WATConsult: 50% of Indian users have shopped on Instagram

Instagram users in India are likely to have their shopping decisions influenced by content on the social media platform, a new study has found.

84% of Indians say they are likely to buy something they see on Instagram. About 50% of users have shopped on Instagram, with nearly 75% coming from small towns in India. WATConsult surveyed Indian Instagram users on their usage patterns, content preferences, and what drives people to shop on the platform.

Key findings include:

Instagram has 117.1 million monthly active users in India, with 51% of respondents checking for updates at least once a day and 32% checking multiple times.

Instagram users are most active in the early morning (6-9am) and late evening (4-8pm).

29% of users like to upload pictures of experiences in categories such as travel, food and leisure, 26% of users upload videos, and 24% of users upload stories.

In order for users to be willing to shop through social platforms, they need to be proven to be authentic. Users who shop through Instagram say their experience was satisfactory (75%) and most are likely to shop on Instagram again.

According to research, Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms in India. Indians prefer platforms that are perceived as cool, informative, creative, and popular. One of the key reasons for Instagram’s popularity is its entertainment value, where people get inspired through creative content from influencers, and where people can express their opinions freely.

Young users are most likely to be influenced by influencers. They engage by “liking” and sharing content. Influencer content, recommendations, and brand partnerships have a positive impact on user engagement and shopping choices.

In summary, Instagram was initially considered a discovery platform due to its visual nature and “stickiness”, but it has now transformed into a platform that both provides discovery and influences purchasing decisions.

199IT.com Originally compiled from: WATConsult. Please do not reprint without authorization