Unless you’re a daring time traveler from the 1800s, you probably already know what an influencer is. (If you fall into that first category, welcome to 2022! Wait until you hear about BeReal.) Influencing as a career has had a significant impact on social marketing and the media industry as a whole.
But not all influencers are created equal and there is a new community of public figures who use public light to make a difference. These industry leaders are called KOLs and they are a valuable part of any modern social media marketing strategy.
In this blog post, we’ll tell you all the details of KOLs: what they are, why they’re great for marketing, and how to find the right KOL for your brand. Swipe for more (time traveler: not that kind of swipe).
What are KOLs?
KOL abbreviation key opinion leader. An ARM is like an influencer, because has an effect: A KOL has a significant following of people who value their values and are often willing to put their own money into what the individual deems valuable.
The main difference between influencers and KOLs is that KOLs are a more niche audiencesand is usually valued as experts in this niche. Also, influencers are a particularly online phenomenon, and KOLs you don’t need to have an online presence (however, since we’re talking about social marketing in this blog post, we’ll only focus on those who do).
For example, fashion pioneer dog influencer @jiffpom has over 9 million loyal followers, but won’t be considered a major opinion leader in a particular niche (sorry, Jiff – it’s a good thing you can’t read).
Also in the animal category, Dr. Lauren Thielen. He is considered a veterinarian and an ARM specializing in exotic animals: folks trust him to share their insights within his private field, and he is considered a knowledgeable expert.
4 reasons to work with KOLs
So why contact a KOL for a social marketing partnership? Let’s count the ways:
1. Reach a wider (and more engaged) audience
Collaborating with other creators always results in your brand appearing in more publications; your business is shared with both your followers and the creator’s followers. This is why influencer marketing is so popular.
That is, a wider audience is determined. But because KOLs have a more niche audience, their followers are often more engaged: they’re more likely to like, comment, and share posts. Better for this job.
Followers aren’t just about quantity (and there are also a lot of follower bots on Instagram and they won’t support you financially) – having a smaller community of quality followers is more important than hitting a certain number.
2. Sell more
This is the ultimate goal of any marketing campaign, right?
Because of the factors mentioned above (reaching more, more active social media users), it’s easier to convert your social media presence into sales when you partner with an ARM. They are leaders in their field, so their endorsement of any product will likely result in more sales.
In addition to monetary support, there is certain authentication that comes with a KOL relationship – but more on that in the next section.
3. Get support from experts
It’s not just about money. Getting public support from a respected expert in an industry related to your brand is invaluable for your audience’s trust in your product.
In short: an ARM boost makes you look more legitimate.
This helps with sales, but it can also help grow your community and make you more attractive to potential future collaborators. If you’re getting support from a KOL, that influencer you’re DMing may be more likely to partner with you. Same with the company you want to do the same sweepstakes with.
Expert support can differentiate good social marketing Good social marketing. This just proves you’re not talking the talk.
4. Go beyond social marketing naturally
This is where a key difference between KOLs and influencers comes in handy: KOLs don’t need to have a social media presence. Stay with us.
KOLs don’t usually build a following on social media. They are experts in their field, so they can gain followers through successful businesses, professional conferences or even word of mouth. Social media followers usually come after that. already build this audience.
We mentioned earlier that we only focus on KOLs. to do There’s a social media following and it’s true. But partnering with a KOL can also lead to an audience beyond social media.
For example, Dr. Sanjay Gupta is a neurosurgeon, author, podcaster, and respected medical opinion leader. He has a social presence (245k followers on Instagram, 2.5 million followers on Twitter) but there are also people who follow his research, watch him on TV, listen to his podcast and read his work.
Dr. More than just being social, it’s good for business when someone like Gupta supports your brand in front of everyone. He’s not just on the ‘gram’, he’s on television, doing interviews and podcasting with Big Bird.
How can you find the right KOLs for your brand?
If you’re new to ARM marketing, finding the right leaders can be difficult. Here are a few tips for catching those perfect partnerships.
Search for KOLs in an industry related to your brand
Just because you admire an important opinion leader doesn’t mean they’re a good fit for partnerships. Make sure the KOLs you want to collaborate with work in a field related to your field.
Thoroughly research a KOL before reaching for them
We’ll talk more about this in the next section, but the quick and dirty truth is you don’t want to align with someone who could give your brand a bad reputation. Make sure you dive deep into their social media (and any other information you get your hands on!) to make sure you’re not accidentally partnering with a PR nightmare.
See other successful brands for guidance
The malicious businesses you are looking for may have established KOL partnerships in the past. Get some information from them and reach out to similar leaders.
Reach only KOLs with social media experience
As mentioned earlier, key opinion leaders need It’s a social presence to be considered KOLs – but since you’re collaborating with the ultimate goal of growing your business online, you’ll want to make sure any KOLs you partner with are social media savvy.
Look for KOLs that have partnered with brands in the past
Many key opinion leaders will have already collaborated with a business and the experience is always good. A KOL with a media kit or other collaborative information on its website may have at least some basic knowledge of how brand partnerships work.
Do a public search
It’s not a particularly specific strategy, but low investment and potentially high reward. Putting a call on social media (requesting key opinion leaders on a particular topic) doesn’t take long and gives your audience the opportunity to recommend experts. It’s not a perfect game plan, but you never know what a public search will bring.
4 tips to get the most out of ARM marketing
Well, now you know everything you need to know about important opinion leaders. Here’s how to make sure you use this marketing strategy to its full potential.
1. Do your research
You wouldn’t hire a new employee without an interview and reference check, would you? While partnering with a key opinion leader isn’t the same as having them work for you, some of the same principles apply: KOL is now an extension of your brand, and anything they do or say can affect your company. The last thing you want is to align yourself with someone who was #cancelled.
So, do your research. Don’t just check if KOL has an engaged audience and an effective social presence; you’ll also want to make sure their values and ethics align with your brand (and your brand’s fans).
There is always risk when expanding your brand to include other people, but you can limit some of that risk by browsing the internet beforehand. [KOL name here] racist” is a good Google search to start with, IMHO).
2. Know your goals and communicate them well
Before reaching out to a KOL for a potential collaboration, make sure you know what you want from the relationship. If you don’t articulate your needs (or worse, you don’t know what your needs are), it’s likely that KOL won’t produce a successful outcome.
Being clear about what your goals are is the best way to make sure they are achieved. A goal might seem like reaching a certain number of followers, getting a certain number of affiliate link usage, or just getting a certain number of likes or shares on KOL content. Whatever your purpose is, make it clear.
Trust their advice
They are called leaders for a reason. KOLs are experts: they know what they’re talking about and if they can offer you insight or guidance, seriously consider it.
You are not looking for a partnership with a KOL just because of their social following. You (and your potential customers) truly value their opinions, so you should respect them even if they go against your original plan. Collaborations should be collaborative and it’s important for the KOL you work with to feel their input is valued – which brings us to our next point:
4. Invest time, effort and money into the partnership
Equality is important in any partnership and the KOLs you collaborate with need to feel this sense of equality in your relationship. An important opinion leader (or anyone for that matter) doesn’t want to feel used.
So yes, listen to their advice but at the same time invest all possible resources into the partnership. Make sure you respond to their emails quickly, are friendly and welcoming, and compensate them well. Ideally, you will form a positive relationship with a KOL that can last a long time and potentially lead to other partnerships in the future.
Not investing enough resources in a collaborative effort like this can make KOL feel uncomfortable, which is bad overall (we want everyone to have a good time) and very bad for the business (when things get rough, you want the experts on your side). This isn’t a last-minute, off-the-desk commitment. Whatever you put in it, you take it out.
And with that, we think you’re ready to officially start your first KOL partnership. To go! To go! To go!
Make ARM marketing easy with Moyens I/O. Schedule posts, research and interact with KOLs in your industry, and measure the success of your campaigns. Try it for free today.
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