Key Opinion Leaders – better known as KOLs – have gained a strong online reputation among consumers in the Asia Pacific region and should be a key part of any brand’s ecommerce strategy in the region. Investing in KOL marketing requires a carefully planned strategic approach that aligns with your brand objectives.
Below we outline five steps to creating a successful KOL marketing campaign that helps brands to drive sales on APAC marketplaces such as Tmall, Shopee and Lazada.
Social selling in APAC
Social channels play a much larger part in the marketing mix in most Asian countries than the West, not only to maximise your brand’s discoverability and acquire new customers, but also to engage and retain them. KOL activity generally takes place through marketplaces’ own marketing channels and external channels, such as social media platforms.
In fact, Asian countries have among the highest social media penetration rates in the world and according to a survey of shoppers from across the APAC region by Rakuten, over half of consumers engage with brands via social media.
5 steps to creating a successful KOL marketing campaign
A strong KOL marketing campaign is a fantastic way to generate top-of-the-funnel awareness and drive new customer acquisition. In many countries in the Asia Pacific region, the top KOLs are considered as celebrities, and brands will run exclusive promotions to attract their followers. Here are our team’s top tips for ensuring your KOL marketing campaign drives marketplace sales.
1. Define your campaign objective
Whether your campaign objective is to increase brand awareness, boost conversion rates or maintain your brand image, a clear vision on what you expect to achieve from the investment should be the first step of any KOL marketing campaign.
2. Decide on platforms or channels to reach a targeted audience
Understanding the reach of each social platform can be useful when deciding on where to carry out marketing activity so that your campaign reaches the desired target audience.
3. Choose your KOLs appropriately to match your brand voice
Although celebrity and mid-tier KOLs may have the advantage of larger audiences, while the popularity of your chosen KOL is important, it is essential that they signify your brand values. Likewise, building long-term relationships with KOLs builds trust and credibility.
4. Select the right touch points for maximum engagement
Brands must think wisely about the values of their desired audience and adapt their content accordingly. The use of gamification, exclusive coupons or competitions can be a great way to grab your audience’s attention as well as capture customer data.
5. Track and evaluate your campaign performance
Once live, brands must monitor and assess the campaign’s success to gather valuable insights into the strengths and weaknesses and help to inform data-driven decisions for future KOL campaigns.
Whether you are launching your brand in the APAC region, or looking to maximise traffic to your marketplace store, KOL marketing activity is essential. Competition in Asia is fierce, with both local and international competitors in most categories, so investing heavily in marketing is key to establish demand for your brand.
To find out more about our full-service model sees us buy your stock and then take care of every aspect of your marketplace presence, including demand generation marketing contact us today.
