You might already be familiar with the terms ‘influencer’ or ‘key opinion leader (KOL)’, but let’s revisit their definitions for clarity. An influencer is a credible voice within a specific niche, recognized by the public. These influencers, ranging from nano-influencers with fewer than 10K followers to celebrities boasting over a million followers, predominantly operate on social media platforms. They gradually establish their authority within their niche, influencing their followers’ purchasing decisions by endorsing and promoting brands they genuinely appreciate.
A KOL is similar to an influencer in that they also influence a demographic; however, their audiences are usually much more niched. KOLs are considered experts in their niche and don’t necessarily need to be visible or online to be KOLs.
Understanding KOLs
KOLs are highly respected in their community and have done much to get to that level of influence. They’re usually not on social media or influencers in that way, although that can sometimes be a part of where they connect with consumers. Trust and respect are of the utmost importance to KOLs, and they do as much as they can to continue to be trustworthy to those in their niche.
A KOL’s role is to bring trust to their niche. Working with a KOL can be helpful if you’re looking to target those in a professional industry. Because they’re already respected in that field and niche, if they promote your product or business, those who trust that KOL will be inclined to look into your brand.
Examples of KOLs can be in your local community, like a local business owner or highly sought-after doctor. Other KOLs that you may have heard of could be Martha Stewart in home or Gordon Ramsey in food. Some of these KOLs also have social media followings and can be considered influencers, but their respect and reach usually go past social media.
Understanding Influencers
On the flip side, influencers need to grow their community online and gain the respect and admiration of thousands of followers. Sometimes their trust can be questioned, especially if they work with brands their audience doesn’t deem right for their niche. Large influencers you may have heard of online are Khaby Lame, Mr. Beast and Kim Kardashian. Plenty of smaller creators sometimes have even more influence over their niche since they’re deemed more trustworthy.
An influencer’s role with a brand can include paid partnerships where they share your product with their followers. They tend to have creative control over what they share and how they include your brand’s product in their content.
Key differences between KOLs and influencers
The key differences between the two are as follows:
- Online follower account. Many KOLs do not even have an online presence but instead are respected by colleagues, consumers and others in their line of business. Unlike influencers who are working to grow their following daily to increase the amount of people they can impact.
- Expertise levels. Influencers are considered experts in their niche and create content to influence purchasing decisions, lifestyle changes or their own products. KOLs focus on their expertise level and don’t always seek to influence purchasing decisions.
- Content creation. All influencers create content on their social media accounts, whereas KOLs don’t need to. Some brands may partner with them, or they may participate in a conference or talk, but they are focusing on expertise vs. content.
- Target audience. A KOL’s target audience is much more niche than an influencer. Influencers can fall under lifestyle or travel where they share anything within that space. They may even venture outside of their niche to connect with another audience. On the other hand, KOLs focus on their specific niche and rarely venture outside of it.
- Credibility and trust. KOLs often hold a distinct advantage in terms of credibility and trust, which is rarely questioned compared to influencers. This is primarily because influencers frequently collaborate with various brands, promoting a wide array of products and services, which can sometimes dilute their perceived authenticity. In contrast, KOLs often maintain a higher level of trust and credibility due to their specialized knowledge and expertise in a particular field.
Similarities between KOLs and influencers
KOLs and influencers have some similarities, of course. They have influence over their audience and niche. People go to both of them for recommendations and help. While influencers use social media 100% of the time, more KOLs are also widening their reach using social media. You can find many KOLs using social media to connect with their audience and growing their following just as high or higher than some influencers. Finally, KOLs and influencers can both be marketing partners. This can be in social media campaigns, sponsored posts, speakers at conferences and shows or on television.
How businesses can work with KOLs and influencers
Working with a KOL in your marketing strategy can be helpful, especially if you’re looking to gain the trust of professionals within a tight niche. For example, if your brand wants to promote its new AI features, perhaps working with an AI KOL on your marketing effort or asking for a quote for a blog post can be meaningful in your content.
Adding influencers to your marketing campaigns is a simple and effective way to connect to a new, bigger audience. Most influencers offer different ways to work with them online whether that be with a sponsored TikTok, Instagram Story or YouTube video mention. Depending on how much you’d like to spend and what audience you’d like to target, plenty of influencers are available to work with.
When choosing a KOL or influencer to work with, make sure they are the right fit for your brand. Ask your current consumers about their favorite KOLs or influencers in the space and why they trust them. Follow along online with some KOLs and influencers before deciding to work with them to see how they interact with their audience. The most important part of finding a KOL or influencer to work with is to make sure their values and content match up with the values and respectability that your brand has.
While there are plenty of similarities and differences between KOLs and influencers, both hold importance in marketing. Finding the right person to work with may take time, but there are plenty of options when you know where to look.
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FORMAI
Supercharge your content and creativity with AI — custom-built for influencer marketing.

FORMAI
Supercharge your content and creativity with AI — custom-built for influencer marketing.

FORMAI
Supercharge your content and creativity with AI — custom-built for influencer marketing.
FORMAI
Supercharge your content and creativity with AI — custom-built for influencer marketing.