Choosing a KOC: Do Not Just Look at Their Face

Choosing a KOC: Do Not Just Look at Their Face—Look at Their Fan Base

Selling elegant suits but hiring a KOC whose fans are all students? Learn how to use data to find KOCs whose audience matches your customers.

04/01/2026 Minh Nguyệt EXP+1: Learn something new every day

Choosing a KOC: Do Not Just Look at Their Face—Look at Their Fan Base

Author: Height Media Data Analytics Department | Topic: Data-driven Marketing

Business owners often make a classic mistake: choosing KOCs based on the boss's personal preferences.

The boss thinks she is attractive and well-spoken $\rightarrow$ Approves the spending.

But the boss forgets something: the boss is not the buyer.

Whether a KOC fits a brand depends not on their appearance, but on the answer to: "Who is watching their videos?"

If you sell luxury real estate but hire a popular female dancer whose 5 million fans are all males aged 15–20 $\rightarrow$ The campaign fails 100%. No matter how smartly she dresses or elegantly she speaks, her audience cannot afford to buy homes.

Below is a method for choosing KOCs based on data that Height Entertainment uses to eliminate subjective decision-making.

1. Examine Demographics

This is the most important initial screening step. Do not rely on what the KOC says—ask to see their channel analytics.

Age:
- You sell anti-ageing collagen (for women aged 30+).
- Find KOCs whose fan base is concentrated in the 25–34 age group. Avoid channels whose fans are mainly aged 13–17, however high their views.
Gender:
- You sell technology products and PC gear.
- Find KOCs with a male audience share > 70%.
Location:
- Your chain of stores operates only in Ho Chi Minh City.
- Do not hire a Hanoi-based KOC whose fan base is mainly in the North. You will reach the wrong people and waste your budget.

2. Examine Audience Interests

TikTok/Facebook algorithms segment users closely. You need to know which topics that KOC's audience usually cares about.

Example: You sell Yoga clothing.
Option A: A food-reviewing KOC (Food Reviewer) with a good physique. $\rightarrow$ Risks: Their fans enjoy eating, not exercising.
Option B: A KOC who specialises in workout content (Fitness Influencer). $\rightarrow$ Opportunity: Their fans care about health and physique. These are the customers willing to spend on workout clothing.

Rule: The greater the overlap between a KOC's fans' interests and the brand's target customers, the higher the conversion rate.

3. Check for a Clean Track Record (Brand Safety)

This factor protects brand safety. A KOC may have the right fan base, but a tainted past can destroy your credibility overnight.

At Height Entertainment, we always check 3 toxic factors before recommending KOCs:

Wording: Does the KOC frequently swear or use vulgar language in older videos or livestreams?
Unethical advertising: Has the KOC advertised unregulated mixed creams, weight-loss products of unclear origin or gambling games? (If so, their credibility is already 0).
Political and social attitudes: Has the KOC made controversial statements or incited hatred?

Your brand took years to build. Do not let a notorious KOC destroy it in 1 video.

4. Height Entertainment's KOC Screening Technology

How can you examine all of these factors? You cannot do it manually.

Height Entertainment uses an advanced Social Listening & Analytics system to scan the entire KOC network:

Step 1: Enter your customer profile (for example: women aged 25–35, living in Hanoi and interested in beauty).
Step 2: The system filters the Top 50 KOCs whose fan bases match by more than 80%.
Step 3: The quality-control team reviews past activity to remove KOCs who pose brand risks.
Step 4: Send you a shortlist of suitable KOCs with clean track records to choose from.