Nowadays, almost every business has transitioned to the online world. The pressing concern for Thai SMEs is no longer about finding online sales channels, as there are now numerous platforms available that help sellers reach a wide customer base through websites, social media, and E-marketplaces. These platforms continuously develop features to attract consumers, making it easier for them to browse and purchase products every day.

However, with high competition and numerous rivals online, the challenge for Thai SMEs is "How can we ensure our target audience sees our store first and remembers it?" Therefore, it is crucial to start exploring advertising tools that can quickly reach a broad customer base while also accurately targeting specific groups of interest. One such tool that can assist SMEs is the LINE Ads Platform or LAP, which allows SMEs to easily purchase ads in chat pages, representing a "new option" for generating sales and expanding customer bases effectively in this era.

What is LINE Ads Platform?

LINE Ads Platform (LAP) is an advertising purchasing channel on LINE through a bidding system, where SMEs can set their budget, duration, target audience, and advertising objectives according to their needs. The system processes the ads to appear in various positions on LINE, including chat pages, Timeline, LINE Today, Wallet, and LINE TV, all of which have relatively high visibility rates.

So why should SMEs advertise through the LINE Ads Platform when there are many advertising tools available in the market? This is due to LINE's potential to reach a vast audience with over 50 million users, covering nearly all genders and ages, making it an attractive option for businesses to quickly access a broad customer base while also targeting specific groups.

Not just advertising, but also building customer relationships

In addition to its ability to reach a large number of users, the LINE Ads Platform acts as a "professional assistant" that manages ads to display in various positions according to the store's objectives. This can include encouraging customers to add the LINE Official Account (LINE OA) as a friend, fostering long-term relationships with new customers through chat.

Alternatively, customers can click to view products for immediate shopping on the website. If there is no website, links can direct them to shop on MyShop or social media pages like Facebook and Instagram, as well as online stores in E-Marketplaces. This opens up opportunities for SMEs to build relationships and close sales through any desired channel.

Importantly, SMEs can leverage the connection between LINE Ads Platform and LINE OA by targeting new customers with behaviors similar to existing customers in LINE OA (Lookalike) or retargeting ads to customers who have previously blocked the store's LINE OA. This allows for re-engaging past customers who showed interest, increasing the chances of closing sales again. Additionally, retargeting can be specifically aimed at certain groups, such as those who have viewed the first ad or those categorized by the Chat Tag feature as VIPs or specific product enthusiasts.

A variety of learning tools and a wealth of expert support

In addition to numerous educational programs available in easy-to-understand online formats that SMEs can follow at any time, there are also online classes led by expert gurus. SMEs can register and watch past sessions for free, such as the SME Bootcamp and SME Biz Talk.

Recently, LINE has developed the LINE Creative Lab, a tool that helps Thai SMEs easily create their own advertising materials, both static images and videos, with ready-to-use templates that can be completed in just a few clicks. This allows new online sellers to create attractive ads that draw customers to order products themselves while also reducing costs for graphic design. Access LINE Creative Lab here: https://creativelab.line.biz

Furthermore, during the COVID-19 situation, LINE recognized the importance of learning how to advertise online and launched the SME Clinic, a special channel for consulting Thai SMEs interested in advertising on LINE through the LINE Ads Platform, specifically through the WE LOVE YOU campaign. SMEs can register for direct Q&A sessions with experts. More details on SME Clinic can be found at: https://lin.ee/2loarpY/izkl

Easy registration, quick approval within 48 hours

SMEs or stores can easily create an advertising account by filling out the necessary information in just a few steps. The team will review the information and provide approval within 48 hours. With this, SMEs can start creating and launching ads to promote their presence across various areas on the LINE platform immediately.

An example of an SME that has successfully used the LINE Ads Platform to engage customers is Showtime Clinic, a beauty clinic that runs video ads to showcase the types of nose surgeries they offer, as well as various aspects of beauty, reaching a broad audience. They then retargeted ads to those who had viewed the first video ad, encouraging them to add the LINE OA of the clinic as a friend, leading to communication for closing sales through chat, successfully advancing their business.
You can view more case studies of Showtime Clinic here: https://lin.ee/1ijKzKI/wcvn

If you ask when to start using advertising through LINE, the answer is that now is the perfect time to begin using the LINE Ads Platform. This is because LINE is running the WE LOVE YOU campaign to assist SMEs in reducing costs, enabling them to utilize online advertising tools to grow their businesses in the current situation. They are offering a free advertising coupon worth 500 baht throughout August to October 2021 for stores that open a LINE Ads Platform account, which can be used for advertising campaigns without a minimum spend. More details and coupon registration can be found at https://lin.ee/iCebrgu/wcvn

At this moment, it is undeniable that many businesses are adapting and enjoying online sales more than ever. However, the ongoing challenge for SMEs remains the mission of "creating strong awareness and recall". Achieving this goal will require the use of effective advertising to truly "pave the way" into customers' minds.

Follow the knowledge content and numerous activities that LINE is committed to helping SMEs and all sectors of Thai society during this crisis through the WE LOVE YOU campaign here: https://lin.ee/ewb3N7H/wcvn/PR/weloveyou