Let’s start with the numbers:

KOL Network Size

• 42.9% of agencies have a KOL base of over 1,000 accounts
• 35.7% maintain 500–1,000
• Yet, nearly 50% rely on a much smaller active core of just 50–100 KOLs for most campaigns
• Only 10% engage more than 250 KOLs actively

What actually matters when choosing KOLs?

• Follower count? Not so much → Avg importance: 2.93/5
• Impressions per post & smart followers? Getting warmer → 4.1/5
• Quality of content, research & past experience? Bullseye → 4.7/5

Every agency checks for botted audiences.

More than half use tools like Kaito and Cookie3 to filter and score KOLs.

Some notes for Web3 teams working with KOLs:

The truth? Web3 marketing is severely limited in terms of tools.

• X Ads don’t work well. Most users have Premium (no ads), and those who don’t usually aren’t your ideal customers.
• Google ads come with regulatory friction — and many projects can’t legally run them in core regions.
• Media coverage? Good for trust/reputation. Weak for actual user acquisition.

So, what’s left?

KOLs. And now, Kaito / Cookie-powered campaigns.

Take @sparkdotfi’s campaign via @cookiedotfun:

13,400 X accounts joined in. Most are micro-influencers with <1K followers. And that’s the real innovation — onboarding accounts too small for traditional paid campaigns.

So… is this model better than classic KOL marketing?

Controversial.

Micro KOLs come with baggage:

They often form echo chambers (circle jerk), cross-following and reposting each other → heavy audience overlap.

In smaller verticals, this behavior helps good content rise. But in high-frequency farming campaigns (like yaps/snaps), it leads to overexposure and blindness – users start tuning out.

Still, Kaito and Cookie gave these small accounts a seat at the table. They make ambassador campaigns more decentralized and easier to manage.

Decentralization of marketing? ✔️

Efficiency? ⚠️ Still up for debate.

Let’s not forget the recent @stayloudio case:

Yapping ≠ strategy.

Mindshare ≠ influence.

Classic KOL marketing also has its flaws

Here’s the harsh truth:

If your product has a weak USP, you’re going to pay a lot more.

KOLs are just voices — some louder, some funnier, some more technical. They’re not miracle workers.

Now, if your product is actually compelling, a new problem arises:

There’s a shortage of KOLs who:

• Have an organic audience
• Understand the tech
• Can write content that resonates
• Accept sponsored deals at all

Many top KOLs don’t take paid posts – they either invest privately or charge 5 figures for a tweet.

That’s why nearly 50% of agencies work closely with just 50–100 KOLs out of networks that include 1,000+.

And 85% of paid KOLs? Deliver zero meaningful results.

So, what actually works in KOL marketing?

Long-term deals with repeat posts

• More trust, more recognition, better conversion

KOL cross-engagement

• Ask them to quote each other’s takes, not just your brand announcement

Organic > Hard shill

• CT can smell a shill from miles away. Give KOLs freedom to speak authentically

Don’t buy ads. Buy opinions.

• Real reviews beat banner blasts

Explore outside X.

• Telegram, Substack = lower noise, higher retention

My take on the future of Web3 marketing:

Kaito and Cookie onboarded micro influencers into the mindshare game — giving marketers a fresh mechanic to experiment with.

Whether it becomes a meaningful marketing lever or just more noise is still TBD.

Influencer marketing isn’t going anywhere.

But it needs authentic voices, not accounts built on 24/7 paid shills.

And one final thought:

Why is everyone still obsessed with X?

If you’re serious about growth, stop sleeping on Telegram and Substack.

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