Web3 Project Practical Guide: How to Use Chinese-Speaking KOLs to Open up the Chinese Market?

The Chinese market holds both potential and challenges for Web3 projects. Despite its vast user base and high engagement, many projects face significant challenges entering the market. The problem often lies not with the product itself, but rather with a poorly crafted narrative. Language barriers, cultural gaps, and a lack of trust render many marketing attempts ineffective. Chinese-speaking KOLs hold the key to resolving this dilemma. Their deep understanding of local communities and user psychology allows them to serve as both a communication bridge and a trust broker. This article will analyze a practical KOL strategy for effectively entering the Chinese market, focusing on the three key elements of "selecting talent, creating content, and building a community." Click to read: Analysis of the Current State of Chinese KOL Marketing

Web3 User Profiles and Cultural Preferences in the Chinese Market

Chinese Web3 user groups exhibit distinct stratification characteristics, broadly categorized as investment and research users, arbitrage users, task-based users, and general entertainment users. Unlike Western users, who are driven by rational analysis, Chinese users prioritize "paths to value," including airdrop opportunities, task rewards, the entertainment value of blockchain games, and the credibility of KOL endorsements.

Furthermore, Chinese users have a strong desire for a sense of community. Telegram and Discord are the primary platforms, but Chinese users prefer small, focused communities with frequent updates rather than quiet, coin-holding groups. Strong interaction, frequent feedback, and localized expressions are key to stimulating participation.

In terms of content preferences, Chinese users prefer actionable information: airdrop tutorials, project analysis, registration steps, and live demos. They trust the "dry takeaways" provided by a familiar KOL through videos or posts rather than lengthy white papers. This dictates that content creation and dissemination strategies must possess both guidance and context.

How to Build a High-Conversion Chinese KOL Marketing System

Accurately Identifying the Suitable Chinese KOL Type

Rather than relying solely on "traffic," KOL selection should be based on the project's track record, target audience, and content tone. For example, if a project focuses on DeFi, KOLs specializing in technology and financial analysis may be prioritized; if it's a blockchain game, creators with high engagement rates and a focus on general entertainment may be preferred.

Furthermore, platforms like X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, Bilibili, Telegram, and WeChat communities have vastly different user profiles and usage scenarios. Strategically combining KOLs on different platforms can achieve a layered communication path of exposure, education, and engagement. Confused about how to effectively identify KOLs? Please read the detailed guide.

Get free access to KOL resources and KOL marketing pitfall avoidance strategies

Build a multi-tiered KOL partnership matrix

An effective KOL partnership matrix should include: top KOLs for brand endorsement and peak exposure, mid-tier KOLs for community engagement and practical content production, and bottom-tier KOLs for long-tail reach and low-cost reach. Project owners don't need to invest a huge budget all at once; instead, they can gradually test and optimize their KOL pool based on their respective goals.

Establishing a KOL database (including their follower structure, past collaborations, and interaction data) is also crucial. This will help track long-term results and optimize the partnership model.

Establishing a content collaboration framework and communication guidelines in advance

No content restrictions does not mean no content standards. Project partners should provide clear collaboration guidelines, including acceptable language, key features, and how to avoid risky wording, while also preserving the KOL's style and creative freedom. This "semi-open" structure can improve communication efficiency while reducing the risk of pitfalls.

In addition, it is recommended to conduct a small-scale trial before collaborating, and then decide whether to expand the collaboration based on the content's effectiveness, rather than signing a large package from the outset.

Transforming KOL content into community retention

Distributing KOL content is just the beginning; it must be accompanied by a "post-link" conversion mechanism. The most typical approach is to encourage users to join Telegram/Discord groups and build initial user retention through AMAs, Q&A sessions, or raffle incentives.

At the same time, setting up content redirect links (such as task platforms, registration portals, and NFT minting pages) and adding UTM tracking parameters will help project owners visualize user journeys. This will also serve as the foundation for future performance attribution and budget optimization.

Integrating task platforms to improve interactivity and data traceability

Integrating KOL content with task platforms (such as Galxe, Zealy, and TaskOn) can significantly increase user engagement. Not only do users "see" the content, but they can also immediately "complete tasks" to earn airdrops or rewards, thereby accelerating conversion rates.

At the same time, the task platform's data statistics function helps project owners understand the actual conversions driven by each KOL in real time, facilitating iterative collaboration plans.

Chapter-by-Chapter Stratification: Forming a closed loop between content and buzz

Initially, focus on "tutorials + reviews" content to build foundational awareness. In the mid-term, add "viewpoints + gameplay" content to deepen understanding. Later, layer on "AMA livestreams + airdrops" to boost engagement. Through careful planning of timelines and content types, we can achieve incremental growth in popularity.

This not only extends the user lifecycle but also helps the project build a consistently active Chinese community base, driving concentrated momentum around the TGE or during key events. it also helps increase brand exposure.

Success Case

In 2024, a European-based blockchain gaming project sought to cold-start its community in the Chinese-speaking market three months before the TGE. They collaborated with eight Chinese-speaking KOLs, including two YouTube reviewers, three Telegram community operators, and three content creators on the X platform.

The project provided a trial demo, airdrop quotas, and Zealy tasks, and established content guidelines and a link tracking mechanism for the KOLs. Through three weeks of intensive content releases and AMAs, the project's Chinese Telegram group grew from 0 to 6,000 members, with over 8,000 users participating in Zealy tasks. Ultimately, approximately 18% of these users converted to registered and staking users.

The key to this project's success lies in: consistent content, clear task guidance, smooth community engagement, and trackable results. The project completed initial user activation before the TGE and laid the foundation for subsequent market operations.

Partnership Process Guide

For projects new to the Chinese-speaking market, we recommend the following partnership process:

Step 1: Clarify Goals and Phased Plans

Is the goal to attract traffic before the TGE? Or is it to accumulate users for the long-term operation of the ecosystem? What is the budget? What is the time window? These questions need to be answered first.

Step 2: Prepare Basic Materials and Content Resources

This includes the project whitepaper, gameplay tutorials, NFT asset packs, and airdrop reward structure. Provide Chinese content or English content with official translations to improve KOL execution efficiency.

Step 3: Match KOLs and Sign a Cooperation Framework

It is recommended to screen KOLs through an agency or professional intermediary to ensure their quality and consistent performance. Key points such as delivery timelines, content format, and the number of revisions allowed should be clearly defined during the contract.

Step 4: Set up a content tracking mechanism and enable integration

Each KOL post should include UTM parameters or a unique invitation code, creating a closed-loop data loop with task platforms like Galxe. After publishing, posts can be simultaneously displayed on X or TG to drive more organic traffic.

Step 5: Evaluate and Review Results Before Settlement

After publishing content, it's recommended to wait at least 72 hours to collect performance data before conducting a KPI assessment. Evaluation criteria may include exposure, new members in the community, and task completion rate. This will determine whether to proceed to the next stage of collaboration.

Summary

For Web3 projects hoping to enter the Chinese market, simply translating the website or establishing a Chinese community is insufficient. Chinese users' attention is a scarce resource, and trust is a prerequisite for conversion. In a market characterized by highly localized contexts, culture, and channels, Chinese-speaking KOLs are the optimal bridge between projects and users.

By using the six strategies outlined in this article, projects can build a systematic and implementable KOL marketing system—from selection logic to content presentation, from task conversion to community engagement, and finally to the execution details of the collaboration process—all with practicality and room for optimization.

More importantly, this shouldn't be viewed as a one-off marketing initiative, but rather as part of the project's "long-term localized growth strategy." Through ongoing content collaborations, event collaborations, and community cultivation, projects can not only achieve short-term user growth but also build their own influence in the Chinese market, establishing a unique brand recognition and community foundation.

Next, you can take action by focusing on the following:

Rethink your target user profile to determine whether your product features are suitable for promotion in the Chinese region;
Create a partnership package tailored to Chinese content to lay the foundation for KOL collaboration;
Find a KOL partner organization with operational experience to quickly conduct the first round of field testing;
Build your own Chinese community presence to ensure users have a place to go, rather than simply leaving after viewing content;
Most importantly: Incorporate Chinese-speaking KOLs into your mid- to long-term market budget and growth roadmap.

In 2025, amidst increasingly fierce competition, the Chinese market's traffic dividend is shifting from "general traffic" to "vertical trust." Those who first establish a stable Chinese-speaking KOL partnership system will be more likely to capture user attention and achieve breakthrough growth after a cold start.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. How can I choose the right KOL if I don't understand Chinese?

You can consider indicators such as engagement quality, content depth, and past collaborations. It's recommended to screen through organizations familiar with the Chinese market and conduct small-scale tests to verify effectiveness.

2. Can I still conduct KOL marketing without a Chinese community?

Yes, but it's best to simultaneously establish a TG or Discord group. Even if it's simple initially, it can still attract traffic. Otherwise, users won't convert after seeing the content.

3. Can I still do KOL marketing if I have a limited budget?

Absolutely. Mid-level KOLs tend to be more niche and more cost-effective. We recommend starting with 3-5 candidates, then gradually expand your effective resources through tasks or AMAs.