The cultural dynamics of social media vary from place to place. Some social media platforms are more popular in some countries than others. For instance, Japan is one of the few places Twitter is more popular than Facebook. Furthermore, there are some social media platforms such as LINE that aren’t used very often outside of Japan. Understanding how social media works in Japan is an important aspect of marketing in Japan. It’s hard to do digital marketing successfully without understanding how people in the local market use social media. If you’re planning on advertising in Japan, we’ve got you covered. Here is a guide to using social media for marketing in Japan. 

It’s all about Instagram 

Instagram is currently the fastest growing social media platform in Japan. It is especially popular amongst young people, but there are a number of older (40s-60s) people on there too. As long as they don’t appear multiple times a day, posts from brands are typically enjoyed by customers. Many customers enjoy learning about new products, sales, and the people behind small businesses on Instagram. In addition, Instagram is a platform that allows businesses to engage with customers in fun ways. For example, you can host Q&A sessions and answer questions about products. You can also make polls to ask your customers for opinions. If you want to know more about how to use Instagram when interacting with customers, check out our article Use Instagram to Engage With Customers. 

But Twitter is popular too 

Twitter is the most popular social media platform in Japan. However, surprisingly few businesses use Twitter for marketing purposes. This may be because most Japanese people don’t reveal their identities on Twitter. They usually sign up using a nickname and don’t post photos of themselves. This makes Twitter a popular place to discuss politics and social issues. So, it isn’t exactly the most advertiser friendly platform. That being said, since there’s a lot of people on Twitter, so it’s an underutilized resource when it comes to marketing. 

The relative anonymity of Twitter might make customers less likely to engage with your brand than on Instagram. That being said, it can still be worthwhile to start marketing on Twitter. Tweets are a great way to get the words out about events. Bars like to use Twitter for this reason. Some stores use Tweets as a way of notifying customers about sales. Overall, Twitter’s best use in Japan seems to be for providing customers with updates. However you decide to use Twitter, don’t pass on the opportunity to advertise on Japan’s most popular social media platform. 

Many businesses advertise on Facebook 

Facebook is the most popular social media platform for businesses in Japan. If a business only has one social media account, it’s usually a Facebook page. Facebook is a solid social media site to use for marketing. You can conveniently list your address, business hours, and other important information. Facebook also allows you to create different types of posts, such as text, photos, or videos. Customers can also leave reviews on your page. A business’s Facebook page allows customers to easily access information about them. Make sure to set on up for your brand. 

LinkedIn isn’t really used for marketing…but it can help you make connections 

LinkedIn is mainly used as a job hunting site in Japan. It isn’t the greatest place to post ads directed at customers. However, you can use it to market your brand in other ways. If you’re trying to recruit talent, use LinkedIn to highlight the best things about working for your company. You can make posts describing what your company does and what the culture in your office is like. You can also use LinkedIn to connect with other brands or influencers to collaborate with. You might want to reach out to a YouTuber or Instagram influencer about having them feature your product. Or maybe you and another company can get together and create something exciting. You never know who you’ll meet on LinkedIn, so don’t neglect your company’s page. Good things may come from keeping it up to date. 

If you have the money to spend, consider working with a YouTuber 

YouTube is one of the most frequently visited websites in Japan. In fact, it is more popular than social media sites like Facebook or Instagram. Collaborating with a YouTuber who is popular in Japan can be a great way to market your brand. However, it can also be pretty expensive. Youtuber’s won’t feature your products for free or cheap. Before you make the investment, make sure the Youtuber is genuinely interested in your brand and is enthusiastic about working with you. If their content isn’t a good fit with your company’s image, keep looking. Once you find the right Youtuber, you’re sure to reach a wider audience. 

Make sure you don’t annoy your customers on LINE 

Many Japanese businesses send marketing messages through their customers via LINE. Companies will often create free sticker packs that customers can download if they agree to be sent marketing messages. However, these messages often go ignored. When companies send multiple messages a day, people tend to delete them without reading them first. Be strategic about your LINE messages so you aren’t bombarding your customers. 1-2 messages per week is a good amount. Make sure the messages contain information that is important to customers, such as when sales are happening. If you make your messages relevant and don’t send them too frequently, you’ll be able to effectively use LINE for marketing. 

Maybe we’ll see ads on Tik Tok in the near future 

Just like in many other countries, young people in Japan are flocking to Tik Tok. That being said, not many Japanese businesses have started using Tik Tok for marketing purposes yet. As advertisers become more aware of young people’s interests and young entrepreneurs start creating brands of their own, we’re likely to start seeing advertising on Tik Tok. Don’t be afraid to be an early adopter of Tik Tok marketing. If it makes sense for your brand, start making videos showing off your products and services.