The term “Key Opinion Leaders” is no new in advertising. In fact, the phrase is even more so in health marketing, where the term is used in many different ways to describe the types of individuals who make the difference between a bad idea and a good one.
As with the term “dentist”, the word “key opinion leader” is now widely used in health marketing as well. This is because KOLs often play a key role for the pharmaceutical firms who rely on physicians as advocates for their product – if a physician says it is good, then it must be good – right? Indeed, some of the best ideas that have come from KOLs are ones that we can all agree on, such as the effectiveness of acupuncture and the safety of vitamins and minerals.
When you are looking for someone who can help you find and implement a plan, you need someone who has experience in this area of marketing and someone who is willing to put their opinion out there. This is why a KOL is in such high demand today. It is important that you know the key differences between a good KOL and a bad one, so that you can be sure that you are selecting a person who will be able to help you improve your business and increase your profits.
There are many good books and websites available to help you understand the differences between good KOL’s and bad ones. Unfortunately, a lot of the information available is anecdotal and doesn’t provide solid evidence that the KOL you are considering is a bad fit for your needs. One of the biggest differences between a good and bad KOL, however, is that the good ones usually have a very large customer base and they are always willing to take new ideas and implement them in their business model. For example, a KOL who works at a hospital is going to be very different from one who works for a pharmaceutical company.
Many people make the mistake of thinking that a KOL is someone who will come in and tell them about their positive experiences. They think that KOL’s are like the salesperson from Wal-mart or a local plumber: they’re there to sell you something that makes your life easier. While there is nothing wrong with a salesperson or plumber who tells you that they know how to fix your plumbing or that they’ll show you how to install a window.
The key idea is that a KOL is someone who knows how to build a relationship and help you be aware of the benefits of using his or her product. This is why the key word for a KOL is “informed”. You can use the KOL term for many different purposes but the best way to remember the term is to find someone who can build a good relationship and explain to you why the product or service that they are providing will work for your business.