A modern influence

IN the past, companies relied on newspaper, television, radio and billboard advertisements to promote their products and services. Nowadays, more and more companies are turning to influencers on social media to generate publicity for their brands.

These influencers are categorised according to different tiers, based on the number of followers on their social media accounts. One of the categories is the micro-influencers, who are known to have followers that number between 1,000 and 100,000.

Companies may choose to contact these influencers directly or have the option of engaging agencies that run micro-influencer marketing services. Such approach has become increasingly favoured by brands and organisations who aim to reach out to their intended audiences more directly through the influencers with their respective

niche followings.

Seeing the rising marketing trend, Bryan Lai knew he had to be quick to jump on the bandwagon. Early last year, he partnered with a childhood friend to start a digital

marketing agency in Melaka.

“I had a lot of ideas on starting my own business but at that point in time, I had no funds or connection. I decided to build everything from scratch and I chose this industry,” said the 22-year-old.

Four months after the launch, however, he had to part ways with his partner due to their different visions.

“We had different ideals on ways to manage the business, and it caused some conflicts between us. While we are still best friends, I decided to head out and start

another platform myself,” he explained.

Thus Colevent was born in September 2019. Based in the Klang Valley, the digital marketing

agency prides itself on micro-influencers marketing and social media management. It has a stable of over 500 micro-influencers across Malaysia on its platform.

Ever ready to adapt to the changing times, Lai has set his sights on expanding the platform’s services to include affiliate marketing and content creation.

As a young entrepreneur, who is still pursuing his bachelor’s degree in entrepreneurship, Lai has had his share of challenges. First, his business endeavours were met with lukewarm response from his family.

They were worried that his academic results would suffer, and that his business ventures might only be a spur-of-the-moment undertaking, said the Sunway University student.

However, he gradually proved them wrong, convincing them that he was serious about his career.

At present, he - along with his team members - is working hard on expanding his platform, meeting new clients and recruiting more micro-influencers to join his agency.

A newbie to the business, Lai has had to learn on the go, for example, when it comes to

communicating with brand owners and clients.

“It is not easy to start, especially when we are in the social media marketing industry, where competition is fierce. It takes courage – you have to be willing to learn from setbacks and mistakes, which will teach you problem-solving skills that will help you in your journey,” he

said.

Among the micro-influencers approached by Lai to join his platform is Vinnie Lie. Although the 20-year-old has close to 2,500 followers on her Instagram account, she was initially not keen to use her social media space for brand publicity purposes, even rejecting several brands that reached out to her.

Her parents, too, worried that she might not be able to manage her time well, preferring her to focus on her accounting and finance degree programme. However, the Taylor’s University

student softened her stance when Lai approached her. They are friends and the platform was originally based in Melaka, her hometown.

Although she became part of the agency, there weren’t any contracts involved. Hence, she has had freedom to partner with her favourite brands, apart from collaborating with those under Colevent.

“I have a say regarding the brands I would like to work with, which is a pleasant experience for me,” she said.

She recalled a situation where she declined to work with a brand that approached her personally, after discovering that its skincare product – of which she was supposed to give positive reviews – was of dubious quality.

It caused an outbreak of rashes on herself, and even her sisters, she shared.

“It would be false advertisement if I still promote their products despite the effects it has shown, and I wouldn’t want my followers mistrusting me because of my dishonesty,” Lie added.

When asked how she plans to grow her following and develop herself as a micro-influencer, Lie had this to say: “I will continue to engage with my followers. More importantly, I would make my social media activities a lifestyle instead of a career.”

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This article was published in the Newspaper in Education (NIE) pullout by The Star Newspaper dated 26 August 2020.