5 Steps to Creating a Successful KOL Marketing Campaign

Rachel Olsen

August 24, 2023

 3 minute read time
Tmall campaign

Key Opinion Leaders—better known as KOLs—have gained a strong online reputation among consumers in the Asia Pacific (APAC) 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, JD.com, Shopee, and Lazada.

Social Selling in APAC Markets

Social channels play a much larger part in the marketing mix in most Asian countries than the West, not only to maximize 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 Southeast Asia alone, social commerce for 2022 amounted to $34 billion USD. Social media penetration is the highest in the APAC region than it is anywhere in the world. It’s clear if you want to sell in APAC, you need to be on top of your social strategy and current social selling trends.

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 APAC region, the top KOLs are considered celebrities. Often, brands will run exclusive promotions to attract their followers. Here are Pattern 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 and the popularity of your chosen KOL is important, it’s essential they signify your brand values. Likewise, building long-term relationships with KOLs builds trust and credibility.

4. Select the Right Touchpoints 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, and 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.

Maximize Traffic to Your Listings with Pattern

Whether you are launching your brand in the APAC region, or looking to maximize traffic to your marketplace store, KOL marketing activity is essential. Competition in the APAC region is fierce, with both local and international competitors in most categories, so investing heavily in marketing is key to establishing demand for your brand.

To find out more about our full-service model, contact us today.

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