We often receive inquiries from international clients who want to run paid ads on Japanese social media platforms such as LINE, TikTok, Instagram, or Facebook.
Many of them have done some research beforehand and know that these platforms have high user shares in Japan. Naturally, they expect strong results from advertising on them.
While it’s true that these platforms are extremely popular, it doesn’t mean they’re universally effective for every type of business. There are a few common misunderstandings we often see.
Misunderstanding 1: “SNS works for every kind of product.”
Most users engage with these platforms for personal or entertainment purposes. That means B2C products—consumer goods—can perform well. But B2B products often don’t.
For example, it’s hard to imagine someone deciding to purchase a million dollor enterprise system by clicking a Facebook ad. In our experience, most Japanese ads on Facebook are consumer-facing. While some are B2B, they’re relatively rare.
Misunderstanding 2: “If it’s B2C, SNS is always the best choice.”
Not necessarily. Even within B2C, there are different levels of purchase intent and product types.
Imagine this: you might click a Facebook ad to buy a 10 dollor smart phone case, or an Instagram ad to pick up a nice bottle of wine for the weekend. But would you really buy an engagement ring costing hundreds of thousands of yen through a social media ad?
The same goes for industries like healthcare. A cosmetic clinic or beauty salon might attract new clients through social ads, but people searching for treatments for serious illnesses aren’t likely to click on an Instagram or TikTok ad to make that decision.
Misunderstanding 3: “SNS is only for young people.”
It’s true that different platforms attract different audiences, but the assumption that only young people use social media is outdated. Facebook and TikTok, for example, have completely different user demographics.
And while many assume older people—those in their 60s or 70s—don’t use social media, data shows that’s not entirely true. (You can look up recent statistics on SNS usage by age group in Japan to see this clearly.)
SNS advertising can be an extremely powerful marketing tool in Japan, but only when used strategically. Success depends on clearly defining your objective and target audience, then crafting a campaign that fits both.
