A great KOL campaign doesn't start with choosing influencers. It starts with a plan. Here's the step-by-step process we use for campaigns in Malaysia, with a sample timeline at the end.
Step 1: Set one goal
Decide what success looks like before anything else: awareness (views and reach), trust (engagement, reviews and saves) or sales (clicks, codes and affiliate sales). One goal per campaign keeps everything else simple. See the types of influencer marketing objectives.
Step 2: Set the budget
Creator fees in Malaysia range from about RM340 for a nano creator to around RM5,400 for one with 150,000 to 300,000 followers, per round of content. Add an agency fee (typically 15% to 30%) if you use one, and keep some budget aside for boosting the best posts. We recommend at least RM10,000 a month for six months. See the influencer marketing cost guide.
Step 3: Choose the creator mix
Match the mix to the goal: KOLs for reach, KOCs and seeders for trust, a celebrity for recognition. Then vet each creator for audience fit, real engagement and content quality. See KOL vs KOC vs celebrity and how to choose the right influencer.
Step 4: Write the brief
A good brief fits on one page:
- The goal and the audience
- Two or three key messages, in plain words
- Must-haves: product shown, disclosure, call to action, link or code
- Don'ts: competitor mentions, claims you can't make
- Deliverables, deadlines and revision rounds
Then let creators make it their own. See how to write a brief that gets great content.
Step 5: Pick the formats
| Format | Best for |
|---|---|
| TikTok video | Reach, discovery and TikTok Shop sales |
| Instagram Reel synced to TikTok | Two platforms from one piece of content |
| Instagram Stories | Links, countdowns and quick reminders |
| Xiaohongshu carousel | Chinese-speaking buyers who search and save |
| Live stream | Demos, limited-time offers and sales |
| UGC for your ads | Content you can run in your own paid ads |
Step 6: Add a mechanic
A mechanic gives viewers a reason to act now:
- Promo codes unique to each creator, so you can track sales
- Contests and giveaways to drive comments, shares and follows
- Trackable links such as IGLinks, so you see which creators send traffic
- Affiliate links on TikTok Shop or Shopee, so creators earn when they sell
- A sale date such as 9.9 or 11.11; see the mega-sale influencer formula
Step 7: Contract everything
Fees, deliverables, deadlines, revisions, usage rights, exclusivity and disclosure, in writing. See the 2026 compliance guide.
Step 8: Go live, then boost the winners
Stagger posts so you stay in feeds longer. Watch the first few days, and put paid boosting behind the posts that take off. In many campaigns, a few breakout posts deliver most of the views. See how to boost content without wasting budget.
Step 9: Report and learn
For every creator: views, reach, engagement, cost per view and conversions, plus honest notes on what worked. Use it to plan the next round: keep the creators and messages that worked, and refresh the rest.
A sample six-week timeline
| Week | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1 | Goal, budget and brief agreed |
| 2 | Creator shortlist, approval and contracts |
| 3 | Product delivered; creators make drafts |
| 4 | Draft review and revisions |
| 5 | Posting goes live; boost the best performers |
| 6 | Results collected and report delivered |
Timelines stretch when approvals are slow, so build in a buffer, especially before festive seasons and sale days.
Want us to run it for you?
We've planned and run KOL campaigns in Malaysia since 2015, with 41,000+ influencers in our database. WhatsApp us and we'll reply within one business day.
