Articles
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Aug 05 2022
5 Tips for Running Twitter Ads in Japan
With over 59 million users in Japan, Twitter is more popular than both Facebook and Instagram. And although it may not be the first platform you go to for your PPC needs, it can be a great tool for those who know how to use it well. If you’re considering launching your first Twitter Ads campaign for the Japanese market, or even your first Twitter campaign ever, we’ve outlined a few tips that might help you integrate it into your marketing funnel. Table of Contents Refine Your Tone for Promoted Tweets Tap Into Japanese Seasonality Track Trending Conversations in Japan Localize Your Visuals Be Active with Customer Replies and Company Updates Refine Your Tone for Promoted Tweets One of the best ways to get a high-quality score and lower your ad costs is by promoting content you already know works well for your brand. The tweets which gain the most exposure organically are likely to also perform the best when you promote them through paid ads. There is a t
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Aug 05 2022
Top 5 LINE Advertising Tips for Japan
LINE is Japan’s top social networking site (SNS), but not that many foreign brands advertise on it! Why? One major reason is many see LINE as simply a messaging service like WhatsApp and are unaware of its various ad features available to brands and businesses. Another reason is brands just don’t know how to get the most from it or where it should fit into their marketing mix. If you’re intrigued about LINE’s potential, we explore our tips for foreign brands considering using it as a PPC advertising or brand awareness tool. Table of Contents Understand LINE’s Function In Your Sales Funnel Use LINE for Customer Retention and Upselling Appeal to Customers with Japanese Ad Content Inform Strategies with Local Customer Data Work with Japanese Project Managers 1. Understand LINE’s Function In Your Sales Funnel We find that LINE ads are best used for the top of the sales funnel (brand awareness) and the bottom (retention and encouraging loyalty). As the ap
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Aug 05 2022
Starting A Business in Japan — A Guide for 2022
Expanding into the Japanese market is a dream for many brands. However, many are put off by the perceived difficulty of officially setting up a business here — especially those with limited experience of the nation's laws and regulations. Yet, as we’ve seen first-hand many times over, there’s no reason why companies who approach the process diligently can’t successfully incorporate with minimal hassle. In this post, we’ll outline how exactly to go about starting a business in Japan, including the kind of forms and applications you need to complete, as well as a brief look at what the landscape looks like for new businesses in 2022. If you’re still learning about what the country has to offer, you might want to first take a look at our guide: Japanese Market Entry in 2022 – A Crash Course for Inbound Businesses Table of Contents Is Japan Open for Business in 2022? Visa Types For Starting a Business in Japan Requirements for Establishing Your Business i
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Jul 01 2022
Search Engine Marketing in Japan — SEM Localization Tips for Foreign Brands
Localization is a crucial part of making sure your marketing works in Japan. From paid search campaigns on Google to SEO-focused blog content aimed at ranking for organic keywords, you won’t get the results you want here without a comprehensive localization strategy. We explore our top localization tips for foreign brands engaged in search engine marketing (SEM) in Japan. Table of Contents Why Is Localization So Important to Japanese SEM? Localize Your Keywords and Ads Properly Adapt Your Landing Pages for the Local Audience Build An Effective Localization Team Entering the Japanese Ecommerce Market? We Can Help! Why Is Localization So Important to Japanese SEM? Localization is the process of adapting your content for a new market, language or culture. This can include copy, design, the layouts of your ads and even your brand. When done right, effective localization will recreate the emotional and persuasiv
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Jul 01 2022
Logistics in Japan — 3 Need-to-Know Tips for Cross Border Ecommerce
There are several logistical hurdles to overcome when selling your products in Japan. Although cross border ecommerce is a profitable option for many sellers expanding their operations here, warehousing, deliveries, and customer service are all areas you need to master if you want to find long-term success in the Japanese ecommerce market. We’ve outlined what we think are three of the most important tips for organising your logistics in Japan. Table of Contents 1. Go for Last-Mile Fulfilment 2. Leverage FBA Services 3. Think About Local Needs and Don’t Let Your Customers Down Entering the Japanese Ecommerce Market? We Can Help! 1. Go for Last-Mile Fulfilment While each step of the delivery journey from sender to customer is crucial, there’s no step more important than the last mile delivery stage, where goods are transported to customers. The goal of last mile delivery is to transport an item to its recipi
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Jul 01 2022
SEO Marketing In Japan – 10 Mistakes to Avoid in 2022
The basic principles of SEO apply no matter where you’re targeting customers. However, many brands fail to localize their approach when entering the Japanese market — leading to weak SERP performance and ineffective keyword targeting strategies. Below is our list of top 10 mistakes to avoid when engaging in SEO marketing in Japan for 2022! Table of Contents Key Facts Influencing Japanese SEO in 2022 Not Catering to Your Japanese Audience Not Creating Brand New Japanese SEO Content Not Targeting the Right Japanese Keywords Ignoring Japanese Search Intent An “Unhealthy” Backlink Acquisition Strategy Not Adapting Your Web UX for Japanese Users in 2022 Not Working with Japanese Copywriters and Marketing Creatives Not Adjusting Your Meta Data and Technical SEO for Japanese Keywords Not Supporting Your SEO Gains with Other Strategies Not Tracking Content and Keyword Performance Diligently Final SEO Marketing Tips for 2022 Key Facts Influen
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Jun 04 2022
Selling On Online Stores in Japan – How to Build Trust
Ecommerce sellers operating in Japan rarely succeed without finding ways to build trust quickly with their customers. Considering how to establish your brand’s credibility fast and start growing long-term relationships with your new audience is crucial if you want to succeed in an increasingly competitive market — with even more challenges for non-domestic brands. We explore how ecommerce sellers can build trust when operating in Japan, with advice that applies to those designing their very own online store in Japan for direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales or merchants selling through one of the nation’s popular ecommerce platforms such as Amazon or Rakuten. Table of Contents Collect As Many Trust Building Points As Possible Focus On Design and Visuals to Make a Good First Impression Show Empathy for Customer Needs and Concerns Make Contacting You Easy Create a Loyalty Program Identify Trust Gaps with Analytics Entering the Japanese Ecommerc
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Jun 03 2022
Online Sales in Japan - 3 Trends You Need to Know
Japanese ecommerce growth has been staggering over the last decade, even before the pandemic drove more people to choose online shopping over brick-and-mortar (something many people thought unlikely for older demographics given the nation’s love affair with local shops and cash payments). For ecommerce businesses looking to drive online sales in Japan, there have never been so many opportunities available, but neither has there been this much competition — coming from all directions, including big-name physical retailers moving online to stabilize sales, new domestic players, foreign merchants using cross-border sales models and existing ecommerce sellers fighting to stay in the game. Thriving in this landscape requires local insight and quick action for brands who want to secure a future for themselves in the third largest ecommerce market in the world after the US and China. We discuss three ecommerce trends to pay close attention to! Table of Contents Older Demograph
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Jun 03 2022
Japanese Market Entry in 2022 - A Crash Course for Inbound Businesses
For companies considering international expansion, there’s an understandable temptation to focus on markets that are geographically and culturally close. Yet, while the task of bringing your brand and products to Japanese consumers may not be as simple as expanding to a neighboring country, the nation presents incredible opportunities for those bold enough to make this move. In this post, we offer a crash course for businesses considering the challenging yet fruitful task of Japanese market entry in 2022. Table of Contents Japanese Market Overview for 2022 Booming Sectors in Japan Choosing How to Enter Japan in 2022 — Entry Strategies Explained The Importance of Localization in Japanese Market Entry Questions to Ask Yourself when Planning Your Entry Strategy Hiring Local Staff in 2022 Finding the Right Local Partners Getting Started Japanese Market Overview for 2022 After the United States and China, Japan has the third-largest economy Th
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Apr 29 2022
Japanese Brand Design - 3 CRO Tips for Foreign Brands
Optimising your website for conversions in Japan isn’t always easy. If you’re focused on turning your hard-earned traffic into sales or qualified leads, there’s no doubt that Japanese cultural differences and specific market considerations make it necessary for you to adapt the way you do things here. In this post, we explore our top 3 CRO tips for foreign brands hoping to incorporate Japanese brand design and improve the performance of their websites in Japan. TABLE OF CONTENTS Make Design Choices Based On Your Audience Make Considerations for Age Balance Informational with Aspirational Make Design Choices Based On Your Audience The biggest mistake foreign brands make when designing or adapting their websites for Japan is not understanding how local preferences and motivations should inform decisions when it comes to branding and visuals. If you’re simply translating your text and not going through a full localization process (which includes your visu
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