What KOLs need to know for sustainable development

In the context of increasing scandals related to KOLs and KOCs, influencers in general need to update legal regulations as well as their media management skills.

The KOL industry has grown rapidly over the years. Photo: Jing Daily .

The digital content creator (KOL, KOC) market in Vietnam has grown strongly over the past decade, becoming an indispensable part of brands' marketing strategies. SocialLift 's report predicts that this market will reach 150–200 million USD by 2025, with an annual growth rate of 20–25%.

According to a report by NielsenIQ Vietnam , about 50% of consumers affirm that their purchasing decisions are influenced by KOLs and KOCs. In this context, online influencers play an increasingly important role in shaping public opinion, influencing consumer behavior and brand trust.

However, a lack of legal knowledge, skills in handling media risks and verifying information can lead to negative consequences. Not only for the individual, but also for the community of followers.

The Ho Chi Minh City Press Center, a unit under the Department of Culture and Sports , will launch a special training program with the theme "Responsible Influencers - Doing Good Jobs in the Digital Age" in mid-June. In which, the unit takes on the role of orienting professional content, ensuring the program's authenticity.

The program's partner, Golden Communication Group, is responsible for organizing and coordinating the activities. At the same time, the large domestic media group will train the capacity of "Media risk management for influencers on social networks".

The year 2025 is jokingly called “year number 9” by the online community, meaning that many negative news events will emerge at the same time. In fact, many people believe that since March, a series of incidents involving famous people have been discovered and spread rapidly.

The year 2025 is called "year number 9" by the internet because so many events happened. Photo: Facebook.

To address this situation, the above training program provides timely and useful content, including basic government regulations on management, use of internet services and provision of information online, notes on National Security, and handling regulations.

In addition, recent events on counterfeit products, regulations on online business, notices on genuine and fake goods, price listing, and transparency are also shared in the program. KOLs will be reminded about policies and tax obligations for those participating in profitable activities on social networks, as well as communication risk management skills.

Ms. Nguyen Huong Thuy from the Department of Radio, Television and Electronic Information (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) said that the role of KOLs has expanded to shaping consumer trends, partly affecting political and social issues. Therefore, many regulations and training courses have been set up to ensure that KOLs' activities comply with the law as well as social norms.

Influencers, especially those in highly sensitive industries such as health and finance, need to keep themselves updated with legal information to avoid affecting themselves or consumers. Above all, anyone who wants to develop a long-term online career should also equip themselves with professional media management skills.

Source: https://znews.vn/dieu-kol-can-biet-de-phat-trien-ben-vung-post1558608.html