The proliferation of platforms and formats like short-videos have changed the influencer marketing game for marketers, brands and creators. In this fast-evolving space, keep up with the big trends and hot topics that matter in Storyboard18’s Weekly Shorts in collaboration with affable.ai, an end-to-end AI-powered influencer marketing platform. Track how creators, communities and brands are engaging with users and disrupting marketing to get a sharp and fast insight into present and future trends.
In the first part, Krishnan Iyer, co-founder at BeTagged, explored the subject of KOL (Key Opinion Leader) Seeding and looked at the benefits and pitfalls of this strategy. In this piece, Iyer dives deeper into the mechanics. Here are some tried and tested strategies for brands to quickly scale up their online presence in a quick and cost-effective manner.
KOL Seeding is an efficient and cost-effective way to reach out to influencers and build your brand. But, it needs to be done right. Here are a few key pointers you must pay attention to if you want to win this game.
Identify the right KOLs to partner with
There is an old saying. If you have an hour to cut a tree, spend 50 minutes sharpening your axe. The same principle applies to KOL Seeding. Many have tried the spray-and-pray approach, but this route is ineffective. Even if this isn’t a paid partnership, as a brand manager you must ensure that the KOLs you connect with are those who fit your brand persona and voice, have access to the audience you wish to engage and are overall creating good content. Because some of them could potentially become long-term partners and evolve into paid partnerships or even brand ambassadors.
This means you have to study them. Go beyond the vanity metrics of follower count and engagement rate. Look at data like reach and impressions, audience demographics, follower growth rates, follower growth and engagement timelines, posting interests and audience interests, suspicious follower counts and other data points that give you a real insight into the KOLs effectiveness as a medium.
Also, look at the posting frequency, the aesthetics of the content posted and the language used in the captions. Sure, when you consider seeding at least 100-150 KOLs this is a lot of work. But, it is the very foundation for your program and it needs to be done well.
Read more here: Weekly Shorts: Decoding seeding, the role of key opinion leaders in influencer marketing mix
Solicitation
Now you know the A-list of KOLs you want to engage in. Spend time crafting the message. Keep your outreach message short and witty. Tell them who you are and why you are writing in. Then talk about why you zeroed in on a particular KOL from the universe of talents. Mentioning a word or two about their content and why it resonates with your brand is the perfect arc to take.
Briefly outline your ask. You are sending them a gift box. Tell them upfront if you expect them to reciprocate. If you do not expect a posting, say that too. Tell them that irrespective of the posting, you want them to be your brand fan. Tell them if things go well, you are open to considering a brand deal. And finally, make sure there is a clear call to action.
Not all KOLs reply immediately. Make sure you send a follow-up message after a couple of days to the ones who have not replied. If your hit rate is not good enough after the first four days, explore a B-List.
Personalize the experience
Everyone loves a bit of attention. So go the extra mile to personalise the gift box you are sending to the KOLs. Make sure it is of a decent value or volume. If you have the means, add a nifty little personalised note inside the box, welcoming the KOLs to experience the brand promise. Make sure you thank the KOL for agreeing to try out your product. Sending a follow-up note after a week or so to check in on their experience of using your product is also a good idea.
What gets measured gets done
So, make sure you have set up the right framework to track results. Remember, in KOL Seeding programs, you do not provide a campaign hashtag. So tracking the outputs might be tricky. You will need a technology solution for this. Monitor the KOLs’ social media accounts and check for your brand mentions.
If you come across one, make sure you are interacting with the post. Have something nice to say about the post. Complement the KOL for their content.
Lastly, continue to monitor the post’s performance. You can do this manually or you could deploy a technology solution for it.
Sometimes, KOLs may not post but they may make a counter-offer of a paid partnership. Engage with them. Explore a hybrid solution. Remember, you spent ßtime and effort in identifying this KOL, and you want to work with them for good reasons. Always keep a budget ready for such cases.
Make the content work longer and harder
You can reuse the content produced by the KOLs for multiple purposes. But always make sure you seek their consent. Almost every KOL will want something in return for it. Make sure you are fair and respectful in dealing with them. A majority will ask for monetary compensation. Be prepared for this. Weigh the prospect of your advertising agency creating such content and how much you might have paid for it.
Key takeaways
KOL seeding is an efficient and cost-effective way to scale up your online presence.
It helps you build relationships with the KOL community.
It can help you identify KOLs you might engage as authentic brand ambassadors in the future.