and your campaigns make sense.

Get Expert Help!

It can be challenging to find the best Chinese KOL as part of your Chinese digital marketing strategy – so why not ask the experts to assist?

Market Me China works with Western brands across all industries to help them find the right partners for their marketing needs, and offers a full agency service for Chinese digital marketing needs.

With our friendly and native-speaking digital marketing professionals to help you, your brand can experience success in the exciting and lucrative Chinese market all the easier!

Why not get in touch with us to find out more and see how we can help you achieve your goals?