LINE Ads: Advertise on the most used Social Media in Japan

What’s the Deal with LINE Advertising (LINE Ads)?

Ever wondered how to get your brand buzzing in Japan? Meet LINE Advertising – it’s not just any app; it’s the go-to spot for reaching out to 89 million Japanese users every month (yep, you read that right – as of June 2023, the most used social media platform in Japan). But here’s the kicker: LINE is more than just a place to drop your ads and hope for the best.

With LINE Advertising, you’re in control. Adjust your audience, budget, and ad creativity on Japan’s favorite messaging app, all while tracking your success. It’s your all-in-one toolkit for impacting Japan’s digital world. Ready to dive in? Let’s explore how this platform can elevate your marketing game.

Advantages of LINE Ads

LINE Ads offer an exceptional platform for engaging a diverse and active audience across Japan. This platform stands out for its ability to ensure your advertising is not only seen but is also impactful and cost-effective, leveraging advanced targeting and data analytics to reach your ideal customer base.

1. Unparalleled Audience Reach

As one of Japan’s largest social media platforms, LINE boasts an impressive 89 million monthly users. This extensive reach allows your brand to connect with a wide audience far beyond the capabilities of other networks.

With LINE Ads, your message can be prominently featured in various aspects of the LINE ecosystem, from the Talk List and Timeline to specialized services like LINE NEWS and LINE Manga. Whether targeting urban centers or regional areas, LINE Ads ensure your presence is felt nationwide.

2. Precision Targeting for Maximum Efficiency

LINE Ads revolutionize how you connect with your audience through comprehensive targeting options. Utilize demographic, geographic, and behavioral data to refine your audience to those most likely to engage with your brand.

This precision targeting minimizes wasted impressions and enhances the cost-effectiveness of your campaigns. The platform’s rich targeting features help you avoid the common pitfalls of broad-spectrum advertising, ensuring your ads serve users who are genuinely interested in what you offer.

3. Strategic Ad Delivery with Rich Data Insights

Leverage the precision of custom audience targeting in LINE Ads to elevate the impact of your advertising campaigns. You can create highly customized audiences by utilizing IDFA/AAID, phone numbers, and email addresses, ensuring your ads reach the most relevant users. This capability, combined with insights into behavioral patterns and the purchase history of LINE users, enables you to craft campaigns that deeply resonate with your target audience.

Whether aiming to boost repeat purchases or to introduce new products to prospective customers, the strategic application of LINE’s advanced targeting options facilitates the creation of personalized and engaging ad experiences. This tailored approach enhances the relevance of your ads and significantly improves the effectiveness of your advertising efforts, ensuring a higher return on investment.

4. Higher Open Rates Than Email

The official LINE research shows that LINE messages boast an open rate of over 80%, significantly higher than that of emails. This high engagement level is attributed to the push notification system of LINE, reducing issues like undelivered messages or lack of response. When analyzing the immediacy with which users open messages from LINE Official Accounts, approximately 20% of users open messages immediately upon receipt, about 50% within 3 to 6 hours, and roughly 80% open them within the same day. This data highlights the high open rates and immediacy of messages delivered via LINE Official Accounts.

The centralized management of delivery effects allows for detailed analysis of successful campaigns and titles, making it easier to refine strategies for future communications. For businesses currently utilizing email newsletters, switching to LINE chat or leveraging L-steps could offer a more cost-effective solution with potentially higher returns on investment. This advantage underscores LINE Ads as a powerful tool for direct and efficient communication with customers, enhancing the overall impact of marketing efforts.

Types of LINE advertising placements

Dive into the world of LINE advertising with 18 distinct ad spots tailored to fit your brand’s needs like a glove. Choosing the right spot is key to amplifying your message and ensuring it lands with the right audience across LINE’s extensive network. Let’s get your brand out there in the most impactful way possible.

Placement	Characteristics
	Talk List Ads are showcased at the top of LINE’s Talk List, seamlessly integrating with the chat interface. Clicking these ads directs users to a product or service’s landing page. Positioned on the most active part of LINE, the Talk screen, these ads are perfect for large-scale promotions, leveraging LINE’s significant daily active users.
	LINE NEWS Reach over 77 million active users with ads on LINE NEWS, accessible via the LINE app’s News tab and across 430 media accounts for broad exposure.
	LINE VOOM Advertise to over 68 million LINE VOOM users for external traffic, direct response, and app download promotion. More than 49 million users engage with ads on LINE VOOM at least once a month.
	LINE Wallet Place your ads in the “Wallet” tab, LINE’s hub for all financial transactions and management, centered around the mobile payment service LINE Pay. It is a gateway to various financial services LINE offers, reaching over 47 million monthly visitors.
	LINE Manga LINE Manga offers an easy way to enjoy manga on smartphones and tablets, leading the pack with over 40 million downloads in Japan as of December 2022. Since its launch in 2013, it has been the top downloaded manga app, featuring over 1,500 exclusive, original, and early-release titles.
	LINE Point Club LINE Points can be earned through activities such as using LINE services, adding official account friends, and watching videos on the LINE Point Club. It’s LINE’s rewards service for engaging with its ecosystem.
	LINE Flyers Transforming traditional flyers into digital, LINE Flyers delivers personalized shopping deals through LINE based on user interests and location. Accessible from the “Wallet” tab, it reaches 47 million users monthly, offering targeted advertising opportunities to engage shoppers directly.
	LINE Coupons A coupon service usable at 50,000+ locations nationwide by showing it on your device. Mainly popular among women, especially those aged 40-50, it’s accessible through the “Wallet” tab and LINE Coupons account, targeting a wide age range of deal-savvy users.
	LINE My Card LINE My Card consolidates loyalty and membership cards within the LINE app, serving a diverse user base of roughly 60% women and 40% men, from teens to those over 50. Accessible via the “Wallet” tab with 47 million monthly visitors and the LINE My Card official account, it allows advertisers to reach users interested in lifestyle and deals across all ages.
	LINE Shopping LINE Shopping offers a platform to buy products from around 1,800 shops directly via the LINE app, including fashion, gadgets, sports, interior decor, electronics, and cosmetics. Since its launch in June 2017, it has expanded its item listings and improved service features, attracting about 47 million friends on its official LINE account as of September 2023.
	LINE Ad Network The LINE Ad Network enables advertising across over 11,000 diverse app media, reaching a broad user base. Key app categories include e-books, games, social networking, news & weather, camera, finance, health, and utility apps. It also allows for targeted advertising using the vast data from LINE’s 96 million+ monthly active users.
	Home Tab Ads are placed in the “Home” tab, a personal space for users within LINE. The “Home” tab serves as a gateway to various LINE contents, including friends and family services, offering a unique opportunity for advertisers to engage with users in their personal digital environment.
	LINE Monary LINE Monary provides content on saving, insurance, and investing, targeting a broad audience, especially women aged 20-40. Accessible through the “Wallet” tab and its official account, it reaches financially interested users, focusing on those keen on making informed money decisions.
	LINE Receipt LINE Receipt helps users manage finances and compare prices by uploading receipts, mainly targeting women aged 30-50. Accessible through the “Wallet” tab, it’s ideal for those interested in budgeting and rewards.
	LINE OpenChat LINE OpenChat is a chat service that allows users with common interests, such as age or hobbies, to engage in conversations and exchange information. Since its official launch in 2019, it has been operated based on safety guidelines and is widely used by many users.
	LINE Family Apps A suite of diverse apps including games and communication tools under LINE, reaching a broad audience with targeted advertising based on LINE’s extensive user data.
	LINE Family Apps A suite of diverse apps under LINE, including games and communication tools, reaching a broad audience with targeted advertising based on LINE’s extensive user data.
	LINE Album A feature for saving and sharing memories with LINE friends, widely used by users in Japan, especially among women in their 20s and 30s and men in their 30s and 40s for reminiscing with friends, family, and colleagues.

LINE Ads Campaign Objectives

Let’s break down the campaign objectives you can select on LINE to ensure your advertising hits the mark.

1. Website visits: The goal here is to get more people to visit the marketer’s website. When the ads are clicked, users will be directed to the website to learn more about the products or services offered.
2. Website conversions: This goes one step further than just visits; it’s about getting users to take a specific action on the website, such as making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or filling out a contact form.
3. App installs: If the marketer has a mobile app, this objective is to encourage more downloads and installations of that app.
4. App engagement: Once the app is installed, the aim is to increase the usage of the app. Ads might promote specific features of the app or encourage users to return to the app if they haven’t used it in a while.
5. Video views: If the marketer has video content, this objective is to get more users to watch those videos. This could be for brand storytelling, product demos, or other informational content.
6. Reach: This objective is about spreading the ad to as wide an audience as possible. It’s about brand exposure and making sure as many people see the ad as possible, regardless of whether they take immediate action.
7. Dynamic product sales: This is a more targeted form of advertising where ads show products that users have already expressed interest in, perhaps by viewing them on the website or app. It’s a way to remind users about products they considered but didn’t purchase, encouraging them to complete the sale.

Each of these objectives serves a unique purpose in the grand advertising scheme. By aligning your LINE ad campaigns with these goals, you’re setting yourself up for success and ensuring your advertising budget is spent wisely.

Billing Models and Minimum Spend for LINE Ads

With four distinct billing options available, advertisers can select the one that aligns best with their campaign goals, each with its minimum spend requirement.

Cost Per Click (CPC)	Starting from as low as $0.16 (24 yen), CPC is ideal for those aiming to drive traffic to their website. You’re only charged when a user clicks on your ad, making it a cost-effective choice for increasing site visits without incurring costs for ad views alone.
Cost Per Mille (CPM)	With rates beginning at $0.67 (100 yen), CPM is the go-to for brands looking to boost awareness. This model charges you for every 1,000 ad impressions, counting each full ad display on a smartphone screen as one impression.
Cost Per Friend (CPF)	With rates beginning at $0.67 (100 yen), CPM is the go-to for brands looking to boost awareness. This model charges you for every 1,000 ad impressions, counting each full display on a smartphone screen as one impression.
Cost Per View (CPV)	From $0.33 to $0.50 (50 to 75 yen), CPF focuses on growing your LINE Official Account’s friend list. Each new friend added through the ad incurs a charge, offering a straightforward way to expand your LINE community.

The minimum spend for each campaign varies, providing flexibility to tailor your advertising strategy to your budget and goals. By understanding these billing models, you can start your LINE advertising journey, selecting the model that best suits your advertising style and goals.

Whether you’re looking to increase site traffic, enhance brand awareness, grow your LINE friends, or boost video engagement, LINE Ads offers a versatile platform to achieve your marketing objectives.

Payment Methods for LINE Ads: A Guide for International Clients

Understanding the payment methods available for international clients looking to leverage LINE Ads is crucial for a seamless advertising experience.

When setting up your payment for LINE Ads, you can use the following credit card brands:

• VISA
• Mastercard
• American Express
• JCB
• Diners Club

It’s important to note that credit cards issued by banks outside of Japan are not accepted for payment. Additionally, depending on your bank’s policies, some debit and prepaid cards may not be eligible.

We recommend contacting a local Japanese agency that can support LINE ads like us. We can assist in ensuring your payment process is seamless, and you can focus on creating impactful advertising campaigns on LINE.

Prohibited Categories for LINE Ads

When considering advertising on LINE Ads, international clients need to be aware of the specific restrictions on the types of businesses and services that can be promoted. LINE Ads maintains a strict policy prohibiting advertising for certain categories outright or partially.

These categories are;

• Specific religions and religious organizations
• Gambling-related services (excluding public sports, lotteries, and certain exceptions)
• Adult content
• Dating and matchmaking services (with limited exceptions)
• Multi-level marketing schemes
• Tobacco and electronic cigarettes (with limited exceptions)
• All types of weapons, poisons, and hazardous substances
• Unapproved drugs and medical devices
• Information products
• Ticket scalping
• Any other industry, business model, product, or service deemed inappropriate by LINE

Advertisers are encouraged to review their content carefully and ensure compliance with LINE Ads’ policies to avoid suspending advertising accounts or terminating contracts. Understanding these guidelines is crucial for successfully launching and maintaining advertising campaigns on LINE, especially for international clients navigating these rules for the first time.

How to Start LINE Ads and What You Need

Starting with LINE Ads is a straightforward process designed to integrate seamlessly into your marketing strategy. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to launch your advertising campaign on LINE, along with the requirements for your ads.

Getting Started with LINE Ads

1. Issue Your LINE Business ID: A LINE Business ID is essential for accessing LINE’s business services. You can obtain one with an email address or LINE account by registering on the official LINE website and following the “Apply Online” process.
2. Creating an Advertising Account: An advertising account is necessary to submit your ads. Creating a separate account for each product or advertiser is advisable, requiring an official LINE account.
3. Register Your Credit Card: Payment for LINE Ads is facilitated through credit card transactions. Note that only credit cards issued in Japan (VISA, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, Diners Club) are accepted.
4. Media Registration and LINE Tag Installation: After account registration, you’ll need to install LINE Tags for tracking ad performance. These include Base, Conversion, and Custom Event codes for detailed analytics.
5. Delivery Design: Finally, set up your campaign, ad group, and ad, linking the creatives you’ve prepared. Once approved through the screening process, your ad delivery will commence.

Ad Requirements

For your ads to be effective and compliant, they must meet specific criteria:

• Images: Acceptable formats include JPG and PNG, with a maximum size of 5MB per image. Recommended dimensions are 1200×628, 1080×1080, or 600×400 pixels.
• Videos: Should not exceed 30fps, in mp4 format, with aspect ratios of 16:9, 1:1, or 9:16. Resolution can go up to 1080p (720p for ad delivery), with a bitrate of 8Mbps, duration up to 120 seconds (minimum 5 seconds), and file size under 100MB.
• Text: For image and video formats, headlines should be within 20 characters, and descriptions should not exceed 75 characters. Carousel formats allow up to 10 slides, with headlines up to 20 characters and descriptions up to 40.

Landing Page Considerations

The landing page for your ads requires special attention:

• It must be in Japanese and primarily hosted on the advertiser’s site.
• Ensure it includes the advertiser’s information, such as the official name, address, representative’s name, and contact details like email and phone number.
• If operated by a third party, it should have the advertiser’s permission and clearly display the required information for user clarity.

By following these guidelines, you can effectively launch and manage your LINE Ads, ensuring they reach your target audience while adhering to LINE’s advertising standards.

Leveraging LINE Ads for B2B Marketing: A Strategic Approach

As a seasoned expert in Japanese digital marketing, I’ve observed firsthand the transformative impact of LINE Ads across various marketing strategies. While it’s widely recognized that LINE, with its primary function as a communication app, excels in B2C marketing due to its everyday use and social nature, it’s a misconception to discount its effectiveness in the B2B arena.

Let’s delve into why LINE Ads hold significant potential for B2B marketing efforts.

Broad Reach Across Decision-Makers

Firstly, LINE’s ubiquity in Japan cannot be overstated—nearly every Japanese individual uses this app daily. This includes high-ranking decision-makers in the corporate world who may not be active on other social media platforms or even visible on digital platforms like Google. They use LINE for personal communication, such as staying in touch with family, making it a unique channel to reach them directly.

Precision Targeting for B2B Audiences

Secondly, LINE Ads’ precise targeting capabilities are a game-changer for B2B marketing. The platform allows for targeting based on interests and behaviors, including categories highly relevant to a corporate audience—such as income level, industry, interest in business literature, and even leisure activities like golf, which is popular among Japanese corporate executives.

Furthermore, the ability to upload and target specific mobile phone numbers, a requirement for LINE users, offers an unparalleled opportunity to reach your exact target prospects.

By setting your target audience criteria well, incorporating other factors like location, age, and income, and utilizing the “similar audience” feature, you can finely tune your campaigns to reach the desired audience with precision.

Cost-Effectiveness for Wider Awareness

Lastly, the cost-effectiveness of LINE Ads stands out, especially when compared to other advertising platforms. With its extensive reach and higher open rates, LINE Ads provide a more economical option than Google Ads, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

This affordability enables businesses to extend their reach and amplify brand awareness within the same budget, potentially capturing a broader audience and increasing visibility among potential B2B clients.

Conclusion: A Potent Tool for B2B Awareness and Conversion

Considering these factors, LINE Ads emerge as a potent tool for B2B marketing, particularly for awareness campaigns aimed at enhancing brand visibility and driving potential conversions. By tapping into LINE’s vast user base, precise targeting, and cost advantages, B2B marketers can effectively reach and engage with key decision-makers, opening up new avenues for business growth and opportunity in the Japanese market.

When utilized alongside other platforms, understanding its unique advantages, LINE Ads can yield successful results for B2B campaigns. This integrated approach leverages the strengths of each platform, ensuring a comprehensive and effective marketing strategy that maximizes the potential of LINE Ads in the B2B context.

Real-World Success with LINE Ads

Discover the transformative impact of LINE Ads through two compelling case studies. From an online English school leveraging targeted advertising to connect with eager learners, to a B2B marketing solution software company driving webinar registrations among IT professionals, these examples showcase the power and precision of LINE Ads in achieving diverse marketing objectives. Read on to explore how strategic targeting and creative campaigns can lead to remarkable results in both B2C and B2B contexts.

Case Study 1: Online English School B2C Campaign on LINE Ads

An online English language school embarked on a targeted advertising campaign using LINE Ads to broaden its student base in Japan. The campaign’s core objective was to attract individuals keen on enhancing their English skills through an accessible, digital platform. By leveraging LINE’s sophisticated targeting features, the school aimed to connect with a well-defined audience segment, including those interested in English, a higher income level, a passion for education, and lifestyle interests such as travel to North America and Hawaii. This strategic focus was pivotal, ensuring the ads reached potential students most likely to benefit from the school’s online offerings.

Target Audience Strategy

The campaign capitalized on LINE’s advanced targeting capabilities, focusing on users whose profiles matched the school’s ideal student persona. Criteria such as “English interests,” “high income,” “interest in education,” and “inclination towards travel in North America/Hawaii” were used to refine the audience. This precision in targeting was instrumental in delivering the school’s message to individuals with a genuine interest in online English learning, thereby enhancing the likelihood of engagement and conversion.

Campaign Results

The effectiveness of the campaign was evident in its results, highlighting the value of targeted advertising on LINE for B2C businesses:

• Cost Per Impression (CPM): Achieving a CPM of $1.25, the campaign demonstrated efficient exposure, reaching thousands of potential students cost-effectively.
• Cost Per Click (CPC): The CPC rate stood at $0.31, indicating a strong engagement level from the targeted audience, with many users clicking through to learn more about the online school’s programs.
• Cost Per Acquisition (CPA): The campaign achieved a CPA of $8.51 for each contact form submission, showcasing a high conversion rate of interested users into prospective leads.

This case study highlights the strategic advantage of using LINE Ads for online English schools looking to expand their presence in the Japanese market. By effectively utilizing LINE’s targeting options, the online school optimized its advertising budget and significantly increased its lead generation, proving LINE Ads to be an indispensable component of its marketing strategy.

Case Study: B2B Marketing Solution Software Webinar Campaign on LINE Ads

A B2B marketing solution software company launched a targeted campaign on LINE Ads to promote an upcoming webinar. The primary goal was to attract full-time workers in the marketing and IT industries, leveraging LINE’s precise targeting capabilities to reach a highly specialized audience. The campaign was uniquely designed to connect with professionals interested in enhancing their skills and knowledge through webinars, utilizing the “similar audience” feature to tap into a pool of prospects closely resembling their current customer base based on email addresses and phone numbers.

Target Audience Strategy

The campaign targeted full-time workers in marketing roles within the IT industry, a demographic known for its keen interest in digital marketing trends and technologies. The company aimed to attract professionals eager to stay ahead in their field by focusing on individuals with a demonstrated interest in webinars. Using LINE’s “similar audience” feature, generated from the company’s existing prospects’ contact information, allowed for an even more refined targeting approach, ensuring the message reached those most likely to register for the webinar.

Campaign Results

The targeted approach yielded significant results, demonstrating the effectiveness of LINE Ads for B2B marketing objectives:

• Cost Per Impression (CPM): The campaign achieved a CPM of $1.52, indicating a strong reach within the targeted professional demographic at a competitive price point.
• Cost Per Click (CPC): With a CPC of $1.01, the campaign attracted highly interested professionals to click through and learn more about the webinar, reflecting a high level of engagement among the target audience.
• Cost Per Acquisition (CPA): The CPA stood at $53.68 for each webinar sign-up, underscoring the campaign’s success in converting interested professionals into webinar registrants.

This case study illustrates the power of LINE Ads in executing targeted B2B marketing campaigns. By leveraging LINE’s advanced targeting features and the “similar audience” capability, the marketing solution software company was able to efficiently reach and engage a niche audience, driving significant registrations for their webinar. The campaign showcased the potential of LINE Ads to support B2B marketing goals and highlighted the platform’s ability to achieve high conversion rates for specialized events like webinars.

Introducing Our Special Starter Package for LINE Ads

Dive into the Japanese market with our Special Starter Package, designed to make your entry as smooth and effective as possible.

For just $500, not only do we offer full account setup and campaign management tailored to the unique dynamics of Japan’s digital landscape, but we also take care of all payment processes for you.

This package is crafted to provide hassle-free setup and management, deep market expertise to target your audience accurately, and strategic planning to maximize your return on investment. Plus, with our seamless payment management feature, you can focus on your campaign’s success without worrying about the administrative overhead.

Unlock the potential of LINE Ads and expand your brand’s presence in Japan effortlessly. If you are interested in, please apply from below form.