How Much Indian Brands Need to Pay Japanese LINE Influencers?

When we think of influencer marketing, we usually see Instagram or YouTube stars advertising brands in exotic locales.

But in Japan, LINE influencers are taking over.

LINE has over 97 million users in Japan, 16 million users in Indonesia, and over 4 million users in Thailand.

It’s basically WhatsApp but better. And Japanese LINE influencers are making some serious money.

📢 Why Brands Should Hire LINE Influencers?

LINE influencers are highly sought after because they cater to a Japanese audience.

Japanese consumers are some of the most passionate in the world. They have specific tastes, interests, and lifestyles, and when Japanese individuals see content on LINE created by someone they trust, it’s very likely they’ll take action.

In fact, Japanese LINE influencers are known to have a 20-40% engagement rate.

That’s 400% higher than Instagram.

LINE influencers require less work and trust than Instagrammers because their fans are inclined to purchase products that LINE influencers recommend.

This means that conversion rates will be higher for a brand that hires a LINE influencer than one that hires an Instagram influencer.

But how much should Indian brands pay for LINE influencer marketing?

💰 How Much Do LINE Influencers Charge?

Most Japanese LINE influencers charge between 10,000 and 100,000 yen ($67 to $670) per post.

However, some can charge upwards of 1 million yen ($6,700).

Here are some of the most popular LINE influencers, and what brands are paying them:

Rinki Yamazaki

This popular LINE influencer has over 250,000 followers. Rinki often promotes brands such as @mariagold toothpaste.

Rinki reportedly charges 1 million yen ($6,700) per post.

Rina Hoshino

With over 214,000 followers, Rina is another popular LINE influencer.

Rina has worked with many brands in the past, including DIC.

She reportedly charges between 500,000 to 1 million yen ($3,350 to $6,700) per post.

Kumi Hoshino

Kumi is another successful LINE influencer with over 250,000 followers.

Kumi has worked with brands like @mariagold toothpaste, and is known to command 100,000 yen ($670) for a post.

Miyuki Aoyama

Miyuki is an extremely popular LINE influencer with over 426,000 followers.

Miyuki has partnered with many brands, including @mariagold toothpaste.

Miyuki reportedly charges about 100,000 yen ($670) for a post.

Mikako/Choco

With over 200,000 followers, Choco is another popular LINE influencer.

Choco has promoted many brands, including @mariagold toothpaste.

Choco reportedly charges about 10,000 yen ($67).

There are more than 5 million LINE influencers in Japan, and at least 500,000 of them have an audience of 50,000 followers or more.

This means there is stiff competition among LINE influencers, and so rates are very negotiable.

Indian brands should pay between $67 and $6,700 for a LINE influencer post.

📊 How Much Should Indian Brands Pay for Influencer Marketing in Japan?

The number of LINE influencers is increasing every year.

In fact, influencers have become a more viable marketing option than TV advertising for Japanese brands.

In fact, according to 2023 statistics, 84% of Japanese marketers expect to increase their influencer marketing budgets in the coming year.

That percentage increases even more when accounting for other sectors, such as the hospitality industry, whose budget is expected to increase by 90%.

But much like in India, not all Japanese influencers have the same reach, and influencer marketing budgets vary widely among Japanese brands.

Here’s the average marketing budgets brands in Japan are allocating for each influencer marketing channel:

• LINE Influencers: 383,000 yen ($2,600)
• Instagram Influencers: 305,000 yen ($2,040)
• YouTube Influencers: 427,000 yen ($2,880)
• Twitter Influencers: 290,000 yen ($1,940)
• TikTok Influencers: 368,000 yen ($2,480)

Japanese brands are willing to allocate more money toward LINE influencer posts than Instagram influencer posts.

However, Indian brands should consider paying more for LINE influencers than what is reported, as the budgets presented are averages, and more established LINE influencers will likely demand higher fees.

🔍 How to Find the Right LINE Influencers

The best way for Indian brands to find a LINE influencer is with the help of an influencer marketing agency specializing in the Japanese market.

Many influencer marketing agencies have access to influencer databases that include verified LINE influencers.

These agencies can help Indian brands find LINE influencers who align with their marketing values.

For instance, BaoLiba is an influencer marketing platform that specializes in global influencer marketing, including Japanese LINE influencer marketing.

BaoLiba has access to thousands of LINE influencers in Japan and will be able to connect Indian brands with the right LINE influencer for their products.

Japanese LINE influencers are becoming trendsetters in their communities, and brands who treat them like VIPs will see a significant ROI on their marketing campaigns.

📢 Why Indian Brands Should Consider Japanese Influencer Marketing

Buying Japanese products is seen as a status symbol in India.

Japanese companies like Suzuki, Toyota, and Honda are India’s top car brands.

Japanese fashion brands like Uniqlo regularly open stores in India.

And Japanese cuisine is the most popular foreign cuisine in India.

Japanese products are considered premium in India, and regarding influencer marketing, Japanese influencers demand higher rates than Indian influencers.

Japanese influencers charge an average of $2,600 per post, while Indian influencers only charge $330.

That’s a difference of 686%.

The highest paid Indian influencer, Virat Kohli, makes $1,000,000 per post.

But the highest paid Japanese influencer, Rinki Yamazaki, makes $6,700 per post.

That’s a difference of 14,925%.

Japanese influencers have built trust and authority with their audiences, and that’s why they charge more.

Indian brands can see significant rewards by working with Japanese influencers, even if they are paying a higher price.

However, Japanese influencer marketing is not without its challenges.

🚫 How Indian Brands Can Avoid Japanese Influencer Marketing Scams

Many Japanese influencers are not actually Japanese.

And this can pose a huge problem for Indian brands who want to be authentic in a Japanese market.

It’s important that brands are aware of influencer fakes.

Fake influencers are influencers who artificially inflate their follower count.

Much like in India, if a Japanese influencer has purchased followers, it will be impossible for them to generate authentic engagement or conversions for a brand.

Additionally, using a fake influencer can damage an Indian brand’s reputation, hurt their credibility, and even get them blacklisted from the industry.

Fake influencers can be either bots or real people who use fake accounts to promote brands.

Fake accounts are easy to create, and people can create multiple accounts to inflate their following.

For example, if an influencer has 200,000 followers but only 2,000 likes on their posts, this could be a sign they are using fake followers.

Fake Japanese influencers are rampant, and it’s hard for Indian brands to differentiate between real and fake influencers.

Here are some indicators that an influencer is fake:

1. Low Engagement Rate: A good engagement rate is between 1% and 10% of an influencer’s total following. If an influencer has 200,000 followers but only receives 2,000 likes and 20 comments per post, their engagement rate is only 1%. Low engagement rates indicate that followers are not genuinely interested in an influencer’s content, which is a warning sign that an influencer is fake.
2. Older Posts: If an influencer has more than 10,000 followers but has not posted in several weeks or months, it’s likely that they are a fake influencer. Fake influencers can create an account and buy followers, but they may still have little interest in actually producing content.
3. Unusual Followers: If an influencer has 300,000 followers and most of them are women from eastern Europe, it could be a sign that their following is not authentic. Brands should ensure that an influencer’s followers are their target audience. If an influencer’s audience doesn’t align with a brand’s audience, they won’t see a good return on their investment.
4. Default Profile Pictures: Fake influencer accounts may have generic photos or no photos at all. If an influencer has a low follower count but has a high “follower to following” ratio, they might be a fake influencer who is trying to get brands to send them free products.

Indian brands need to be careful who they work with. They should conduct thorough research before signing contracts with influencers.

Again, influencer marketing agencies can help Indian brands find reliable influencer partners.

🔎 The Future of Japanese Influencer Marketing

Japanese influencer marketing is set to increase in 2025 as more Japanese consumers turn to social media for purchasing decisions.

There are currently 73.86 million social media users in Japan, and that number is still rising.

Instagram will surpass LINE in popularity among Japanese social media users by 2025.

Japanese brands will need to adapt to the changing landscape of social media marketing strategies.

Japanese influencer marketing will be a crucial strategy for Japanese brands as they adapt.

After all, influencers are trendsetters.

🚀 Conclusion

Japanese LINE influencer marketing may not have the same exposure as Japanese Instagram influencer marketing.

However, LINE influencers have high engagement rates, which means they are more likely to lead to conversions.

And Indian brands can leverage the Japanese market’s premium brand perception to sell their products.

To discover more about Japanese influencer marketing, and how it can help your brand, get a quote from BaoLiba today.

BaoLiba will continue to update on Indian influencer marketing trends, be sure to follow us.