Facebook has become popular in Japan in January 2011 after Twitter became popular in Japan in July 2010, which is the reason why 2011 is often said to be “the first year of SNS in Japan” as explained in the previous article Vol.48 – 2011 Japan’s First Year of Social Media / SNS. Indeed Facebook has been started to be used in marketing by some innovative Japanese companies such as Fast Retailing (famous for UniQlo brand) and in recruiting as explained in the previous article Vol.63 – Social Recruiting: Cases and Future of Recruiting in Japan.

Now Facebook seems to be used by more business owners and companies in Japan that are not necessarily innovators in Internet marketing.

1. What kinds of people in Japan used to use Facebook until 2010?

It was mostly people in IT/Internet industry and/or people with international background that used Facebook until 2010.

The former, i.e. people in IT/Internet industry, are the early adaptors of new social media, and very often those who are to use social media in business and/or to do business on social media, such as web marketer, and social media/web marketing consultant.

But since Facebook had not been popular in Japan until January 2011, it seems that they had not been truly using Facebook in business and/or doing business about Facebook, and such people had been using mostly Japan local social media such as Mixi, blogs, YouTube, and Twitter.

The latter, i.e. people with international background, are mostly those people who have started using Facebook to keep in touch with friends outside Japan. Thus this was mostly for private use.

2. How has the Facebook users changed in Japan?

Today it is quite evident that the Facebook users cover early adopters who are not necessarily IT/Internet savvy nor of international background, just by looking at how the author’s new Facebook friends have changed in the few years.

1) Spread from English to Japanese online community

The author’s Facebook friends used to be mostly of English speaking people. She first started to use Facebook in 2009 mostly used to use Facebook to keep in touch with her friends around the world from her childhood and university, and to share information with worldwide online friends she met on LinedIn and Twitter. That is to say, her online network was mostly of English community.

In 2010 she connected with a Japanese independent Internet marketing consultant on Twitter then on Facebook, from which her online network started to spread to Japanese community as well. The consultant had been looking for a Japanese marketer with high English proficiency to connect online because he believed that it would be a marketer with English proficiency that would be successful in the future. Therefore when he found the author he immediately started to follow her (and advised some of his friend in the Internet industry to connect with her), and she followed him back.

It was then she started to connect first with the consultant’s Japanese online friends including Internet marketer at Japan IBM and founder/CEO of a Japanese social media consulting company who used to fork for Japan IBM, and her Japanese friends from her university years when she was a member of AIESEC, the world’s largest global student’s organization. Such of her friends are mostly bilingual with international background, who were (and are) using Facebook mostly to keep in touch with friends around the globe.

2) Spread to early adopters of the general public

From around autumn of 2010 the author started to receive friend requests from Japanese people not necessarily of international background nor from Internet industry. This is when the author’s wall started to become bilingual (English and Japanese).

And in 2011, her interactions in Japanese on Facebook surpassed those in English so when she started Google+ in July she changed her Facebook strategy to use it mostly for local interaction although she still uses for global interaction. She positioned LinkedIn and Google+ as the media for worldwide interaction. (She has 2 twitter accounts, one for English and the other for Japanese).

3. How is Facebook used in Japan today?

Today in Japan Facerbook is used both in business and private.

1) Business Use

(1) Internet/web/online marketers

Internet/web/online marketers use Facebook mostly for business. They use Facebook (including Facebook page) mainly to share online articles of their expertise and/or their blogs which showcase their expertise and/or their business.

They also use it to announce the seminars and other events, and share how it was successful after the seminars and events.

They also use it to share that they are to publish a book etc. In fact, there have been quite a few “how-to” Facebook books and seminars lately.

(2) Companies and other organizations

Some innovative companies have set up their Facebook pages for marketing and recruiting, as the author introduced in some of her previous articles.

Now, more companies started to set up their Facebook pages. Such companies seem to be mostly of Japanese companies strong in marketing, engaged in BtoC business, or non-Japanese global companies operating in Japan strong in Internet marketing companies especially in BtoC business. Examples of industries/businesses that such companies are engaged in are IT, retailing, automobile, and cosmetics.

In the case of Fast Retaining, their main objective of being the innovator in Facebook use in marketing is to raise their global brand awareness and expand their business globally.

In the case of marketing of other Japanese companies, it seems that they already had been executing their web marketing and they wanted to make it social and interactive by adding social media.

And in the case of recruiting of companies in Japan, whether Japanese or non-Japanese operating in Japan, they seem to want to make a paradigm shift in recruiting from mass-recruiting to one-on-one recruiting, to find unique talent from around the globe who are compassionate to their philosophy and values, in line with their management/corporate strategy and Diversity initiative.

2) Private Use

Many Japanese Facebook users, regardless of their background, use for private in sharing their status about their family and themselves. They post where they (and their family) are, what they are doing, what they feel lately etc. They also use Facebook to share online articles and other URLs that they find interesting.

Facebook is also often used to say seasonal greetings such as to say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, and to say Happy Birthday. One thing the author realized is that lately photos of foods are frequently posted (similar trend in Googld+ as well).

Facebook allows their users to keep in touch with online friends regardless of change in location (home address) work etc., and therefore it is often used to send private messages to friends similarly to sending messages by e-mails.

4. What are the author’s final thoughts?

With segments (types/kinds) of Facebook users continuously expanding and diversifying together with how Facebook is used, it is critical that each Facebook user need to be clear of their objectives of using Facebook, from which their Facebook strategy is developed and executed.

This would define who to connect on Facebook and what kind of information to post.

Otherwise, Facebook users would find too much “noise” and, not being able to benefit fully from Facebook. This applies to all other social media as well.

This may well be the very reason why a few of the author’s Japanese Facebook friends recently said that they reviewed their Facebook friends and un-friended quite a few. They said they un-friended “inactive users, those whose conversation and posts do not match with them, and whom they cannot understand”.
 

2011 being said as “the first Year of SNS/social media” in Japan, Facebook has become popular in Japan in the past one year. Variety of people regardless of their background and work experience started to use Facebook both in business and private. More companies are starting to use Facebook in business, marketing and recruiting. This means that each Facebook user need to be clear about their objectives of using Facebook and be brave to un-friend who do not match with their objectives; otherwise they would have too much “noise” and they would not benefit fully from Facebook.

Facebook has become popular in Japan in January 2011 after Twitter became popular in Japan in July 2010, which is the reason why 2011 is often said to be “the first year of SNS in Japan” as explained in the previous article Vol.48 – 2011 Japan’s First Year of Social Media / SNS. Indeed Facebook has been started to be used in marketing by some innovative Japanese companies such as Fast Retailing (famous for UniQlo brand) and in recruiting as explained in the previous article Vol.63 – Social Recruiting: Cases and Future of Recruiting in Japan.

Now Facebook seems to be used by more business owners and companies in Japan that are not necessarily innovators in Internet marketing.

1. What kinds of people in Japan used to use Facebook until 2010?

It was mostly people in IT/Internet industry and/or people with international background that used Facebook until 2010.

The former, i.e. people in IT/Internet industry, are the early adaptors of new social media, and very often those who are to use social media in business and/or to do business on social media, such as web marketer, and social media/web marketing consultant.

But since Facebook had not been popular in Japan until January 2011, it seems that they had not been truly using Facebook in business and/or doing business about Facebook, and such people had been using mostly Japan local social media such as Mixi, blogs, YouTube, and Twitter.

The latter, i.e. people with international background, are mostly those people who have started using Facebook to keep in touch with friends outside Japan. Thus this was mostly for private use.

2. How has the Facebook users changed in Japan?

Today it is quite evident that the Facebook users cover early adopters who are not necessarily IT/Internet savvy nor of international background, just by looking at how the author’s new Facebook friends have changed in the few years.

1) Spread from English to Japanese online community

The author’s Facebook friends used to be mostly of English speaking people. She first started to use Facebook in 2009 mostly used to use Facebook to keep in touch with her friends around the world from her childhood and university, and to share information with worldwide online friends she met on LinedIn and Twitter. That is to say, her online network was mostly of English community.

In 2010 she connected with a Japanese independent Internet marketing consultant on Twitter then on Facebook, from which her online network started to spread to Japanese community as well. The consultant had been looking for a Japanese marketer with high English proficiency to connect online because he believed that it would be a marketer with English proficiency that would be successful in the future. Therefore when he found the author he immediately started to follow her (and advised some of his friend in the Internet industry to connect with her), and she followed him back.

It was then she started to connect first with the consultant’s Japanese online friends including Internet marketer at Japan IBM and founder/CEO of a Japanese social media consulting company who used to fork for Japan IBM, and her Japanese friends from her university years when she was a member of AIESEC, the world’s largest global student’s organization. Such of her friends are mostly bilingual with international background, who were (and are) using Facebook mostly to keep in touch with friends around the globe.

2) Spread to early adopters of the general public

From around autumn of 2010 the author started to receive friend requests from Japanese people not necessarily of international background nor from Internet industry. This is when the author’s wall started to become bilingual (English and Japanese).

And in 2011, her interactions in Japanese on Facebook surpassed those in English so when she started Google+ in July she changed her Facebook strategy to use it mostly for local interaction although she still uses for global interaction. She positioned LinkedIn and Google+ as the media for worldwide interaction. (She has 2 twitter accounts, one for English and the other for Japanese).

3. How is Facebook used in Japan today?

Today in Japan Facerbook is used both in business and private.

1) Business Use

(1) Internet/web/online marketers

Internet/web/online marketers use Facebook mostly for business. They use Facebook (including Facebook page) mainly to share online articles of their expertise and/or their blogs which showcase their expertise and/or their business.

They also use it to announce the seminars and other events, and share how it was successful after the seminars and events.

They also use it to share that they are to publish a book etc. In fact, there have been quite a few “how-to” Facebook books and seminars lately.

(2) Companies and other organizations

Some innovative companies have set up their Facebook pages for marketing and recruiting, as the author introduced in some of her previous articles.

Now, more companies started to set up their Facebook pages. Such companies seem to be mostly of Japanese companies strong in marketing, engaged in BtoC business, or non-Japanese global companies operating in Japan strong in Internet marketing companies especially in BtoC business. Examples of industries/businesses that such companies are engaged in are IT, retailing, automobile, and cosmetics.

In the case of Fast Retaining, their main objective of being the innovator in Facebook use in marketing is to raise their global brand awareness and expand their business globally.

In the case of marketing of other Japanese companies, it seems that they already had been executing their web marketing and they wanted to make it social and interactive by adding social media.

And in the case of recruiting of companies in Japan, whether Japanese or non-Japanese operating in Japan, they seem to want to make a paradigm shift in recruiting from mass-recruiting to one-on-one recruiting, to find unique talent from around the globe who are compassionate to their philosophy and values, in line with their management/corporate strategy and Diversity initiative.

2) Private Use

Many Japanese Facebook users, regardless of their background, use for private in sharing their status about their family and themselves. They post where they (and their family) are, what they are doing, what they feel lately etc. They also use Facebook to share online articles and other URLs that they find interesting.

Facebook is also often used to say seasonal greetings such as to say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, and to say Happy Birthday. One thing the author realized is that lately photos of foods are frequently posted (similar trend in Googld+ as well).

Facebook allows their users to keep in touch with online friends regardless of change in location (home address) work etc., and therefore it is often used to send private messages to friends similarly to sending messages by e-mails.

4. What are the author’s final thoughts?

With segments (types/kinds) of Facebook users continuously expanding and diversifying together with how Facebook is used, it is critical that each Facebook user need to be clear of their objectives of using Facebook, from which their Facebook strategy is developed and executed.

This would define who to connect on Facebook and what kind of information to post.

Otherwise, Facebook users would find too much “noise” and, not being able to benefit fully from Facebook. This applies to all other social media as well.

This may well be the very reason why a few of the author’s Japanese Facebook friends recently said that they reviewed their Facebook friends and un-friended quite a few. They said they un-friended “inactive users, those whose conversation and posts do not match with them, and whom they cannot understand”.
 

2011 being said as “the first Year of SNS/social media” in Japan, Facebook has become popular in Japan in the past one year. Variety of people regardless of their background and work experience started to use Facebook both in business and private. More companies are starting to use Facebook in business, marketing and recruiting. This means that each Facebook user need to be clear about their objectives of using Facebook and be brave to un-friend who do not match with their objectives; otherwise they would have too much “noise” and they would not benefit fully from Facebook.

Looking for a high impact website for international clients? You'll already have seen how successful websites like Facebook and Youtube can be, but is it possible to create your own site and make it just as popular? There are now leading web development company's that can design and develop your website to produce not only a great visual look but also to include discerning web and mobile functions, website clones and PHP clone scripts that will give you the look and the means to be a winner.

If you have a big project in mind and are looking for something a little bit different to ensure you stand out from your competitor's, then a forward-looking web development company can help make you a success, check them out for unique features, more information and a piece of the action.

Specialists in web development have the ability to design highly proficient websites and web applications in a range of areas, including social networking, business and health. By tailoring each clients website to fit their individual needs they can do everything, from the initial consultation and project plan and maintaining and taking care of the online marketing with search engine optimization, to the quality assurance, and give you a completed website that is attention-grabbing and attractive as well as being admired by your clients.

Website clones are catching on big time, but what are they exactly? Well, it's very simple, they're basically a replica of a well-known website that has proved to be immensely popular and due to this has become a household name. Who hasn't heard of fiver.com, facebook and clickbank these days? Now you can make your own site using the same format, tailor it to accommodate what you intend to sell and, as you already know they work, you can't go wrong.

There are various kinds of clones available, for example the Fiverr clone allows you to create a site that advertises people's skills at fixed prices and is immensely popular with those wanting a place to advertise their services to make some extra cash, Woot is a daily deals clone and a massive success as everyone is looking for a bargain and ways to save money, and the Etsy clone where you are the owner and merchants can come and list their stuff to sell on your site is a great idea. The Yoink clone lets you create a site where people are able to give away what they don't need or want anymore, and receive items absolutely free, and as the world is more and more aware of the environment providing a platform upon which people can give and get stuff for free is a wonderful and exciting initiative.

Groupon is very simple but has taken off in a big way since it started up 3 years ago. Every day all subscribers to the website receive an email with a single incredible deal on offer which could be anything from food or entertainment, to discounts on hotels or products. The Groupon clone is a fully functional, well-designed group deal software that follows the same principle by enabling you to run your own website offering daily group deals to your own list of email subscribers.

Daily deal websites have the ability to generate a lot of money and can be particularly successful, if you find the right deal you're certain to sell thousands of coupons and make a big profit. When making the decision on which Groupon clone script to go for make sure the software provider has a good reputation and plenty of satisfied customers.

Find out more about website clones and PHP clone scripts by checking out their portfolio, request information and get a no-obligation quote online.

Michiel Van Kets writes articles for Agriya about website clone scripts and how you can create a high-quality website, easy and fast. For the best Clone Scripts online, Agriya are one of the leading web development companies on the globe that designs and develops high impact websites for worldwide clients, focusing on creating quality web applications in a variety of domains which include social networking, finance, health and various web 2.0 applications. With the use of the world class products and premium quality services from Agriya.com you can create a high quality and professional looking website in no time at all. The successful software development company has over two hundred employees and provides a team of developers that are highly experienced and has the capacity to work with each client to meet his or her specific requirements. Find out about Groupon Clone and how you can make your own successful website today with the use of Agriya.com, the company that is led by a team of young, forward thinking entrepreneurs, enabling your dreams.

Looking for a high impact website for international clients? You'll already have seen how successful websites like Facebook and Youtube can be, but is it possible to create your own site and make it just as popular? There are now leading web development company's that can design and develop your website to produce not only a great visual look but also to include discerning web and mobile functions, website clones and PHP clone scripts that will give you the look and the means to be a winner.

If you have a big project in mind and are looking for something a little bit different to ensure you stand out from your competitor's, then a forward-looking web development company can help make you a success, check them out for unique features, more information and a piece of the action.

Specialists in web development have the ability to design highly proficient websites and web applications in a range of areas, including social networking, business and health. By tailoring each clients website to fit their individual needs they can do everything, from the initial consultation and project plan and maintaining and taking care of the online marketing with search engine optimization, to the quality assurance, and give you a completed website that is attention-grabbing and attractive as well as being admired by your clients.

Website clones are catching on big time, but what are they exactly? Well, it's very simple, they're basically a replica of a well-known website that has proved to be immensely popular and due to this has become a household name. Who hasn't heard of fiver.com, facebook and clickbank these days? Now you can make your own site using the same format, tailor it to accommodate what you intend to sell and, as you already know they work, you can't go wrong.

There are various kinds of clones available, for example the Fiverr clone allows you to create a site that advertises people's skills at fixed prices and is immensely popular with those wanting a place to advertise their services to make some extra cash, Woot is a daily deals clone and a massive success as everyone is looking for a bargain and ways to save money, and the Etsy clone where you are the owner and merchants can come and list their stuff to sell on your site is a great idea. The Yoink clone lets you create a site where people are able to give away what they don't need or want anymore, and receive items absolutely free, and as the world is more and more aware of the environment providing a platform upon which people can give and get stuff for free is a wonderful and exciting initiative.

Groupon is very simple but has taken off in a big way since it started up 3 years ago. Every day all subscribers to the website receive an email with a single incredible deal on offer which could be anything from food or entertainment, to discounts on hotels or products. The Groupon clone is a fully functional, well-designed group deal software that follows the same principle by enabling you to run your own website offering daily group deals to your own list of email subscribers.

Daily deal websites have the ability to generate a lot of money and can be particularly successful, if you find the right deal you're certain to sell thousands of coupons and make a big profit. When making the decision on which Groupon clone script to go for make sure the software provider has a good reputation and plenty of satisfied customers.

Find out more about website clones and PHP clone scripts by checking out their portfolio, request information and get a no-obligation quote online.

Michiel Van Kets writes articles for Agriya about website clone scripts and how you can create a high-quality website, easy and fast. For the best Clone Scripts online, Agriya are one of the leading web development companies on the globe that designs and develops high impact websites for worldwide clients, focusing on creating quality web applications in a variety of domains which include social networking, finance, health and various web 2.0 applications. With the use of the world class products and premium quality services from Agriya.com you can create a high quality and professional looking website in no time at all. The successful software development company has over two hundred employees and provides a team of developers that are highly experienced and has the capacity to work with each client to meet his or her specific requirements. Find out about Groupon Clone and how you can make your own successful website today with the use of Agriya.com, the company that is led by a team of young, forward thinking entrepreneurs, enabling your dreams.

As of December 8, there are 40 million users for Google+ worldwide. In the case of Japan, as in the previous article Vol.64 – Facebook and Twitter vs. LinkedIn and Google+ in Japan Google+ has mostly been dominated by a small portion of early adaptors even after it became open to the public, and there are only 2 million users for Google+ in Japan.

However, according to what Mr. Bradley Horowitz, a VP of Google said to Japanese media on December 9 when he visited Japan, it is likely that at last Google+ is to breakout in Japan at last with an extremely strategic promotion plan, which is alliance with a very popular Japanese pop group called AK48.

1. Why Google+ did not outbreak until today in Japan?

One reason is the fact that it is only recently that global social media such as Twitter and Facebook became popular in Japan and therefore Japanese people have been still at the point in which they are still learning and enjoying Twitter and Facebook. This would make them unable to think of starting another new social media now.

Another reason, according to some comments the author had from her Japanese online friends, seems mostly is the fact that most Japanese online users currently enjoying Twitter and Facebook including those with high IT literacy (e.g. experts in web marketing and social media) could not really understand the functions and user friendly operations of Google+.

This may attribute to the fact that there were few online articles in Japanese explaining such things. With the same reason, most Japanese online users did not (and probably still do not) understand the benefit of Google+, i.e. functions and services (including potential) integrating with other Google products and services as well.

2. What kind of impact the alliance with AK48 has on Google+, the most popular pop group in Japan today?

It will surely have an enormous positive impact on Google+ expansion in Japan. AK48, a pop group of many young girls, is currently the most popular pop group in Japan. The most popular member of the group has been acting as the heroine of a TV drama based on a comic that became extremely popular in Japan. China has created their pop group referring AK48.

Using a popular TV star, singer or pop group is a very popular promotion strategy adopted by many Japanese companies engaged in business such as AV products and beverages and they have mostly been successful. Therefore, leveraging the popularity of AK48 would surely boost the proliferation of Google+ in Japan.

3. How is Google+ to be promoted by AK48?

The promotion is to be done leveraging a function of Google+ of “Hang Out”, with which maximum of 10 online users can enjoy video chat.

AK48 members is to leverage the function to interact with their fans to regain the concept of “TV start that their fans can meet and interact” online. The group used to be designed to be close with their fans, interacting with them. However, because the group became very popular, it became extremely difficult for their fans to meet and interact with the group. The function would be a solution and Google say that AK48 and Google+ is a “perfect match”.

4. How effective Google+ promotion likely be compared with Facebook promotion in Japan?

The author would say that the both are equally effective; it is simply that the both are different.

Facebook leveraged the founder, Mr. Mark Zuckerberg in promoting Facebook worldwide including Japan, which is a good strategy. Mark was chosen as the man of the year by a leading business magazine Times for 2010. Then in January 2011 there were much coverage about Facebook in Japan. The movie about Facebook “Social Network” started to run in Japan from January 2011. And the Japanese version book about Mark was published in March 2011.

In the case of Google+, the follower in SNS without a person equivalent to Mark of Facebook, they just had to take a different approach. In the case of Japan market, the author understands that Google came up with a popular approach take in Japan which is adopting a popular TV star or pop group in their promotion. And in the current situation in Japan, AK48 is a good option to attract the attention of the general public.

In fact, already as of December 10, many of the favourite content of Google+ in Japan are the taste of AK48, which implies that many online users of AK48 fans have registered Google+ and started using it. A Japanese IT expert who started his business in Silicon Valley and has been providing latest information about IT to Japanese audience commented “I had a look at the status of Google+ favourite content after a long time and was surprised how the trend changed after the announcement of the alliance of Google+ with AK48!”

5. What are the author’s final thoughts?

In addition to products and services, promotion also is an important factor for the success of marketing and business. There is no one-fit-for-all promotion strategy, though.

Breakout of Google+ in Japan is a great news just that for some people (e.g. those who would like to use mainly for business) they may need to be extremely careful who to circle and/or follow on Google+ to make sure that they create their Google+ community that meet their needs.
 

References:-
Google+ has 2 million users in Japan, “a business opportunity for the follower” says a Google VP (in Japanese)
http://nlab.itmedia.co.jp/nl/articles/1112/09/news091.html

Resources:-
Google+ has been mainly dominated by early adopters in Japan and was not popular even among many Japanese with high IT literacy because they did not understand the good functions, user friendliness and (potential) benefits provided by integration with other Google products/services attributing to lack of explanation of such issues. However, with recent announcement of alliance with AK48, the most popular pop group in Japan today, Google+ is likely to outbreak at last in Japan. Already some general public seem to have started to join Google+.