When working with KOLs, we often do not sign contracts because of trust, or KOLs do not do anything after receiving things. How to deal with this situation? In this article, let’s take a look at the methods and suggestions given by the author.
Many KOL marketing partners have encountered such a situation in the process of cooperation: KOLs are particularly active before receiving products, delay in receiving post-production reply messages, and even directly “evaporate from the world”.
This phenomenon not only wastes budget, but may also disrupt the rhythm of brand marketing. This article will deeply analyze the reasons for the loss of KOL contact and summarize the followingPrevention to responseFull link solution, includedKOL friendly urging speech templateto help you cooperate with KOLs efficiently!
1. Analysis of the reasons for KOL loss or delay
1. Insufficient communication in the early stage of cooperation
1) Unclear demand
Before partnering with KOLs, brands may not clearly communicate key information such as product features, promotion goals, video content requirements, and timing.
KOs are vague about the details of the collaboration and cannot determine what they need to do and when they need to complete it, leading to stalled work progress.
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For example, if a brand simply informs KOLs that they need to create a product video, but does not explain the duration, style, and key product features of the video, KOL may delay work due to lack of direction.
2) Information transmission bias
Due to language barriers and cultural differences, brands and KOLs may have biases in understanding information when communicating. The KOL may not fully understand what the brand believes has been clearly expressed, or may have misunderstandings about certain requirements, thus affecting the cooperation process.
For example, in terms of scheduling, brands may require KOLs based on their working hours and efficiency in their region, but KOLs may have different work habits and holiday schedules in their region, leading to inconsistent perceptions of time nodes. Most friends may realize that the response speed of European and American KOLs has dropped significantly during the Christmas season and holidays.
2. Lack of interest-driven and cooperation sincerity
Some KOLs prefer to cooperate with big brands or high-budget projects, and for some small and medium-sized brands or cooperation projects with limited budgets, there may be a contempt mentality and lack of sufficient attention and investment. They may think that these projects have limited development and revenue improvement, so after receiving the product, they are not highly motivated, delay making videos or lose contact to find more attractive cooperation opportunities.
Unreasonable distribution of benefits in the terms of cooperation can also cause problems for KOLs. If the brand fails to fully consider the rights and expectations of KOLs in the cooperation agreement, such as low compensation or lack of incentive mechanisms, KOLs may develop dissatisfaction and become negative during the cooperation process, or even deliberately delay or lose contact to express dissatisfaction with the cooperation conditions.
3. KOL Factors Themselves
1) Excessive workload
Popular KOLs often work with multiple brands at the same time, and they may have a lot of promotion tasks to deal with. Prioritization issues arise when a workload exceeds its capacity. If a brand’s collaboration project is a low priority on the KOL’s task list, it may be delayed, leading to untimely responses and delays in video production.
KOLs receive a large number of collaboration offers every day, and they need to weigh the many projects and prioritize those that pay more, work more closely or are more interested.
2) Lack of professionalism
Some KOLs lack due professionalism and responsibility, and do not pay enough attention to cooperation projects. After receiving the product, they may not arrange work in time, or they may not take the initiative to communicate with the brand when they encounter problems, but choose to evade or even lose contact directly.
There are also some KOLs who regard cooperation as a “side hustle”, lack a professional attitude, and are prone to losing contact due to emergencies (such as personal affairs and account blocking).
3) Difficulties in content creation
When creating product videos, KOLs may encounter bottlenecks in content creation, such as not knowing how to highlight product selling points or design interesting plots. If you can’t find the right creative idea for a long time, it will lead to a slow video production process. In addition, KOLs may not know enough about the product itself and need to spend more time researching and experiencing the product, which will also affect the work schedule.
4. The relationship between the brand and the KOL is insufficiently maintained
1) Lack of regular communication
During the cooperation process, if the brand does not maintain regular communication with KOLs to keep abreast of work progress and KOL needs, it may lead to the accumulation of problems.
KOLs may feel that the brand does not pay enough attention to the cooperation project, which will reduce their enthusiasm for work and even lose contact. For example, if the brand does not contact the KOL for a long time after sending the product, the KOL may think that the brand does not value the cooperation and is perfunctory about the work.
2) Incentives are not in place
In addition to basic cooperation fees, brands may not be able to fully mobilize KOLs’ enthusiasm if they do not provide additional incentives for KOLs, such as traffic support, fan benefits, and long-term cooperation opportunities. As mentioned above, KOLs will be more inclined to prioritize cooperation projects that can bring them more benefits, resulting in brand projects being shelved.
5. The contract terms are not perfect
1) The time node and liability for breach of contract are unclear
If the cooperation contract does not clearly stipulate the time for KOLs to reply to messages, the time nodes of each stage of video production, and the liability and compensation measures after breach of contract, KOLs may lack constraints and arbitrarily delay the work progress. When there is a loss of contact or delay, it is also difficult for brands to protect their rights and interests through legal means. For example, if the contract only states that KOLs need to make videos after receiving the product, but does not specify a specific submission time, KOLs can delay indefinitely.
2) Intellectual property and content moderation terms are not clear
Cooperation between brands and KOLs may involve issues such as intellectual property ownership of video content and content moderation. If these terms are not specified in the contract, the brand may not be able to request modifications when the video content produced by the KOL does not meet the brand’s requirements, or disputes may arise during the communication modification process, leading to project delays.
2. KOL procrastination and loss of contact response strategy
1. Be fully prepared in the early stage of cooperation
1) Clarify cooperation needs and details
When communicating cooperation intentions with KOLs, brands should prepare detailed cooperation plans, including product introduction, promotion goals (such as increasing brand awareness, increasing product sales, etc.), video content requirements (such as duration, style, product selling points that must be included, brand elements, etc.), time nodes (such as the time to receive post-product feedback, the time of submission of the first draft of the video, the time of the final video release, etc.), and cooperation remuneration and incentives. You can use forms, documents, or PPTs to clearly present this information to KOLs to ensure that both parties have a consistent understanding of the content of the cooperation.
For language barriers, brands can hire professional translators or use accurate translation tools to ensure the accuracy of communication information. At the same time, cultural differences should be taken into account, such as different regions may have different concerns about product selling points, and the cooperation plan should be adjusted according to the cultural characteristics of the KOL’s region.
2) Choose the right KOL
When screening KOLs, not only pay attention to their follower count, interaction rate and other data, but also their professionalism and past cooperation records. You can check the KOL’s social media accounts to observe the frequency and quality of their content, as well as their interactions with fans and brands. In addition, you can ask the brand that has worked with the KOL about their cooperation experience and whether there are any problems such as delay or loss of contact.
For small and medium-sized brands, choosing KOLs that align with their brand tone and are in the growth stage may be a better choice. These KOLs are usually more proactive in their work, pay more attention to cooperative projects, and have relatively low cooperation fees and are more cost-effective.
2. Strengthen communication and management in the process of cooperation
1) Communicate regularly and maintain communication frequency
During the cooperation process, brands should establish regular communication channels with KOLs, such as weekly work progress communication via email or social media. A communication schedule can be formulated to clarify the time and main content of each communication to ensure that both parties are aware of the progress and existing problems of the project in a timely manner.
When KOLs receive the product, the brand should follow up promptly, asking if they have received the product, how they feel about the product, and whether they have any questions or need help. This not only reflects the brand’s importance to the cooperation project, but also detects and solves problems in a timely manner.
2) Provide necessary support and resources
If KOLs encounter difficulties in content creation, brands can provide relevant materials and materials, such as product instruction manuals, product images, high-quality video materials produced by other KOLs, brand stories, etc., to help KOLs better understand the product and inspire creativity. In addition, brands can also arrange for special personnel to communicate with KOLs, share the core selling points and promotion priorities of products, and provide direction for KOLs’ creation.
For reasonable needs raised by KOLs, brands should respond and meet them in a timely manner, such as providing more product samples, adjusting cooperation fees, and providing traffic support, so as to improve the enthusiasm and satisfaction of KOLs.
3. Improve the contract terms and clarify the responsibilities of both parties
1) Clarify the time node and liability for breach of contract
In the cooperation contract, it is necessary to specify in detail the time limit for KOLs to reply to messages (such as replying within 24 hours after receiving the message), and the time nodes of each stage of video production (such as feedback on product experience within 3 days after receiving the product, submitting the video script within 7 days, submitting the first draft of the video within 15 days, completing the video modification and publishing within 20 days, etc. – just formulate it according to the needs of your brand). At the same time, it is necessary to clarify the liability for breach of contract if the KOL violates the time node, such as deducting part of the cooperation fee and paying liquidated damages.
In order to ensure the enforceability of the contract, the terms of liability for breach of contract should be specific, clear and operable. For example, it can be stipulated that for every day of video submission, a certain percentage of the cooperation fee will be deducted, and if the delay exceeds a certain number of days, the brand has the right to terminate the cooperation and demand compensation from the KOL for the loss.
2) Clarify intellectual property rights and content moderation terms
Under normal circumstances, the brand can request the right to use the video, including disseminating it on the brand’s official website, social media accounts and other channels.
At the same time, it is stipulated that KOLs need to submit the video content to the brand for review before publishing the video, and the brand has the right to make modifications, and KOLs need to modify according to the brand’s requirements until they meet the requirements.
For example, if the brand gives a review opinion within 3 working days after receiving the first draft of the video submitted by the KOL, the KOL will complete the revision and resubmit it within 2 working days after receiving the review comment.
4. Use friendly urging
When KOLs do not reply in a timely manner or delay their work, brands should use friendly and tactful methods to urge them to avoid causing KOLs’ disgust. Here are some examples of friendly Chinese urging words (for reference only):
1) Warm reminder (suitable for not replying in time at the beginning)
Chinese: Hello [KOL Name], Dear [KOL Name]! I’m [Your Name] from [Brand Name]. You must have received the product sent to you before, right? We are all looking forward to seeing the amazing videos you create from a unique perspective. What is the current progress of the project? If you have any questions during the production process or need our help, please feel free to contact me. We look forward to your excellent work being presented soon!
2) Concern and inquiry type (suitable for responding but slow progress)
Chinese: [KOL Name], hello! I’m [Your Name] from [Brand Name]. I hope you’ve been doing well lately. I understand that you may have encountered some minor challenges in video production, so I took a look at it. We understand that there may be various situations during the creative process, and if you need more time or have other needs, you can discuss it with us and we will do our best to cooperate. After all, our common goal is to create a work that fans will love, and your ideas and ideas are important to us. Looking forward to hearing from you!
3) Euphemistic pressure (suitable for multiple reminders that still do not make progress)
Chinese: Dear [KOL Name], hello! I’m [Your Name] from [Brand Name]. We are getting closer to our agreed video delivery time, and we notice that the project progress does not seem to be moving forward significantly at this time. We attach great importance to this collaboration with you and believe in your ability to bring us outstanding work. However, in order not to affect the arrangement of the entire marketing plan and the expectations of fans, I hope you can speed up the progress and complete the video production as soon as possible. If you encounter any unsolvable difficulties during the process, please let us know and we will work together to discuss a solution. Looking forward to your positive feedback, thank you!
4) Helpful (suitable for stagnation in case of difficulties)
Chinese: [KOL Name], hello! I’m [Your Name] from [Brand Name]. Learn that you encountered some technical difficulties during video production that stalled the project. We understand that this situation can be very difficult for you, so we are here to help. I hope to work with you to overcome difficulties and complete this project as soon as possible, so that the video can be released smoothly. Please do not have any concerns and communicate your needs with us in a timely manner.
5) If you don’t reply to emails and lose contact completely
Step 1: Social media dynamic monitoring + friendly reminders
If the KOL continues to update social media but does not reply to the email, you can take advantage of the active posting period in the comment area or private message to remind you. – This is a test.
Speech template:
“Hello, it’s great to see what you just posted about [topic]! Is it easy to keep pace with our cooperation deadline? “Or” “To ensure the smooth progress of the project, can you provide a first draft by [date]?” If there is any difficulty, we can negotiate and adjust! ”
Step 2: Change the angle instead of directly promoting the development
I personally have encountered a particularly good KOL who has not replied before, but I sent an email to the KOL saying that Christmas is coming and wanted to give you a Christmas gift, and then I replied in seconds.
Step 3: Formal email warning + public opinion pressure
Key takeaways: Emphasize contractual binding, implying a possible public breach.
Speech template:
“According to the contract, the video is to be released by [date]. If we fail to comply with the contract, we will take legal action and inform our industry partners. – This trick is also more effective for some KOLs.
The essence of overseas KOL marketing is a “trust game”. Brands can be passedScientific screening, terms and constraints, and relationship maintenanceMinimize risk. If you still encounter a loss of contact, it can be efficiently solved by combining “soft reminder + hard pressure”.
Remember:Prevention is better than remediation, and details make or break it。
