India ranks among the leading advertising markets worldwide, with Indian marketers and companies increasingly adopting digital advertising and marketing strategies. Among the various digital formats, social media advertising has emerged as the most effective with the country spending over a billion U.S. dollars on it in 2023 alone.
Why advertise on social media?
Globally, social media is employed to improve exposure and help advertisers amplify their reach. Indians spent roughly three hours a day on average on social media in 2022. Commonly carried-out activities included watching videos on YouTube, texting on WhatsApp, or scrolling through one’s Facebook feed. However, social media usage is not limited to networking and entertainment. It presents a vital source of information as Indian consumers turn to it both for news consumption as well as product and brand research. It is no wonder that advertisers spend increasing portions of their advertising budgets on this format.The introduction of online retail and e-commerce platforms alongside a booming mobile app market has boosted consumerism in the country, thus making social media an almost indispensable means of reaching potential customers. Facebook led in terms of advertising reach as well as web traffic referrals to third-party sites. Other digital marketing practices such as influencer marketing and branding are also heavily dependent on social media platforms. In this regard, Instagram was the popular choice among influencers and brands as well as users. Fashion, beauty, and lifestyle were the leading product categories on the platform supplemented by the significant social media ad expenditure of the retail and FMCG sectors.
