The Secret to Successful Corporate LINE Management? The Key Lies in the Depth of Your "Friends" Relationship (Part 2)

• What's the Secret to Successful Corporate LINE Management? The Key Lies in the Strength of "Friend" Relationships (Part 1)

LINE is gaining importance as a communication tool between companies and customers for promotions, marketing, and more. We present the second part of an article where Yoshimi Ogino of Dentsu Digital Inc., a company with numerous achievements in supporting corporate SNS operations, explains corporate LINE management.

This time, we delve deeper into topics such as the changing importance of LINE in marketing over recent years, how to understand "friends" on LINE, and the mindset required for companies managing their accounts. Those wondering "Should we continue using LINE as is?" or feeling anxious about "Are there risks to posting on LINE?" when considering implementation may find useful insights here.

Because it's "push-based," caution is needed to avoid being blocked

Q. Mr. Ogino, you support corporate LINE operations on the front lines. Do you feel LINE's importance within marketing activities has increased significantly over the past few years?

Ogino: If you ask whether LINE has become more important, the answer is definitely yes. The opportunities to leverage LINE's potential have clearly increased, and the impact of the pandemic has played a significant role in this. For example, companies with physical stores, like cosmetics and apparel retailers, have significantly expanded how they use LINE in the last year or two. This includes adding features like in-store appointment booking via LINE.

More companies are also adopting features provided through "LINE Mini Apps," which support digital membership cards and point systems. LINE Mini Apps are a platform enabling all kinds of services—like membership cards, ordering, reservations, and check-ins—to be offered directly within LINE. Utilizing this, for instance, a store can place a QR code where users can simply scan it with their smartphone to easily register as members. Optionally, users can also smoothly add the store's official LINE account as a friend.

LINE is increasingly becoming an indispensable platform in daily life. When companies seek new touchpoints with users, LINE offers a gateway that easily integrates into users' routines. This is a significant strength unique to LINE, not found in other SNS platforms. I believe LINE is one of the apps most people use most frequently in their daily lives.

Q. When considering LINE as an SNS, concerns about operational burden and the risk of backlash are also points of interest. Conversely, are there any particular points to note when operating on LINE?

Ogino: Regarding backlash risks, cases where unintended content is released or users misinterpret the sender's intent are certainly possible. However, this isn't unique to LINE; it's a constant challenge for any brand attempting to communicate something.

If there's a consideration unique to LINE, it's likely the stronger push-type element compared to other SNS platforms. While it boasts high open rates and strong reach, there's also a significant risk that users perceive LINE messages as noise. This requires careful attention. Once blocked on LINE, no message will reach the user unless they re-add you as a friend.

Precisely because it's push-based and easily reaches users, the strategy of "Who to target and when to send?" becomes critically important. Therefore, understanding your users, thoroughly analyzing collected data, and making continuous efforts to optimize daily operations are essential.

Furthermore, cases where companies start using LINE simply because "everyone else is doing it!" without clearly understanding their own challenges or objectives—essentially making the means the end—often lose sight of their purpose after launch and quickly discontinue the service. It's best to avoid this approach whenever possible.

To build trustworthy relationships, focus on long-term operational improvements.

Q. From the perspective of companies implementing LINE, there's likely an expectation that "starting LINE might boost sales..." But does LINE actually contribute to sales?

Ogino: Certainly, it has significant potential to contribute to sales. However, expecting a sudden, dramatic sales increase just by launching LINE might be unrealistic. Instead, it's better to introduce it with an eye toward the potential for long-term sales growth and nurturing customers. For LINE operations, it's crucial to consider implementation from a long-term perspective—focusing not just on the short term, but on expanding touchpoints with customers and potentially broadening sales channels for the future.

To drive sales improvement, it's crucial to adopt a persistent, hands-on approach: making detailed operational adjustments, conducting regular monitoring, and diligently executing the PDCA cycle. While failures are inevitable, we avoid viewing them negatively. Instead, we reframe them as "discovering methods that don't work" and use this insight to iterate improvements.

When assisting with a restaurant's official LINE account, we increased sales via LINE by 47 times compared to the initial launch. Key success factors included providing a frictionless ordering experience through "linking LINE IDs with member information" ( as discussed in Part 1 ) and steadily cultivating purchase motivation through daily, incremental improvements to our messaging creativity. By working closely with the company to make small, incremental improvements—such as fine-tuning the wording guiding users to purchase or inquire, and daily testing how CTA placement and featured food items differed based on whether the menu was for individuals or groups—we achieved a remarkable sales increase.

Here, we must emphasize the importance of "Friends." On other SNS platforms, even with few followers, a single viral post can potentially reach a massive audience. However, on LINE, short-term viral reach pales in comparison to the critical importance of the relationship with "Friends."

This is where LINE's concept of "friends" differs from other SNS platforms' "followers." While the sheer number of "friends" is certainly important on LINE, what matters most are "friends who haven't blocked you." This is the meaning behind the term "target reach" on LINE. The key to successful LINE management lies in how effectively you can increase these "friends (target reach)" – those with deep, meaningful relationships who genuinely love your brand.

Q. Finally, could you share any key points or advice you have for corporate LINE managers?

Ogino: In my previous role at a fashion company, I managed social media, and I often struggled to gather internal information and find content to post. Unless you promote it as a company-wide project, gathering members from each department, the person in charge tends to become isolated. I think many social media managers reading this will nod in agreement. Furthermore, conflicts can arise between departments over whether to prioritize branding or sales when creating content.

To run social media platforms like LINE smoothly, internal collaboration is truly crucial. I strongly feel that building a team dedicated to achieving goals is essential—starting with aligning on a clear, high-resolution purpose like "Why are we using LINE?" within the company, and then assigning responsible personnel across departments. This is something I've strongly realized not only from my own experience but also through working with various companies.

For concerns like "the purpose isn't clear" or "we're struggling to align internal understanding," our company also provides support such as designing and conducting workshops for clients' internal teams. We accompany companies not only in solving "marketing challenges" but in addressing all their various issues.

Mr. Ogino emphasizes that for LINE, what matters isn't short-term buzz, but building "deeper relationships with friends" that aren't easily blocked. He also suggests that for the companies operating their accounts, the key lies in whether they can approach it with an understanding of their own challenges and a long-term perspective focused on nurturing relationships with customers. If you aim to achieve more in-depth communication with your customers through LINE, why not consider these two points when formulating your LINE operation strategy?