84% Of Instagram users are likely to shop using the platform: Report

The latest report from WatConsult's research vertical, Recogn, decodes Instagram in India from a user's perspective and gives a scoop on how it is helping brands drive sales

The Indian social media space has been witnessing substantial growth, thanks to the increasing base of internet users in the country. With the growing popularity of Instagram, there is a dire need to understand how users perceive and use the platform. WATConsult, the digital and social media agency from Dentsu Aegis Network, under their market research division, Recogn has launched its latest report on Instagram in India from a user's perspective.

The report focuses on the user’s point of view on Instagram, highlighting usage patterns, content likeability, celebrity influence and what pushes them to shop on the platform. Interestingly, ads on Instagram that are perceived to be appealing lead users to search for more information for the said products or services, enabling users to shop. More than 75% of the shoppers have had a satisfactory experience while shopping from Instagram and a majority of them are likely to shop in the future as well. Instagram, which was perceived to be a discovery platform because of visual nature and stickiness, has over time transformed itself into a platform that induces discovery as well as an influence leading to a purchase decision.

Below are some key findings of the report:

·       Currently, Instagram has 117.1 million monthly active users and average time spent per user is 45 minutes

·       Instagrammers spend most of the time on the platform in the evening between 4-8 PM

·       For the users to be willing to purchase something on Instagram, they need to be made aware of the authenticity of the product. More than 75% of the shoppers have had a satisfactory experience while shopping from Instagram and a majority are likely to shop in the future

·       84% of the users are influenced by the platform resulting in likelihood to shop via Instagram

·       More than 50% of consumers have shopped using Instagram. Close to 75% of the users from small metros and small towns have shopped using Instagram

·       51% of the Instagrammers access it at least once a day with a large proportion of Instagram users accessing it multiple times in a day (32%)

·       29% of users prefer to upload images in the experiential categories or upload images of traveling, food etc. 26% of the users like to upload videos and 24% of the users upload stories, etc.

Speaking on the same, Rajiv Dingra, Founder and CEO, WATConsult said, “Instagram as a platform has grown tremendously in the last 2 years, and the user adaption rate is very quick. The app has a strong presence in the remotest of the city in our country. With this report, we are bringing forward to the industry, the behavioral patterns of the users, shopping habits and trends which can indeed add value to the brands in terms of shaping their marketing strategies.”

According to the research, the usage of the social media platform Instagram is one of the highest amongst the respondent base. Users prefer to use social media platforms that they perceive to be informative, cool, enjoyable, popular and creative. The users perceive Instagram to be cool and somewhat interesting and trendy. One of the primary reasons people prefer to use this platform is for entertainment, to get inspired by seeing creative content from famous celebs in addition to being able to express their views.