How Line is giving its online communities offline experiences

Humans have been forming groups for as long as we’ve been in existence. Our early ancestors are thought to have banded together to increase their odds of survival because they could fend off predators more easily in larger numbers. In more modern times, grouping together fulfills our innate need for social acceptance.

With the rise of the internet, we don’t really need to be physically together to form groups. Communities from all over the world are abundant on online forums and social platforms.

Line’s messaging app is one of those platforms. The Japanese firm’s most recent offering is called Line Square, an in-app service that launched in Indonesia July last year. The feature enables its users to create “Squares” or communities based on any topic of interest, with their creators often acting as administrators managing the groups.

But the app isn’t just building online communities. A survey among Line Square users in 2018 revealed a demand for event or co-working venues where they can meet and gather. However, these venues are often expensive to rent, so the team behind the app looked for a way to make meetups more affordable.

“Since we really care about the growth of communities in Indonesia, we thought of what we could do to help them,” says Dale Kim, Line Indonesia’s managing director.

The Super Square

A year after Line Square was rolled out, the company introduced the Line Square Membership Program, which acts as a loyalty scheme “designed to support and nurture the growth of ‘good’ communities on Line Square,” says Kim. Square admins can apply for the program once a month.

After thorough checks and filters, 10 chosen Squares are given special memberships and labeled “Super Squares” for a year. An in-app emblem is placed next to each Super Square’s name to set them apart from other Squares. According to Kim, Super Squares are given “a one-time annual benefit.”

10 chosen Squares are given a special membership title each month and called “Super Squares.” / Photo credit: Line

They can choose to use a gathering space for up to three hours with catering that serves up to 30 people, or get free merchandise printed with their name. For the merchandise, they can choose whether they want a set of 30 Xiaomi power banks, 50 tumblers, or 50 t-shirts.

Super Squares also get monthly discount vouchers from Line Square’s brand partners, which target group purchases.

Bonding offline

Just over a month since the membership program was launched, Line initiated a session to collect feedback from Super Square admins – the heavy users. The aim was to gain insights on user behavior and improve the service.

Feisal Makarim, who manages the Nintendo Community Square, is excited about an upcoming gaming meetup, saying that it’ll mean a lot to the group’s over 550 members, since they “love playing games together.”

It’s also a chance for the members to make friends and show off their gaming skills in person.

Line initiated a Super Square admin gathering session to garner feedback from heavy users. / Photo credit: Line

While the Nintendo group enjoys playing games, others prefer to put their gadgets aside.

Members of Para Penikmat Film Square want to immerse themselves in culture and the arts. They hold monthly special film screenings and attend film festivals, shares Muhammad Ihsan Majid, one of the Square’s admins. It’s more than a hobby for many of the members. “It motivates them to become film creators,” says Majid.

Line’s program has also helped student communities in Indonesia. One Square is composed of 78,000 students who major in psychology. It plans to hold “talk shows” with prominent figures in psychology, “so that even non-psychology majors may be able to gain relevant and useful knowledge,” says the Square’s admin Iqbal Nugraha.

What’s next?

Line Square plans to host more Super Square admin gatherings in the near future.

It wants to use its trial period, which ends in mid-2019, to assess the effectiveness of its membership program and whether it’s worth turning into something permanent.

If the Super Square program takes off, Kim says that the Line Square team is keen to partner with more brands across industries so it can provide tailored discount vouchers and perks for different communities.

The Line Square feature is available in the latest version of the Line app for users in Indonesia, Thailand, and Korea.

Photo credit: Line

Join or create a Square to discuss topics you’re interested in with like-minded people.