Insights &amp; Trends

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Insights &amp; Trends Archives - The M Makers

<h2>The 2027 shift: from polished ads to raw social proof</h2>
Your next customer isn&#8217;t Googling you. She&#8217;s scrolling Xiaohongshu at 11pm, reading a stranger&#8217;s brutally honest review, hitting save, and buying on Saturday. Discovery has shifted from passive viewing to active search, and creators now sit at its centre.
The people who move product are no longer just Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs), the creators with aspirational reach. More and more, they&#8217;re Key Opinion Consumers (KOCs): everyday users with small followings, real receipts and zero filter, delivering the peer validation audiences actually trust.
KOLs make people notice. KOCs make people believe. For KOL and KOC influencer marketing in 2027, brands in Singapore and Malaysia need both, built as one system across Instagram, TikTok, Xiaohongshu and Lemon8. See how we connect data, creativity and human instinct at <a href="https://www.themmakers.com/services" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The M Makers</a>.
<h2>Why KOLs and KOCs matter more in 2027</h2>
Three forces are colliding, and all three favour peer validation over polished ads.
<ol>
<li> Algorithms reward micro and nano-creators. In Singapore, TikTok nano-influencers averaged 4.72% engagement, compared with 1.32% for macro creators, per AnyMind&#8217;s State of Influence in Asia 2026 (<a href="https://www.netinfluencer.com/instagram-influence-declines-in-apac-as-creator-marketing-splits-between-performance-and-awareness-strategies/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Net Influencer</a>). Our own Xiaohongshu shortlists tell the same story: creators under 20K followers regularly clear 10% engagement, while 100K+ accounts hover near 1%.</li>
<li> The platform map has been redrawn. Across ten APAC markets, Instagram&#8217;s share of influencer campaigns fell from 51% in 2023 to under 36% in 2025 (<a href="https://www.netinfluencer.com/instagram-influence-declines-in-apac-as-creator-marketing-splits-between-performance-and-awareness-strategies/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Net Influencer</a>). In Malaysia, TikTok rocketed from 8% to 44% of campaigns in the same window (<a href="https://anymindgroup.com/news/press-release/im-report-my26" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AnyMind</a>).</li>
<li> AI search is reading the comments and capturing search intent. Answer engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews lean hard on community content. Reddit and YouTube alone made up 78.2% of AI citations from social media in an April 2026 analysis (<a href="https://everything-pr.com/the-new-citation-cartel-wikipedia-reddit-youtube-ai-search" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Everything PR</a>). Translation: what real people say about you on social is fast becoming what AI says about you. KOC content isn&#8217;t just social proof anymore. It&#8217;s generative engine optimisation (GEO).</li>
</ol>
<h2>Xiaohongshu and Lemon8 marketing: the search-first platforms brands are missing</h2>
Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) has quietly become a search-first platform and Malaysia&#8217;s go-to engine for peer validation, with consumers skipping ads in favour of honest community reviews (<a href="https://www.malaymail.com/amp/news/life/2026/07/10/in-malaysia-more-consumers-trading-entertainment-for-validation-on-xiaohongshu/227043" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Malay Mail</a>). It now takes up to 28% of lifestyle and home influencer campaigns there, and in one tracked recipe campaign, 40% of users said they planned to try it (<a href="https://www.malaymail.com/amp/news/life/2026/07/10/in-malaysia-more-consumers-trading-entertainment-for-validation-on-xiaohongshu/227043" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Malay Mail</a>). Agency estimates put the audience at 800K+ in Singapore and 3M+ in Malaysia (<a href="https://hashmeta.com/xiaohongshu-singapore/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hashmeta</a>).
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-787" src="https://dev-tmm-wp.themmakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/kol-kocs-img1-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://dev-tmm-wp.themmakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/kol-kocs-img1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev-tmm-wp.themmakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/kol-kocs-img1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://dev-tmm-wp.themmakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/kol-kocs-img1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev-tmm-wp.themmakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/kol-kocs-img1.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" />
(Source: <a href="https://ca.pinterest.com/pin/797418677790041703/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pinterest</a>)
The 2027 kicker: XHS is closing the loop from &#8220;saw it&#8221; to &#8220;bought it&#8221;. Its Redshop cross-border platform was slated to open in June 2026 across eight markets, including Singapore and Malaysia (<a href="https://walkthechat.com/xiaohongshu-records-1-4-billion-purchase-intent-searches-a-year-and-4-other-news/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WalktheChat</a>). Add Chinese tourists planning trips on XHS, and your KOC notes do double duty: locals and visitors.
Lemon8 is ByteDance&#8217;s lifestyle cousin to XHS, with an English- and Malay-friendly crowd. Brand Auction ads are now live in both Singapore and Malaysia via TikTok Ads Manager (<a href="https://ads.tiktok.com/resources/help/article/about-lemon8-for-brand-auction-in-tiktok-ads-manager" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikTok</a>). Yet the platform is still mostly organic and creator-led, so fewer brands are fighting for category searches (<a href="https://www.relevantaudience.com/general-topics/what-is-lemon8-brand-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Relevant Audience</a>). That&#8217;s a first-mover window for Lemon8 influencer marketing, and nano and micro KOCs are the key to it.
<h2>The role of Instagram and TikTok influencers in Singapore and Malaysia</h2>
TikTok is the search and storytelling powerhouse. People search it for cafés, local tips and product demos, and respond to raw formats: 60-second local spotlights, street interviews, unfiltered first-person reviews. In Malaysia, TikTok is projected to account for 44.44% of influencer campaigns by 2025 and already leads in fashion and beauty spend (<a href="https://www.netinfluencer.com/tiktok-and-instagram-split-malaysia-influencer-market-as-xiaohongshu-gains-ground/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Net Influencer</a>).
Instagram is where curated aesthetic meets direct connection. Reels, carousels, and Stories place products in everyday life, and DMs turn recommendations into action. Singapore is still an Instagram town, with 87.8% of influencer investment, even though TikTok drove higher engagement (<a href="https://www.netinfluencer.com/instagram-influence-declines-in-apac-as-creator-marketing-splits-between-performance-and-awareness-strategies/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Net Influencer</a>). In Malaysia, Instagram (47.69%) and TikTok together hold over 92% of activity.
The smart play is a trio: Instagram for brand equity, TikTok for performance, Xiaohongshu for high-intent discovery. Don&#8217;t sleep on YouTube, Threads, Reddit and Facebook groups either; that&#8217;s where unfiltered opinions live, and where answer engines go looking.
<h2>Why hyperlocal relevance is essential</h2>
A regional campaign can&#8217;t be copy-pasted across markets. It has to be hyperlocal: local slang, daily habits, the right language on the right platform.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Language decides the platform. Mandarin-first audiences live on XHS. Malay and English audiences skew to TikTok, Instagram and Lemon8. One script translated three ways won&#8217;t cut it.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Malaysia&#8217;s youth rules are tightening. Malaysia plans to bar under-16s from social media, backed by eKYC age checks under its Online Safety Act (<a href="https://www.mayerbrown.com/en/insights/publications/2025/12/malaysias-proposed-social-media-ban-for-children-how-it-compares-with-australia-and-singapore" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mayer Brown</a>). Youth-skewed brands should plan for 16+ audiences.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Disclose, always. Clearly labelled partnerships protect the one thing KOCs are worth: credibility.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Don&#8217;t over-script KOCs. The moment they sound like your brochure, they stop working.</li>
</ul>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-788" src="https://dev-tmm-wp.themmakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/kol-kocs-img2-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="701" height="395" srcset="https://dev-tmm-wp.themmakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/kol-kocs-img2-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dev-tmm-wp.themmakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/kol-kocs-img2-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dev-tmm-wp.themmakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/kol-kocs-img2-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dev-tmm-wp.themmakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/kol-kocs-img2-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dev-tmm-wp.themmakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/kol-kocs-img2.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 701px) 100vw, 701px" />
(Source: <a href="https://ca.pinterest.com/pin/4607182555245866496/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pinterest</a>)
<h2>The synergy of reach and relatability</h2>
Stop buying creators like media slots. Build a funnel where each tier does one job well.
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; border: 1px solid #f3ea3e;" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="8">
<thead>
<tr>
<th style="border: 1px solid #f3ea3e;">Funnel stage</th>
<th style="border: 1px solid #f3ea3e;">Who</th>
<th style="border: 1px solid #f3ea3e;">Where</th>
<th style="border: 1px solid #f3ea3e;">Job</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="border: 1px solid #f3ea3e;">Top: reach</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #f3ea3e;">1–3 KOLs</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #f3ea3e;">TikTok, Instagram</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #f3ea3e;">Aspirational reach and brand equity</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: 1px solid #f3ea3e;">Middle: content seeding</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #f3ea3e;">5–10 micro creators</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #f3ea3e;">Instagram Reels, TikTok, YouTube</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #f3ea3e;">Discovery, demos, storytelling</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: 1px solid #f3ea3e;">Bottom: validation</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #f3ea3e;">20+ KOCs</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #f3ea3e;">Xiaohongshu, Lemon8, TikTok</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #f3ea3e;">Peer validation, reviews, AI visibility</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Then measure what actually matters in 2027: saves, shares, branded searches, footfall and whether AI engines mention you when someone asks for a recommendation.
<h2>Final thoughts: building genuine connections in 2027</h2>
Winning in 2027 means moving from brand-first ads to community-first validation. The brands that win won&#8217;t have the loudest celebrity. They&#8217;ll have the most people genuinely vouching for them, in every feed and every answer box.
<h3>About The M Makers</h3>
We are The M Makers, a digital integrated marketing agency in Singapore and Malaysia that pushes for winning formulas. From over-the-top creative ideas to data-driven performance media and captivating events, we combine data, human instinct and technology to MAKE it happen.
Want us to prove our point? Come have kopi with us at <a href="mailto:hello@themmakers.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hello@themmakers.com</a>, and let&#8217;s build your 2027 KOL and KOC strategy.
<h2>Sources</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.netinfluencer.com/instagram-influence-declines-in-apac-as-creator-marketing-splits-between-performance-and-awareness-strategies/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Net Influencer – Instagram influence declines in APAC (AnyMind State of Influence in Asia 2026)</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="https://anymindgroup.com/news/press-release/im-report-my26" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AnyMind – Influencer Marketing in Malaysia 2026 report</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.netinfluencer.com/tiktok-and-instagram-split-malaysia-influencer-market-as-xiaohongshu-gains-ground/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Net Influencer – TikTok and Instagram split Malaysia influencer market</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.malaymail.com/amp/news/life/2026/07/10/in-malaysia-more-consumers-trading-entertainment-for-validation-on-xiaohongshu/227043" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Malay Mail – Malaysian consumers trading entertainment for validation on Xiaohongshu</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="https://walkthechat.com/xiaohongshu-records-1-4-billion-purchase-intent-searches-a-year-and-4-other-news/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WalktheChat – Xiaohongshu Redshop and purchase-intent searches</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="https://hashmeta.com/xiaohongshu-singapore/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hashmeta – Xiaohongshu Singapore and Malaysia audience estimates</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="https://ads.tiktok.com/resources/help/article/about-lemon8-for-brand-auction-in-tiktok-ads-manager" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikTok Ads Manager – Lemon8 Brand Auction availability</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.relevantaudience.com/general-topics/what-is-lemon8-brand-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Relevant Audience – What is Lemon8?</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="https://everything-pr.com/the-new-citation-cartel-wikipedia-reddit-youtube-ai-search" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Everything PR – AI search citations from Reddit and YouTube</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.mayerbrown.com/en/insights/publications/2025/12/malaysias-proposed-social-media-ban-for-children-how-it-compares-with-australia-and-singapore" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mayer Brown – Malaysia&#8217;s proposed under-16 social media ban</a></li>
</ul>

Why KOLs and KOCs matter more in 2027: how Instagram, TikTok, Xiaohongshu and Lemon8 creators drive search intent and social proof in Singapore and Malaysia.

Peer validation now beats polished ads. See how KOLs and KOCs on Instagram, TikTok, Xiaohongshu and Lemon8 drive search and trust in Singapore and Malaysia.

KOLs Make People Notice. KOCs Make Them Believe.

Why KOLs and KOCs Matter More Than Ever in 2027: The Instagram, TikTok, Xiaohongshu and Lemon8 Playbook

KOL & KOC Marketing 2027: SG & MY Guide - The M Makers

We are a digital integrated marketing agency that pushes for winning formulas.

The M Makers

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Ariane Goo

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collaborate with us, or simply have a chat.

Feel free to reach out if you want to collaborate with us, or simply have a chat.

Why KOLs and KOCs Matter More Than Ever in 2027: The Instagram, TikTok, Xiaohongshu and Lemon8 Playbook

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