on 06 February 2021

KOC Marketing

Have you heard of it?

You may well have already heard of KOL (Key Opinion Leader) or Influencer Marketing. That has been a powerful marketing and sales tool for quite a few years, and will continue to be so.

Recently there has been a shift to KOC (Key Opinion Consumer) Marketing. This is one of the most significant marketing trends today.

80% of consumers agree online reviews are critical in making a buying decision online. With the impact that reviews can potentially have, it can be advantageous for your brand to work with KOCs as part of your overall marketing strategy. They will help increase brand awareness and can be useful for launching a new product.

What is a KOC?

KOCs (Key Opinion Consumers) are regular consumers that enjoy sharing their product and service reviews on social media. Most KOCs do not have a big fan base.

They are helping consumers make a buying decision. That is one of the main differences with celebrity influencers – KOCs usually don’t have more than a few hundred followers on their social media pages.

As everyday shoppers themselves however, they are more relatable to their followers, and generally are seen as more trusted due to their authentic and reliable content.

A few steps to start your KOC campaign

Connect with your audience by allowing them to submit reviews. In this way, you will get the chance to interact with your audience and build a community around your brand.
After connecting with your audience, you will most likely collect enough reviews to identify who can stand as a KOC. Consumers with more reviews and creative social media and some social media fan base would be your ideal KOC candidates.
You can then invite these KOC to discuss your brand and products to understand their feedback.

How can brands take advantage of KOC Marketing?

Brand awareness: KOCs can create new topics about your brand or specific products, to set the tone for other engagement.
Spread content: Mid-level KOCs can add to the discussion by providing their reviews and opinions.
Engage with potential consumers: KOCs (and KOLs) can invite followers to provide their own opinions and reviews. This will potentially improve engagement and can convert passive followers into active consumers.