Should You Keep Investing in LINE? Build a Membership Program on LINE

In our last post we talked about how LINE 2.0 changed the way accounts are run. Since then, many new clients with official accounts have asked us: Should I set up a LINE Official Account? Is LINE worth it?

Among all the communication channels, LINE is actually not a low-cost one. Without a plan, there is a good chance you’ll end up with high block rates and low engagement.

So why are brands rushing to open accounts on it?

Beyond its massive reach of 21 million users in Taiwan, the bigger reason is that its rich APIs can support all kinds of services. Some brands have even dropped app development altogether, betting that LINE’s convenience will bring better conversions and higher usage.

Here are some common questions from newcomers to official accounts, along with our tips for running one successfully.

Newcomer myth 1: Everyone is using LINE for marketing, so we can’t fall behind!

We often ask companies why they want to use LINE.
The answer may be: everyone else is using it, so we need to keep up!
At that point we usually break into a bit of a cold sweat, worried that results will be hard to show.
From what we’ve seen, successful accounts have a few things in common:
• A clear account positioning: Which audiences is the account talking to?
• A clear, phased LINE development plan: How do you filter, step by step, from the top of the marketing funnel down to customers who convert? What knock-on effects can it bring? (For example, driving traffic to your website, or using online coupons to bring LINE friends into physical stores.)
• A balance of services and marketing messages in the account (or a service-first approach): How can the official account help these target audiences? How do you keep blocks low and click-through rates high?

Newcomer myth 2: How does a LINE Official Account help me? I already advertise on FB/Google!

We put this very question to several successful corporate clients. What they had in common was that they used FB/Google ads to build brand reach, then used LINE to deepen relationships with members. As one client put it: “They chose to join my account, so of course they have some interest in me!”

FB/Google ads use algorithms to push topics you might be interested in to you. LINE works the other way around: customers who are interested in you actively add you as a friend, which makes them the audience most likely to convert.

That is why every LINE friend matters so much to a company. Offer all kinds of services so your LINE friends never want to leave your account!

Newcomer myth 3: I hear segmentation is what matters most in LINE 2.0. How should I tag? Are more tags better?

Tags exist to describe users. With tags you build a complete customer profile, much like getting to know a new friend through different occasions and gradually forming a picture of who they are. Now that the API is fully open, platforms from LINE technology partners can record a LINE friend’s path within LINE: every message click, every keyword used, and more.

Once you have the tools, how do you get the most out of them? We can break it down into three steps: classify tags, collect data and consolidate information. When defining tags, first separate them into attribute, behavior or interest tags. For example, “gender” is a static personal attribute tag, while “viewed the moisturizing hydration line” is a behavior tag.
Once the data is collected, go further and analyze when each friend was last tagged and how often they’re tagged. Through continuous grouping and analysis, and even by combining tags collected across channels, you can turn this data into business value.

Tagging is a deep subject! We’ll share more with you another time.