Content Marketing is a key strategy for many Western brands looking to make an impact in Japan. Whether it’s through social media, influencer or email marketing, a careful and culturally minded approach is necessary for connecting with Japanese audiences.
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Great content is the key to your business and website’s success.
We’re not referring to the “content churn” vacuum a lot of companies fall into when they mass produce recycled, generic content to profit from an engagement frenzy. The type of content that is going to be successful for you is the one that is born out of users’ search intent and that fulfills its purpose by answering their questions at different stages of the funnel. This is especially true for Japanese audiences.
Here’s everything you need to know about how content marketing in Japan differs from the West, and the best way to set yourself up for success.
Tip #1: Content Messaging that Matches Japanese Consumer Behavior
In the West – particularly in the US – brand messaging tends to be more aggressive in comparison to Japan. For instance, the ‘Buy Now’ to ‘Learn More’ ratio may lean quite a bit more toward the latter for trying to connect with Japanese consumers.
Your relationship with your target audience in Japan will also require much more nurturing. Cheap prices and deep discounts won’t be enough to win customers over. The Japanese market values the quality of products and services, as well as a brand’s reputation, over cost.
Western consumers are more willing to gamble with their money if they see a good enough deal, but the Japanese are keen to make a sounder investment. As such, keeping a slow-and-steady pace with the customer’s journey will go a long way.
Content that takes time to educate potential customers about products and services can gain an audience’s trust and increase their likelihood of reaching the point of conversion.
Tip #2: High-Quality Localization of your Content
Failing to localize your content properly can lead to awkward communication with your audience, and possibly negate all your marketing efforts. Understanding the unique aspects of Japanese culture means Google Translate is simply not enough to get the job done.
The best way to avoid alienating potential customers is to invest in localization services using a bilingual staff with native command of Japanese that understands the nuances of the language.
The content marketing team at Info Cubic is comprised of bilingual staff from the United States and Canada, along with native Japanese team members. We can accurately convey your brand voice to your target Japan audience and provide top-notch localization service to make sure nothing gets lost in translation. Contact us today and view our content marketing services to learn more about our scope of expertise.
On that note, it’s important to make sure the keywords you’re targeting in Japanese make sense as well. This is another instance of 1:1 translation not being adequate, as these will likely not match actual search behaviors. If your content marketing strategy relies on achieving high organic search rankings, overlooking this important detail could spell trouble. A quality localization service can help you avoid this pitfall.
Tip #3: Know Where Your Content Will Thrive
As stated earlier, there are many formats for getting content across to consumers in Japan, but some are more effective than others. Blogs and articles can be a useful avenue depending on your desired audience, but your mileage may vary greatly. In essence, Japanese audiences respond more favorably to visual content, so budget spent on writers might be put to better use elsewhere.
Japan is a majority pedestrian society, with trains as the most common mode of transportation. This results in most online interactions taking place via smartphones. Consequently, infographics, as well as high quality image and video content, are the most appealing to consumers.
In the fast-paced metropolis of Tokyo, grabbing the attention of potential customers is paramount, and is why video marketing and customer interactions on social media have the greatest potential for success.
But even then, knowing your company’s position and KPIs will be key to knowing just which platforms to choose for increasing your brand presence. Are you a B2B company? Facebook might be the best place to share your content. Looking to boost brand awareness leading to B2C sales? LINE and Instagram may be most suited to your goals. Do you have an innovative product that requires in order to be understood? That’s where YouTube content marketing comes in.
Furthermore, due to the rising popularity of TikTok in Japan, Japanese influencer marketing through brand collaborations is becoming a worthwhile investment more and more each day as this form of content yields incredible results.
If you’re considering influencer marketing in Japan, check out these 7 Tips for a successful campaign, and learn how Info Cubic can help you get a foot in the door to the Japanese influencer landscape.
Are You Prepared for Successful Content Marketing in Japan?
While we all agree that content marketing is the process of creating relevant and valuable information that benefits and engages the audience, what makes for “Great Content” is dependent on just how deeply of a connection your messaging makes with the consumer.
Content marketers need to come up with a strategy for each step of the consumer’s buying cycle, across different channels. In fact, a marketing strategy does not exist without solid content to support it every step of the way. Social media, SEO, PR, PPC, and inbound marketing are all dependent on high-quality content.
To sum up, content marketing in Japan follows the same core rules as anywhere else. However, without knowing the local customs and cultural features that make it so unique, your odds of success are greatly decreased. For a glimpse of how a digital marketing agency based in Japan helps companies localize their content, check out Info Cubic Japan’s Content Marketing Solutions.
Do you already have an idea of what your business needs? Fill out our form and we can help guide your content marketing campaign in the right direction.
