How Much do Influencers and KOLs Cost in China? Guide to Weibo, WeChat, and TikTok Influencers.

In China, there are around 900 million internet users and 91% of Chinese online users have a social media account, in comparison with the U.S. where around 67% of the online population has a social media account.

Around 900 Million people use mobile devices to access to Internet. Every day, Chinese netizens spend an average of 46 minutes on social media platforms.

70% of Chinese users are purchasing products recommended by other social network users.

Internet user follows an average of eight brands and over 38% of Chinese netizens make purchasing choices based on recommendations that they find and read on social media platforms.

95% of Chinese netizens are using social media (source eMarketer)

So whats the best influencer for me?

5 main types of influencers in China

Celebrities: These influencers could be actress, singers, or TV hosts, and are extremely active in the TV and movie industry. They used to be very distant from netizens, with seldom-exposed private lives in order to maintain their celebrity aura. However, many celebrities are now stepping down from their pedestals and getting more and more involved in social media in the current digital era.

• Top KOLs & Wanghong (网红): These influencers are extremely powerful and instrumental in most Chinese marketing campaigns. Even if the KOLs don’t directly sell the product, they have the ability to heavily influence consumer purchase intents.
• Experts: These influencers are authorities in their fields, fulfilled with the knowledge about trends and products. They have strong impacts on netizens, and their specialist nature makes them much more convincing compared to other influencers.
• Micro KOLs: Micro-KOLs could be also experts, potential top KOLs or Wanghong, except that they are characterized by a small number of followers. The range of their followers is usually around one million on Weibo.
• E-commerce KOLs: Due to the vast price gap between China mainland and other areas, these influencers are both opinion leaders and entrepreneurs. They have their own brands or retailing channels and are the most commercial profile among all types of influencers.

How do I find influencers in China?

You are probably asking this question because China holds the world title for Most Confusing Social Media Ecosystem. Weibo KOL marketing costs and where to find them are a total enigma. You have two options:

1. Go on Weibo and search for influencers in your industry using relevant hashtags for your product and industry.

· You can do so by using the Google Translator and putting them in the Weibo format for hashtags which is closed on both sides. (e.g. #微博#).

· Message the Weibo KOL about your product, brand, and key marketing message to negotiate a price or format that you can work together.

· Finding the perfect influencers for your brand can be a very long, and very time-consuming process. Especially when it is not your area of expertise. But with time and effort, you will be able to find an influencer that you can work with.

2. Use marketing agencies that targets influencers who match your audience profile.

· Marketing agencies have the best deals with their influencers due to their long-term working relationships and trust rather than if you went an negotiated a price individually.

· There are many agencies out there where influencer campaign ranges from $1k to $500k. ChinaKOL has simplified that so you can get a tailored proposal from any one of these ranges.

· Agencies also offer valuable advice on how to enter the China market and how to best position your brand.

What’s the minimum budget for starting an influencer marketing campaign on ChinaKOL?

ChinKOL is China’s largest cross-border influencer marketing platform.

Our clients are predominately large brands like Apple, Mercedes Benz, Dior, and large international ad brands.

Even though most our clients are over $20k, we have managed some small clients with small budgets. We have a special deal for first-time clients whose marketing budget is below $3000.

But it’s not just about budget size, it’s about commitment. Long-term influencer marketing strategies are the ones that really pay off and actually see increased ROI over time.

The reason for this mainly has to do with the relationships that are built with influencers and their audiences. A long-term approach also allows brands to experiment with different tactics and a large range influencers’ measuring ROI along the way.

Working with a social media influencer agency can help to streamline the process of influencer marketing. That’s especially true if your brand is completely new to influencer marketing. Working with ChinaKOL can make it easy to get a sense of how the process works: https://www.chinakolexperts.com

We keep you from having to trawl through social media and match you with an influencer with the right amount of engagement and the appropriate subject niche. Unlike other agencies, we are completely transparent, and you can see the cost on the website.