Introduction
Like me, you may have observed that LinkedIn isn’t a very effective marketing tool in Japan. Do you know why? I’ve come across some interesting insights and would love to share them with you.
While LinkedIn continues to grow globally, its adaptation and effectiveness in Japan are still limited by some of the cultural and structural factors.
Differences Between LinkedIn Globally and in Japan
I visited a friend who told me a story about his colleague, Ali, who is now based in the US. He is an ambitious marketing director from a U.S.-based tech company. He was tasked with expanding their brand’s presence in Japan. Having heard about LinkedIn’s success in Western markets, Ali was eager to copy this success in the Japanese market.
He thoroughly crafted a LinkedIn strategy, creating a series of polished posts about his company’s cutting-edge technology and innovative solutions. His content was in English, complete with industry professionalism and wonderful graphics. He aimed at impressing the tech audience. He added telling me that he set up a series of targeted LinkedIn ads and scheduled regular posts about upcoming webinars and product launches.
Attempt to Bring U.S. Marketing Strategies to Japan: Ali’s Case Study
Weeks passed, Ali eagerly checked his analytics. He lost his enthusiasm after checking the minimal engagement rate. The posts received minimal engagement, with very few likes, comments, or shares. The ads were not gaining much attention. He reached out to a local marketing consultant he had recently connected with on LinkedIn, to understand what might be going wrong.
Over tea in a quiet café in Shibuya, the consultant reviewed Ali’s LinkedIn strategy with a thoughtful expression. “Ali, LinkedIn is useful, but it’s not the primary platform for reaching most Japanese professionals. Here, face-to-face interactions and personal referrals hold much more weight. Also, your content is in English and doesn’t reflect the local culture or preferences.
Characteristics of Business Communication in Japan
The local consultant continued, “Japanese professionals prefer more formal communication and localized content. They value detailed, face-to-face presentations and industry events. Social media platforms like Line and Twitter are more widely used here for business communication.”
Ali listened carefully, realizing his oversight. He thanked the consultant and took the advice to heart. He began shifting his strategy: he started holding face-to-face meetings and attending local tech conferences to build genuine relationships. He also began creating content in Japanese, collaborating with local influencers, and engaging directly with his audience through more culturally relevant channels.
Slowly but surely, Ali`s efforts began to pay off. His company started to see increased interest and engagement from the Japanese market. By adapting to the local culture and preferences, Ali learned that success in a new market often requires more than just copying strategies from one’s home country—it requires understanding and embracing local customs and communication styles.
Conclusion: Local Way is The Key to Sucess
And so, Ali’s story became a valuable lesson in the art of international marketing. LinkedIn might be powerful, but sometimes, success lies in knowing when and how to use the right tools for the right audience.
To overcome, LinkedIn is not a suitable marketing tool in Japan due to its low adoption rate, with only 4.2 million active users, compared to 235 million users in the United States. This means Japan’s LinkedIn user base is only about 2% of that in the U.S. Moreover, the information on LinkedIn is frequently outdated, making it ineffective. Eventually, investing time, money, and effort into LinkedIn would likely be a waste.
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