For overseas B2B companies looking to enter the Japanese market, it is vital to understand the methods available to them. This article summarizes the effective marketing methods and points to consider at each stage, from awareness raising to lead generation and lead nurturing.
We, Yakumo Marketing, specialize in assisting overseas companies seeking to expand into the Japanese market. If you are interested in the Japanese market or are struggling to gain trust & recognition, generate new leads or nurture leads in Japan, please do not hesitate to contact us. We will guide your project to success with our wealth of experience and smooth communication in both English & Japanese.
1. Gaining recognition in the Japanese market
Advertisement in an industry publication
One way to gain industry recognition in the Japanese market is to advertise in industry publications. We recommend advertising in the form of an article, as this allows you to include more detailed information about your company. The media is always looking for story ideas, so providing information yourself, for example if your company is launching a new service for the Japanese market, can also be an effective way of getting the word out.
For example, the following are some of the leading industry publications in the Japanese pharmaceutical and chemical industries.
Pharma Tech Japan : https://ptj.jiho.jp/
Nikkan Yakugyo : https://nk.jiho.jp/
The Chemical Daily : https://www.chemicaldaily.co.jp/
Petrochemical News : https://www.sekiyukagaku.co.jp/
Achieve top-of-mind awareness in a specific segment
The aim is to get your company in front of customers at an early stage of the buying process and to be the first company that comes to mind when they think of a product which you want to promote in the Japanese market.
In order to increase the number of potential customers who contact you when they have a specific need such as the one described above, you should target them from the early stages of the customer buying process using a variety of methods, such as sending information through industry media, email marketing to people who have visited your company’s stand at trade shows, and your own employees’ social networking posts.
Joining an industry association
What is often overlooked is joining industry associations in Japan. Although there is a cost to joining, it is more than recouped for companies with a high LTV (LifeTime Value). By joining an industry association, you can announce that your company has entered the Japanese market and you can also try to gain recognition through the network within the industry association.
2. Lead Generation
Exhibiting at a trade show
As far as we know, the most effective channel for generating new leads when doing B2B business in Japan is by exhibiting at trade shows.
To make the most of your trade show experience, please consider the following points
- Ensure you have a Japanese speaker at your stand
- Have both sales and technical staff at your stand
- Focus on follow-up after the show (lead nurturing)
We often see overseas companies that don’t have any Japanese speakers at their booths, but this is something you should definitely avoid. At trade shows, the more new leads you can generate at the show, the more likely you are to be able to move on to the next step of lead nurturing in the medium to long term, so please make sure you have a complete system in place on the day of the show.
SEO
In the Japanese market, the search engine with the overwhelming market share is Google. As many users use Google to search for information on a daily basis, B2B companies need to focus on SEO around this platform. In particular, by focusing on SEO for keywords that potential customers are likely to search for, you can generate leads via the web.
Placing ads
You can use Facebook Retargeting Ads and GDR (Google Dynamic Retargeting) to advertise on keywords that warm prospects are likely to search for, and reach them who are looking for solutions to their problems. When identifying keywords, it is important to be aware of language issues, as sometimes direct translation will not work for Japanese, or the way things are expressed may be different.
3. Lead Nurturing
There are many companies that have problems such as ‘we get new leads but they do not lead to meetings or orders’ or ‘we have a list of leads in-house but we do not use them’. A strategic approach is needed to build a relationship of trust with potential customers that leads to meetings and orders. In this section, we will explain in detail the effective lead nurturing methods commonly used in Japanese B2B marketing.
Email marketing
Many companies are not interested in email marketing, thinking it is an outdated method, but in Japanese B2B marketing, it is often more effective than you might think. You don’t need to send out emails very often, so let’s carefully send out the latest news, topics from your home country, case studies, etc. In industries where the number of potential customers is extremely small, contacting them with regular updates even if it’s just a greeting level can also be good email marketing.
Providing highly specialized content
It is also very effective to regularly provide technical content to the research and development departments of the leads. Even if the content is not read carefully, if the headlines are seen, the impression that ‘this company has knowledge and technology in this field’ is created, so the possibility of being contacted when an issue arises in that field increases greatly. For example, in CDMO projects in the pharmaceutical industry, the R&D department has a significant impact on the whole project, so this method is very effective.
Content marketing
In Japanese companies, which value past performance, it is important to provide case studies. By providing details of how you have dealt with specific cases, you enable lead customers to consider your company in a more concrete way. Also, the fact that you have already done business with other Japanese companies tends to lower the bar for a contract, so if you have case studies that you can make public, we recommend that you provide them.
Conclusion
The choice of which method to use at each stage of the process – gaining recognition, lead generation and lead nurturing – will depend on your products and the structure of the industry in Japan.
There is no marketing method that exists only in the Japanese market, and it is important to consider what information you should provide to which department of your lead customers.
Whatever method you choose, the most important thing is to convey to Japanese companies that you are a trustworthy company by using your high level of technology and past performance.
We will find out what action you need to take in Japan and if needed, we conduct marketing methods on behalf of your company. Please feel free to contact us for more information.