What Is a KOC? KOC vs KOL Marketing Differences

With the boom of social media platforms and channels such as e-commerce, KOCs and KOLs have brought something new and distinctive to marketing campaign. Although they have existed for a long time, only recently have people really started asking what KOL and KOC are. So What is a KOC? Read on as Mona Media takes a detailed look at Key Opinion Consumer as well as how do you tell KOC and KOL apart in the article below.

What is a KOC?

KOC (Key Opinion Consumer) means a key consumer. KOCs are consumers with a certain amount of influence on the the market. KOCs receive products and then review them directly and as objectively as possible. KOCs post articles or videos to share information with their followers. These followers play an important role in bringing the product closer to consumers. KOCs usually have fewer followers than KOLs, but their role with consumers is rated higher and has a stronger impact than KOLs. If you have seen a food review on Facebook, or a review of tech or cosmetics on TikTok, that is the work of a KOC, a Key Opinion Consumer. Learn more about what KOLs are HERE!

How are KOC and KOL different?

KOL and KOC are two concepts people often confuse. Below we compare KOL (Key Opinion Leader) and KOC (Key Opinion Consumer) to help you tell them apart easily.

Level of initiative

• Brands actively look for and work with KOLs and pay a fee for them to promote their products.
• KOCs usually review products and services they are truly interested in, and their reviews are as objective as possible, not influenced by benefits or money.

Audience size

• KOLs are usually classified by follower count: Nano, Micro, Macro and Celebs (celebrities).
• Audience size is usually not that important for KOCs, because what they care about is measuring how satisfied people are with a product and how consumers react to it in the market.

Expertise

• KOLs must have expertise and deep knowledge to guide users.
• KOCs are consumers who have bought a product and give their own review of it.

Trustworthiness

• KOLs are often trusted less because brands pay them to promote their products, so their reviews can sometimes feel less natural, written just to please the brand.
• KOCs are usually trusted more by consumers because KOCs are customers themselves. Reviews from a Key Opinion Consumer are realistic and do not overdo it to promote any brand.

When should you use KOCs and KOLs?

For KOCs:

• KOCs help push marketing campaigns and boost revenue effectively in a short time thanks to honest reviews that build consumer trust.
• They direct consumers to the main website or e-commerce platform, raising the conversion rate into orders.

For KOLs:

• ️Suited to when a brand wants broad coverage for new products/services.
• Brand ambassadors at events and holiday seasons.

How KOCs and KOLs make money

Basically, KOCs and KOLs make money the same way. They can earn by creating content on YouTube, working as models and joining businesses' marketing campaigns. Key Opinion Consumers choose products themselves and give their reviews as text or video to share their experience. Brands pay a fair amount based on the number of orders sold from the content a KOC posts. It works like a commission, while with KOLs the business pays up front to have them review its products.

How to choose the right KOC for your business

1. Relevant

Relevant is an index measuring the popularity of KOCs across different fields. The Relevant index reflects how well a KOC fits a brand. KOCs can work in many fields, but in the field where a KOC is active most often, the Relevance Score will be higher than usual. If A KOC with a Relevance Score above 60% is ranked as an Influencer.

2. Performance

Performance measures sales effectiveness based on the content a KOC publishes. To lead consumers toward a purchase, a KOC needs to create creative, engaging content that catches people's attention and makes them want to try the product.

3. Growth

Businesses today have to keep producing fresh, engaging content and follow the latest trends to build a KOC marketing plan that fits. To get strong results from a KOC marketing campaign, you need to choose KOCs and influencers who reflect your brand's spirit and suit the products or services you offer. KOCs also need a certain level of trust from their audience before they can influence the target customers your business is aiming for. That makes promotion and new-customer acquisition more effective, and sales revenue then rises quickly.

Why use KOCs in your marketing strategy?

Cost savings

Working with KOCs saves a business a considerable amount compared with KOLs. Booking a KOL is usually very expensive, depending on how famous the KOL is. With a KOC, the business only pays a commission based on the total number of orders the KOC sells.

Increase sales revenue

KOCs don't have the broad reach of KOLs, but they still have an influence of their own. Reviews from a Key Opinion Consumer usually feel close to everyday consumers, and that is what pushes them to decide to buy.

Build consumer trust

KOCs are usually trusted more than KOLs because they are ordinary consumers, so their reviews come across as more objective and credible. With typical KOLs, consumers tend to assume they are paid to advertise, so of course they praise the product. That is why consumers tend to trust genuine reviews from KOCs. See more: How to build customer loyalty

Builds good relationships with customers

A Key Opinion Consumer is a solid bridge between a business and consumers, building a lasting, durable relationship between the two. KOCs also help build the brand's image and increase conversion into orders.

Why run a marketing campaign with KOCs?

KOC is a new and effective form of marketing, even though the audience it targets is still new on the market. As someone who uses a product and then reviews their own experience, a KOC is usually trusted more by customers. KOCs also play an important role across the customer lifecycle:

• Before launch: When trying the product, KOCs give feedback, and the business uses it to adjust and test the product further, to optimize costs and improve quality.
• After launch: KOCs suggest ways for the business to build trust with customers and raise customer awareness of the brand.
• While the product is growing: KOCs introduce the product to consumers and keep up with new products and trends that are about to launch.

KOCs are steadily proving their weight with brands. If a business understands and makes good use of the KOC marketing trend, it can gain great value. Our article above has given you information about what a KOC is and how to tell KOCs and KOLs apart. We hope this gives you a new idea for building a marketing strategy that fits your business. >> See also: Booking service for reputable KOLs and influencers, to grow brand awareness