What is KOC? Distinguishing KOL and KOC in Marketing

The term KOC ( Key Opinion Consumer ) is becoming more and more popular in the field of Marketing. So what is KOC ? And how is KOC different from KOL? Let's learn about the outstanding features and importance of KOC in modern marketing strategies!

What is KOC?

KOC (Key Opinion Consumer) is roughly translated as influential consumers . Unlike KOLs who are experts or celebrities in a field, KOCs are real users who often share personal experiences about products or services through social platforms. Thanks to that, KOC reviews are often honest and objective, helping to increase trust with followers.

The platforms that KOCs are currently operating on include: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Shopee. KOCs ’ comments and reviews are exploited by businesses to attract and convince customers through modern “word of mouth”, especially when KOCs share genuine feelings, making them more accessible to users.

The difference between KOL and KOC

Here are some notable differences between KOC and KOL :

Criteria	KOL	KOC
Define	Influencer, expert, or celebrity in a particular industry	Influential consumers share real personal experiences
Function	Promote products on a large scale	Honest product reviews based on personal experience
Reliability	Can sometimes be seen as biased advertising	Build trust with real, authentic reviews
Expense	Tall, because they are often famous	Low, pay by sales performance or engagement

The Role of KOC in Marketing

1. Increase customer confidence

Reviews from KOCs provide a close, trustworthy perspective on products and services, making it easy to build trust with customers.

2. Spread information quickly

KOCs often have small followings, but the community effect helps their reviews spread to many potential customers.

3. Promote purchasing decisions

Customers tend to trust real-life experiences from consumers, helping them make purchasing decisions faster.

4. Reduce advertising costs

Using KOC is a lower cost solution than KOL. Businesses can rely on reviews from KOC without having to spend a lot on advertising.

The trend of shifting from KOL to KOC in Vietnam

1. High authenticity

Consumers increasingly prefer authentic reviews from real users over staged advertising campaigns.

2. Save costs for businesses

The cost of collaborating with KOC is much lower than with KOL, while businesses can still maximize customer reach.

3. Increase revenue effectively

Real reviews from KOCs help customers have a more authentic experience, easily create connections and promote shopping.

How to deploy an effective KOC Marketing campaign

For a successful KOC Marketing campaign , every step from identifying target customers to evaluating effectiveness must be meticulously implemented. With the support of KOC – influential consumers , brands can convey messages in an authentic and engaging way. Below are the key steps to deploy an effective KOC campaign .

1. Identify target audience
   Clearly defining potential customer files helps brands optimize resources when choosing the right KOC , creating messages that easily interact with customers.
   
2. KOC Research
   KOCs have different styles and follower bases. Therefore, brands should look for KOCs with compatible styles and regularly share product-related content to maximize communication effectiveness.
   
3. Approach KOC
   When approaching, a cooperative and supportive attitude will help the brand and KOC build a good relationship, ensuring higher efficiency when implementing the campaign .
   
4. Create engaging content
   Engaging content helps KOCs convey experiences in an engaging way, encouraging followers to interact and share. This helps the brand’s message spread quickly.
   
5. Monitor and evaluate results
   To accurately evaluate the effectiveness of a KOC campaign , brands need to use analytics tools to measure customer interactions and feedback , and make timely adjustments for future campaigns.
   

Essentials to Becoming a KOC

Becoming a reputable KOC requires not only communication skills but also the ability to understand the product and the community. From building an image to the ability to convey a message, each element helps the KOC make an impression on the followers. Below are the essential elements to become a professional KOC .

1. Understand your strengths
   Understanding their own strengths will help KOCs confidently express and provide authentic content , thereby increasing trust in followers.
   
2. Identify the right customer file
   Choosing the right field and product helps KOC increase their ability to persuade, ensuring the content conveyed is suitable for the desired customer audience .
   
3. Knowledge and practical experience
   Product knowledge helps KOCs have an objective view and correct assessment, thereby providing a reliable experience for followers.
   
4. Good communication
   KOCs need flexible communication skills to build and maintain relationships with the community, increase engagement and credibility from followers .
   
5. Passion and perseverance
   Passion and effort will help KOC overcome challenges, conveying messages more vividly, truthfully and sustainably in the hearts of the audience .
   

Frequently Asked Questions about KOC

1. What platforms does KOC operate on?

KOCs often operate on social networks such as Facebook , Instagram , TikTok , Shopee , bringing about rapid viral effects and wide reach.

2. How does KOC make money?

KOCs make money through Affiliate Marketing , receive PR Bookings , Livestream , or direct advertising on product review videos and images.

3. How much does a business need to spend on KOC?

The cost of KOC is not fixed and depends on the interaction and coverage they bring. Many businesses choose to pay commission based on the number of products sold instead of paying a fixed fee.

With modern consumer trends, KOC not only brings cost benefits but also helps brands increase customer trust through authentic experiences. Using KOC and KOL together will create a perfect Marketing strategy, meeting both the requirements of reach and authenticity.

Brand Manager – Specializing in Providing Marketing Services

In the process of building a comprehensive marketing strategy, the coordination between approaches such as KOCs, KOLs and experts in the field of Brand Managers is becoming increasingly important. Brand Managers play a key role in developing brand image, ensuring consistency in messaging and building trust from customers across platforms and promotional campaigns.

With the ability to analyze and leverage each advantage of KOC campaigns, Brand Manager helps create authentic, accessible content that is relevant to consumer tastes. At the same time, linking and coordinating reviews from KOC helps Brand Manager effectively promote brand recognition, optimize marketing costs, and maintain customer engagement. From there, brands can easily build strong trust in consumers, expand their influence in the market, and promote purchasing decisions.

The combination of Brand Manager and KOCs brings outstanding benefits: optimizing access costs while building a strong relationship between the brand and consumers.