Facebook: Catching Up
Facebook: 25 million monthly active users
Facebook’s user base in Japan more than doubled from 6 million to 13.5 million between 2011 and 2012. Its rapid growth can be attributed to several factors:
Media attention: Facebook attracted growing domestic media attention at the time as the biggest social network in the world. Coupled with the release of the movie “Social Network,” popularity of Facebook soared.
Use for business purposes: In Japan, Facebook is eating LinkedIn’s lunch (see image below). Many Japanese have adopted Facebook as a tool for business communications. The social network’s interface and use of real names makes the site a good place to cultivate professional relationships. Moreover, Japanese companies have begun to recognize Facebook’s potential for business and commercial purposes, which is another reason to its success.
2011 Tohoku earthquake: During the 2011 disaster, cell phone lines were affected, but data channels remained open and became the most effective way to stay in touch. Facebook’s policy of using real names allowed people to find accurate information about their loved ones. From that point onwards, a snowball effect propelled usage in Japan. A 2011 survey in Japan showed that 41.4% of Facebook users began using Facebook on the recommendation of a friend. Another 22.4% said they started using it because it became a topic of conversation.