Social media marketing in Japan – UI and UX

UI/UX formats for the four biggest social media platforms in Japan

Do you know exactly what type of content works well on which social media platform in Japan? For successful social media management, it is important to understand where to use what type of content as user engagement heavily depends on delivering the right content. Another important factor is knowing which platform your audience uses and the type of content they expect from those channels. Here we will discuss how to come up with platform-specific content for the top social media networks in Japan, keeping UI and UX in mind for design. 

Please refer to our comprehensive guide on social media in Japan for more info on each platform.

1. LINE Messaging App

LINE is Japan’s most popular social media and messaging platform with 95 million MAU. Although it’s mainly used for communication (messaging and video chats), a large portion of users access the super app for news, cashless payments, shopping and more. 

Learn more about LINE Messaging App or LINE Ads for business

LINE users get updates from their friends by looking at their Timeline. Though some of these are text based, the most engaging content are images. It’s best to use images that convey the message without using text. Generally, users interact with brands on LINE similar to Facebook. 

Tips for both organic posts and paid ads on LINE:

• Make posts image based with little to no text and a short description
• If using video content, make sure to include subtitles that are legible on mobile phones

Tips for organic posts on LINE:

• Message Broadcasts* can use the same content as Timeline posts
• Include a call to action and a landing page URL
• Use carousel images for ecommerce brands with multiple products

*Brands with an Official Account can send direct messages to their “friends”.

2. Twitter

Twitter is one of the top social media platforms in Japan, popular for allowing users to be anonymous and express opinions artfully within the limited 140 characters (yes, it’s still only 140 instead of the 280 we get in English). 

Tips for both organic posts and paid ads on Twitter:

• Try to use the 140-character limit effectively
• Include relevant hashtags (max. 3)
• Use images when applicable 
• The use of emojis, lenticular brackets and other Japanese symbols (▼■①※) in the tweets is encouraged

Tips for organic posts on Twitter:

• Hashtag campaign: get users to follow you and post content with the hashtag for a chance to win
• Retweet campaign: get users to retweet for a chance to win
• Polls: ask for user opinion on a topic to increase engagement
• Discount codes: share a promo code to encourage online purchases

3. Instagram

Considered the go-to social media app to follow food, fashion and lifestyle brands, the platform is particularly popular in Japan with the most stories being posted daily in the world. You will also find many influencers on Instagram with users not batting an eye if their feed is full of sponsored content.

Tips for both organic posts and paid ads on Instagram:

• Use compelling images with no text or video with legible subtitles
• Select relevant hashtags (don’t use more than 10)
• Recommended text length depends on the content, both short and long are acceptable 

Tips for organic posts on Instagram:

• Explore the use of Instagram Live and Reels
• Find influencers to partner with
• Make use of ecommerce features if selling products online

Tips for organic and promoted stories on Instagram:

• try to incorporate polls and questions to increase engagement
• Use both static images and video – in portrait format
• Make good use of the vertical screen 
• Repost regular posts to your story
• Save your best stories to your profile page 

4. Facebook

There are fewer Japanese Facebook users every year as they migrate to other popular platforms. It’s important to note that Facebook is considered a business networking site in Japan. Therefore, most users are inactive on the platform or are only online for business purposes. Therefore, we recommend  B2B companies to have a Facebook Page in Japan.

Tips for both organic posts and paid ads on Facebook:

• B2B image-based or video posts with a strong call to action
• Make use of ecommerce features if selling products or services online
• Use carousel images for ecommerce brands with multiple products

The most challenging platform to create content for is likely LINE as it is only popular in Japan and a few other Asian countries. For most content, it is acceptable to localise existing content in English with only a few tweaks. For this, we recommend working with a Japanese social media expert who will understand how to transcreate copy and select the best-performing content for the Japanese market. This is necessary to ensure good ROI and conversions. 

For hashtag selection on Twitter and Instagram, you can find some powerful tools online that will help you find the most trending keywords for your content. If you need help with the language, use of social listening tools or content creation suited for the Japanese market, do not hesitate to contact us for our support with social media marketing in Japan.