Line is the WSJ’s fastest-growing app

Messaging application Line has been the Wall Street Journal’s fastest-growing social channel, reaching over 2 million followers since it launched on the Japanese app 15 months ago, reports Lucinda Southern of Digiday.

Southern writes, “Publishers like The Economist, BBC and Mashable have all added Line to their social media arsenal, although WSJ is leading the pack in terms of numbers and longevity. For those keen to tap a younger Asian market, it’s the place to be: 60 percent of its user base are in Japan, Indonesia, Thailand and Taiwan.

“More important than big numbers are engagement rates, and Zanoni claims that around 30 percent of its followers are commenting, liking or sharing the Wall Street Journal’s Line posts.

“‘Conversion rates will be a lot higher than in more traditional messaging channels,’ said Rafe Blandford, mobile strategist at DigitasLBi. ‘It’s like the early days of Facebook. In time, they will go down, but now there is an element of first-mover advantage.’

“Western companies on Line with a fail-fast-and-fail-early approach can apply what they learn to bigger platforms. Facebook is doubling down on its Messenger platform this year as companies from Uber to hotel chain Hyatt create service-based ecosystems there.”

Read more here.