New: 2025 Japanese Marketing Calendar | download for FREE >>

Insights >

Cut costs and increase impressions with small image LINE ads

When running ads on LINE, the creative plays an important role. This article highlights the features of ‘small image’ ads, a type of ad format available on LINE Ads.

What are small image ads? 

There are a number of places where LINE Ads show up within the LINE app and its family of services. Small image ads are one of the many different types of ads that are displayed. 

How ‘small image’ LINE Ads cut costs and increase impressions

※When setting up LINE Ads, it is not possible to choose a specific ad placement.

Small image ads are displayed in the “Talk List” and “LINE NEWS” sections of LINE.

How ‘small image’ LINE Ads cut costs and increase impressions

Three reasons why we recommend small image ads

LINE Ads allow for both still image and video ads. However, given the more moderate learning curve, those new to programmatic advertising may prefer to run still image ads first. 

According to an independent survey conducted by LINE, more than 50% of still image ads are placed on users’ talk lists, followed by LINE NEWs with 40.9%. 

In terms of the type of ad placed on chat lists, small image ads have the highest percentage, more than still image card and still image square ads. 

Since many users regularly look at their chat list and LINE NEWS pages, these two areas have a high activity rate. By utilising small image ads, advertisers can efficiently distribute their ads to these two popular areas to promote their products and services. 

Ads displayed on the chat list also tend to have a lower CPM than other ads due to the large number of impression opportunities, which can improve an ad’s effectiveness. 

To summarise the features of small image ads:

  • Still image ads are more often placed on chat lists and LINE NEWS.
  • Of the above, small image ads are more likely to be placed on chat lists.
  • The CPM for ads placed on chat lists is low, making it easy to improve ad performance. 

What to know when creating small image ads

Since LINE Ads are delivered to smartphone users, ads are displayed on a relatively small screen. Small image ads are even smaller than other creative formats, so it is important to pay attention to their viewability.

In order to create a small image ad that users can understand at a glance, the ad’s headline and image are important. 

Creating headlines with different points of appeal

Small image ads delivered to chat lists display two headlines, “long headline 1” and “long headline 2”. 

By choosing different points of appeal for headlines 1 and 2, the ad will likely have a bigger impact on the user.

Also, linking the creative with long headlines 1 and 2 increases the ad’s effectiveness. 


Easy to understand creatives

As mentioned earlier, small image ads are smaller than other ad formats, so it’s important to be aware of the ad’s viewability. We recommend using creatives that clearly communicate the product or service even on a smartphone.

In addition, in order to increase the ad’s effectiveness, we recommend experimenting with multiple creatives to determine which ad performs best. When making the different creatives, we recommend extracting them from existing banner ads.

Since small image ads are relatively small, it is important to narrow down the elements you want to convey. By identifying, selecting, and extracting the elements of an existing banner ad, you can quickly create different small image ads.

If you would like to know more about creating small image ads, you can download the relevant documents from LINE Ad Manager.


Creative Lab simplifies creative production 

You can use the ‘LINE Creative Lab’ tool available on LINE Ad Manager to easily create ads.  

To access the tool, click on the ≡ (hamburger button) in the upper lefthand corner of LINE Ad Manager, then click on Shared Library, then Creative Lab.

You can use one of the professionally created templates if you do not want to create a small image ad from scratch. 


Case studies of increased ad performance using small image ads


Half the CPA and 7 times the delivery volume 

This case study is for a human resources business. Compared to square still image ads, the impressions earned from small image ads increased significantly. The company was able to increase the delivery volume by about 7 times while cutting the CPA (cost per customer acquisition) in half, demonstrating how small image ads are highly visible and clickable. 


Maximising delivery volume at the lowest CPA

This case study is for a cosmetics company. Compared to square still image ads, the company was able to increase the ad delivery volume by approximately 6 times while achieving a lower CPA. 

More than 86% of their CVs (conversions) were via small image ads, indicating that this ad format can also contribute to sales.

* The above is a document compiled by LINE based on actual cases. The advertisements listed do not necessarily guarantee results.

We at DMFA can help you start running LINE Ads, including small image ads. Do not hesitate to contact our team of bilingual Japanese digital marketing experts for additional information, support, or management of LINE Ads or to open a LINE Official Account.

arrow-down-blackarrow-down-quaternaryarrow-down-whitearrow-down-white2 ^ arrow-downarrow-left-greyarrow-leftarrow-right-greyarrow-rightclosedigital-marketing-for-asiaedit menu-close menu pin scroll social-email social-facebook--alt social_facebooksocial_googleplussocial_instagramsocial-linkedin--alt social_linkedin_altsocial_pinterestsocial-twitter--alt logo-twitter-glyph-32social-youtube--alt social_youtubespeechtickvideo whitepaper