3 minutes to understand what is KOC
There is no one better in extracting the most information and functions of a certain product except for those who uses it daily and wholly, the so-called “Key Opinion Consumer” (KOC). They are the unsung experts of a product that no commoners could even discover despite using years, or maybe decades. There are even gatherings for KOC, click here to learn more.
Compared with influencer KOL (Key Opinion Leader) who can bring a lot of exposure, KOC is not a well-known public figure, more so a commoner – just like you and me. They can effectively gain consumer’s trust through understandable content sharing, just like friends and relatives around them, and help brands to connect with potential customers, as well as enhance product community reputation. KOC generally has a lower number of followers than those commonly known as an “influencer”.
In the conditions of the rise of social media, many brands take it as the time for online influencer marketing approaches to reach to as many target audiences as possible. Thanks to that, KOC (Key Opinion Consumer) has become a popular term that every marketer knows now. Besides KOL (Key Opinion Leader), KOC is also particularly more influential on the Internet.
What is Key Opinion Consumer (KOC) ?
The latest form of influencer in China is Key Opinion Consumer (KOC). They are experts in trying, reviewing products, and sharing their user experience with their followers. Due to their product experience sharing is highly reliable, they play an important role in the decision-making process of their followers and fans, regardless of the relatively small audience size.
KOL (Key Opinion Leader) was trendy some time ago in China, where there is a high demand for using them as the main marketing of their products. Until now, KOLs still are essential parts of various brand online marketing campaigns. Plenty of businesses have achieved overwhelming success. Brand marketers are motivated to investigate the model and adjust their social media strategy. That is what KOC is like today.
Although KOC, Key Opinion Consumer cannot be called an Opinion leader as KOL, but it has great decision-making influence among vertical consumers and has a strong ability to attract customers on some platforms. KOC‘s result can hold a candle to KOL, or even better, It can be seen as a KOL with a small number of fans. Generally speaking, most of them are enthusiasts in a certain field and gather faithful fans. Here are some examples
KOC does Sharing
Key Opinion Consumer generally shares their experience through Youtube, Facebook, Instagram and other online social platforms, they regularly post content about specific topics, and gradually accumulate a large number of netizens to subscribe and follow.
Unlike KOL (Key Opinion Leader), KOC is not a public figure. Instead, they are ordinary people hiding in the large group, sharing their product experience on social media and call on their relatives and friends to buy and support the product together. As time goes by, they build a reputation and become KOC among consumer groups.
Marketing wise, KOC has slowly become a key point in influencing the purchase decision-making of consumers as much as KOL did. Especially nowadays consumers all have access for the information they need on the Internet. KOC’s comments on social media are strong enough to attract the interest of followers, and affect many audiences along the way. It is not difficult to understand that many brand managers and advertisers are now striving to find excellent and suitable KOC to gain the effect they bring advertising.
KOC 's Value
KOC is convincing. They are basically our everyday, long-term consumers. Their primary value lies in their reliability and trustworthiness. Key Opinion Consumers are experts when it comes to product testing and they give honest opinions as well as recommendations regarding the said products. As such, KOCs are especially good at utilizing consumer reviews. For consumers who have been bombarded with all sorts of advertisements on a daily basis, this raw approach is extremely appealing and influential in affecting their purchasing decisions.
As we know the core purpose of Internet marketing is to recommend the right goods to the consumers who really need them through the right channels. Among brands and consumers, you’ll probably still see both KOL and KOC. A Key Opinion Consumer is an endorser of a product or brand. They are seen as key consumer influencers, ranging from industry insiders to small influencers. KOCs usually have some advantages on social media, as they have a certain amount of followers and are trusted by users.
When KOCs are consumers themselves, that also means that the content they share is more relevant, closer to their customers, and resonating with their fans. KOC uses rich consumption experience to distinguish the characteristics of various products to help brands effectively highlight product advantages. From the perspective of influencing consumers’ decisions, KOC can win users’ trust with empathy and directly drive their consumption.
Key Opinion Consumers are consumers who use products and share with their followers and fellow consumers of their experience with the product. In some cases, they try out similar products from different brands, so that their fans are able to make a much accurate purchase decisions from seeing KOC’s review. That’s also one of the reasons why businesses invest in Key Opinion Consumers, as they are very confident in their brands.
KOC 's Potential Reach
In terms of influencer marketing, KOC is able to achieve a much specific audience and they usually charge a lower price. KOC relies on their relationship with consumers to market and promote products in a way where consumers will start to feel familiar.
You can also think of it this way. Whenever brands engage and hire a KOC to promote their product, they are investing in getting more future targeted consumers, therefore, KOC can be understood as a brand promoter.
Last but not Least
While choosing the right Key opinion consumers for our brand, we should first analyze the brand positioning and product audience, preliminarily determine the direction of marketing and determine the marketing financial support. In addition, eligible KOCs should be selected by region, age, gender, number of followers, and account value.
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