Understanding SNS in Japan: Meaning, Popular Apps, and More
In Japan, “SNS” stands for “Social Networking Service”. The term SNS Japan is commonly used in Japan to refer to various social media services. This article explains more about the SNS in Japan, its history, and also the most popular SNS App in 2020.
What is SNS? Understanding its Meaning in Japan
“SNS” is an abbreviation for “Social Networking Service“.
SNS is a language peculiar to Japanese and refers to social media services such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter in English. It is often used in Japanese news and business, and is often pronounced as “SNS, a so-called social network service.”
In Japan, SNS is often used for business and everyday conversation, so it is a good word for anyone involved in online or web marketing to remember.
Japan SNS: Top 5 Popular Apps in 2020
SNS that connects people. The number of users in Japan continues to increase in proportion to the provision of new functions and services. Therefore, we will summarize the numerical data released as of October 2019 and introduce the most used SNS Apps in Japan.
Below are the top 5 most used SNS apps in Japanese.
- LINE
- TikTok
We will introduce the number of users and their characteristics.
You can also find more statistics here: Top Japanese Social Media Apps: Demographics of 7 Major Apps in 2020
Japan’s largest SNS: LINE
LINE is Japan’s largest messaging app provided by NEVER.
According to LINE’s public documents, as of the end of June 2019, there were over 81 million MAUs in Japan. This is an SNS application used by over 64% of the Japanese population.
This app, which almost all Japanese smartphone users use, has almost the identical gender composition and has been used in a wide range of ages.
The main use is for exchanging messages between individuals, and it is a little closed communication compared to other SNS.
For this reason, messages are exchanged only with friends and acquaintances who have met each other, and even in business, one-to-one communication is mainly used.
Related Article: LINE App Ads; Why U Should Advertise on Japanese Biggest Social Media
Interested in running ads in Japan? We offer a limited-time trial service for you to test market your service or product in LINE Japan. Please get in touch with us from below.
Popular SNS in Japan: Twitter
According to Twitter’s announcement, the number of MAUs in Japan is more than 45 million, and it is an SNS that is persistently popular in Japan.
Japan accounts for 16.7% of sales on Twitter’s global market, especially in Japan where anonymous culture is strong.
In addition to general users, people in various positions, such as companies, entertainers, characters, and politicians, are also active on Twitter.
However, it is important to note that the number announced in Japan’s MAU is the “number of accounts” based announcement. While Facebook, Instagram, and LINE require one account per person, Twitter has an overwhelmingly high percentage of users using multiple accounts, so it is necessary to understand by discounting on a per person basis.
Popular SNS for female users: Instagram
Instagram is also popular in Japan, especially among young women, and mainly uses photos and videos for communication.
According to the official announcement, MAUs in Japan are increasing at 33 million.
In Japan, users are 43% male and 57% female. Another feature is that 70% of daily active accounts in Japan use Instagram Stories.
In addition, Japan is one of the most active countries in the world using shopping functions, and many users tap the posts corresponding to shopping functions and visit the product details page.
SNS stalling in Japan: Facebook
Facebook, which you all know, is also used as the main SNS in Japan. However, a decrease in users has recently become noticeable in Japan.
According to the official announcement, Japan’s MAU is about 28 million, which is on a downward trend. (As of October 2019)
Many users started using the SNS boom a few years ago, and the average age of users is now quite high in their 30s to 50s. There are many male users as well, which are considered to be “outdated” by younger generations.
For those who prefer anonymity, Facebook, which requires a real name, is one of the fastest-stalling SNS and is becoming increasingly used in private.
However, where LinkedIn is not that developed in Japan, Facebook is often used in business as in advertising and business connections such as BtoB.
Youth-centered SNS: TikTok
A mobile app that focuses on creating short videos and sharing. It originally boasts the largest number of users in China for services in China, and now is an SNS that has created many trends and celebrities in the Asian region.
In Japan, the use has been increasing in recent years mainly for young people, especially women.
According to the announcement, there are 9.5 million MAUs in Japan and many instructions from students, etc. It is an SNS that has gained.
As a result, marketing and advertising of consumer goods targeting younger people have become more active in recent years.
Japanese SNS (Social Media) Usage Survey
Based on the data from the “2023 Japanese Social Media Usage Survey”, here are some interesting findings:
Japanese SNS (Social Media) Usage by Age
LINE dominates across all age groups, while YouTube is popular among younger audiences. Older age groups show a notable presence on Facebook.
What People Purchased through Social Media
Food items and fashion dominate purchases made through social media, with beauty products also showing a strong presence.
Types of work-related actions taken through social media
Document downloads and information gathering are the most common work-related actions taken through social media, particularly on Facebook and LinkedIn.
These insights can help inform your social media strategy, allowing you to target your audience more effectively based on their social media usage patterns.
Merits of SNS Marketing in Japan
Now, 10 years after the spread of social networking services, the term “digital marketing” has become a generic term and has been subdivided into “web marketing” and “SNS marketing”, and many marketing methods and frameworks have come to be enumerated.
Official accounts that will be searched on SNS
If you are searching for the latest information on Twitter or a corporate account on Facebook, even if the results are high on the web (organic search), they will not be considered for your search. This is where organic impressions and posts from official accounts that become organic reach are required.
Strengthening the potential fans (leading to branding)
Fans who like a product or service get a sense of elation when they get a direct response from the official account, such as a reply. This kind of direct contact triggers a positive impression, even if you don’t become a follower. Although it is a steady operation, the response status is viewed by many SNS users on the social network, and it is an opportunity to create a positive impression of not only your SNS account but also your products.
Awareness and diffusion
As a continuation of the above, if other SNS users can view the content of the official count’s sincere correspondence with fans, there is a high possibility that potential users will become apparent. In addition, users can share or reply to posts that they like, which will increase the number of times it is displayed and spread.
Demerits of SNS Marketing in Japan
Continuation of operations
SNS marketing is a little different from web marketing in that it is a way to get your keywords to show up at the top of the search results. It is necessary to operate the SNS regularly and in a timely manner because the latest version of the account is optimized and displayed to each SNS user. The optimal number of posts per day varies for each social network, but it is important to have resources and a posting plan for the long term.
You have to keep creating fresh and creative contents
In the casual realm of social networking, if it is too businesslike, SNS users will not be interested in it. Basically, the fun content is preferred on SNS, except for official information. You need to be creative in your posting so that it doesn’t become just a notice board.
Reputational Risk Management
It’s possible that what you post will catch fire, but it’s a good idea to formulate in advance how you will respond as a corporate account in the event of an incident or natural disaster.
In the case of the British-based English Language School that just started a business in Japan, the primary goal was to drive the right people to their website and have them sign up for their English courses. To achieve this, a comprehensive online paid advertisement strategy was implemented, utilizing major paid advertisement platforms in Japan, including PPC (Google, Yahoo), and Social Media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter).
SNS Marketing in Japan Usecase
Social Media Advertisement
The social media advertisement strategy was designed with high targeting accuracy in mind, leveraging the detailed profile information of social media users. The platforms chosen for advertising were Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, each with its unique audience and features.
Facebook ads, known for their superior targeting accuracy, were primarily used since the target audience was individuals who were already working or had a need to study English at work. Facebook’s real-name registration requirement allows for detailed information to be gathered, making it an ideal platform for advertising B2B services and English language courses.
Instagram, with a high proportion of female users in Japan, was also utilized. A certain percentage of the budget was allocated to Instagram to attract young working women or mothers who wanted their children to learn English.
Twitter, with its large active user base in Japan, was used minimally in this case due to the target audience’s demographics. Twitter is effective for reaching younger audiences, but in this case, the focus was more on working individuals and parents.
PPC / Listing Advertisement
Listing advertisements on Google and Yahoo were also part of the strategy. Google and Yahoo cover more than 90% of the search engine market in Japan, making them essential platforms for reaching the Japanese audience. The primary focus was on Google Listing advertisements, with optimization efforts including daily budget/bidding strategy optimization, device optimization, keyword optimization, ad text optimization, and link destination optimization.
Retargeting Display Ads
Retargeting display ads were used minimally in this case. While they can be beneficial for visual ads, they were deemed less effective for an English school. However, they were still used to target people who had visited the site or shown interest in a particular area.
The result of this comprehensive strategy was a noticeable increase in the number of sign-up conversions, with the CPA or CPC rate kept within the agreed rates. This case demonstrates the effectiveness of a well-planned and executed social media marketing strategy in driving targeted traffic and conversions.
Summary
The number of SNS users is updated every month, and the growth is changing rapidly, so it is necessary to check regularly.
Facebook is still at the top of the global list, while Facebook and Twitter are slow to grow, while Instagram is growing fast. In Japan, LINE is the SNS with the largest number of users, while Instagram also outperforms its growth rate.
In addition, new social networks are being created one after another, and we will keep an eye on them in the future.
If you’re not sure where your target audience is for SNS marketing, your services or products, and what approach you need, take advantage of our market research.
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