We have seen how hard it is to accurately predict the future when everything changed in 2020. Who would have thought that, even though the numbers lag compared to other industrialized nations, nearly 20% of Japanese workers would be working remotely in 2021? And that some of the most meteoric rises in usage would be seen in video conference tools like Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams? The pandemic has also greatly boosted online shopping. New laws like the 2018 privacy law in Europe can also have a large impact on the way online media can be used in marketing.

This shows that you never know what the future brings, however, it doesn’t mean that we can’t make educated guesses about which direction social media usage in Japan is heading. Social media has clearly earned its place in digital marketing strategies; currently, nearly three-quarters of the Japanese population can be found on social media daily. Let’s have a look at what the future of social media in Japan could have in store for you!

Japanese Social Media Landscape

It is good to note that the social media landscape of Japan looks a bit different from that of other countries. Facebook is less popular compared to elsewhere, and Japanese consumers can mainly be found on Line, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram. Line has a new coupon function that can be very interesting for advertisers, and TikTok is one channel to watch if you want to reach a niche market that still needs to find you. While for a while it looked like TikTok might get banned in the US (with Japan considering following suit), it didn’t get that far and the short video app that’s popular among Gen Z is still alive and kicking in Japan today.

TikTok’s popularity is still on the rise, with currently over 12 million users in Japan. Depending on your brand, having a presence on TikTok can greatly benefit your digital marketing campaign in Japan in the near future. Video marketing in general is only becoming more popular, and although video production is definitely more work than creating a post with only text and images it will often pay off in the end. Hiring a digital media agency who also offers video production can be a good idea if you don’t have the expertise and tools to make good video content.

Furthermore, digital ad spend has increased greatly over the last year while spend for traditional advertising has lost out, and we predict that this trend will continue. Social media advertising has become an important part of marketing strategies, especially since social media channels have become crowded with content competing for users’ attention. Spending only a small amount of money per post will significantly boost the number of views for your posts, which will in turn lead to new followers and customers. Expectations are that social media advertising will continue to gain momentum and become an integral part of any digital marketing efforts undertaken in Japan.

Social Media Influencer Trends in Japan

Now going to the stores physically has become restricted, online buying has taken flight in Japan. Because now people are more used to it and, let’s face it, it is just easier to buy something from your couch instead of having to head out and go to the shops, even after restrictions ease we expect that online shopping will stay popular. Product explanation videos and even live streams by social media influencers have proven especially effective in reeling in those customers in Japan.

Collaborating with a Japanese social media influencer may seem difficult if you are not local and aren’t well-versed in the market, but because it can be a very effective way of reaching your audience you should still consider it. Especially on Instagram, whose popularity is still growing especially among younger females, influencers are well represented, as well as on video platform YouTube which is more popular among men.

Videos are the preferred mode of communication these days on Instagram and have always been on YouTube, so if your brand could benefit from marketing through short videos things are looking good in Japan. When looking for an influencer that fits your brand, services, and/or products, it is important to make sure they have a high credibility. Furthermore, it is a good idea to look for smaller influencers who specifically service your niche for a higher cost-performance. If you have no idea where to start in Japan, a digital media partner who is specialized in the Japanese market can be the key for finding that affordable influencer who can launch your brand in Japan.

Localization Strategy

If you are looking to future-proof your social media marketing strategy in Japan, having a good localization strategy in place is paramount. Localization doesn’t just mean that your content is written in the local language if so required for your target audience, but also that it is created to make sense in the local market and feel native to local consumers. Current trends are a very important part of a strong localization strategy if you want to be taken seriously by your target audience.

Online consumers are becoming more and more savvy, and they will often instantly know when you don’t know exactly what you are talking about. Especially the younger social media users are sensitive to trends, so you can use this to your advantage if you know what the trends are in Japan. Also with this, a digital media agency can help because they stay abreast of local news and trends and can easily research your industry in Japanese to accomplish a tailored approach for your specific social media strategy needs.

Does Digital Marketing Work Better in Japan than the West Now?

For the entire time Hashi Media has been around, digital marketing worked better in the USA than Japan. This has been due to many factors, including: late adoption of technology in Japan, lower engagement on social media, lack of ecommerce culture pre-COVID, etc.

2018 might have been the “golden age” of digital marketing in the West, especially for paid ads. Impressions were cheap, algorithms were strong. It was the perfect culmination of low competition, high demand, strong tech, and favorable macroeconomic conditions. ROAS was ridiculously high, people were making get-rich-quick courses, and it was a gold rush.

At the end of 2023, we’re seeing the narrative that paid media on digital is unsustainable for growth. Pretty much every single business in the West is running paid digital ads. The competition for a piece of real estate on your smartphone screen is stiffer than ever. It’s getting harder and harder to do digital marketing profitably. You have to actually be in the top 1% of skill to get top 1% results. Western companies are shifting their strategies toward organic and community building again.

People say that Japan is around 5 years late to the digital marketing party. If 2018 was the West’s golden era, will 2023-2024 be the golden age for Japan? We definitely see cheaper impressions in Japan, and COVID boosted the country in terms of digital adoption. It seems market conditions are shifting in Japan’s favor now (macroeconomic conditions are still pretty bad though).

• Some aspects are better in Japan, like ad costs and blue ocean opportunities
• Some aspects still better in West, like more engagement and online discussion
• Japan will become a more interesting place to expand into due to the cost of digital impressions being lower.
• For Japanese clients, it becomes more important to set expectations about performance

Your Digital Media Partner in Japan

Hashi Media is Japan’s go-to content marketing and social media company. If you are planning on entering the Japanese market and don’t know where to start, we’ve got you covered.

• Content creation
• Social media management
• Digital marketing strategy
• Brand localization

If you enjoyed what you read today and found it valuable, contact us today and let’s talk about your project.