Report: Instagram A Strong Driver Of Fashion Purchases

Although it’s no secret that social media platforms such as Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram have a strong affect on fashion trends, it may be surprising to see just how robust that impact actually is. With more 400 million daily users across the globe, Instagram is becoming a strong driver of fashion purchases, according to a new report from Dana Rebecca Designs.

After polling 2,000 Instagram users, the company discovered that 72 percent of them had made a fashion, beauty or style-related purchase after seeing something posted on Instagram, and 29 percent had bought jewelry or jewelry accessories after looking at the app. The items most frequently purchased following Instagram visits were clothing, makeup, shoes and jewelry, the study noted. And although most of the respondents who were influenced to make fashion purchases based on Instagram posts were female, the study did add that males are five times more likely to be influenced by shoe posts on the app than females were.

When asked which social media app had the biggest influence on their shopping routines, 50 percent of respondents pointed to Instagram, 23 percent said Facebook, 22 percent referred to Pinterest, 3 percent pointed at Twitter and the remaining 1 percent cited Snapchat.

How Does This Trend Shape Retail?

Keep in mind that the Dana Rebecca study polled Instagram users rather than surveying everyone with a social media account, which means it’s possible that the results would be skewed in Instagram’s favor. However, the outcome is still rather telling, demonstrating that Instagram users are responsible for a vast number of fashion purchases, and the app is growing in influence among social media users.

The phenomenon of social media-driven purchases is even inspiring some retailers to try and shift the focus so they are on the forefront of the social media influencer game. Earlier this year, Amazon began recruiting users of YouTube, Instagram and Facebook to establish a network of social influencers who would be paid by the retailer based on the purchases they inspire, Fortune reported.

This program would appear to take Amazon’s affiliate program to another level. The program already pays those who make product recommendations that result in sales, but using social influencers is expected to drive even more conversions.

Capturing Gen Z

The use of social media to capture interest in specific trends is particularly important for brands that are trying to generate interest among members of Generation Z, which includes consumers born in the mid- to late-1990s.

A Yes Lifecycle Marketing study from earlier this summer demonstrated that 80 percent of Gen Z members are influenced by social media while shopping, while just 74 percent of millennials, 58 percent of Generation X and 41 percent of baby boomers responded that social media influenced their purchase decisions. This clearly demonstrates that it is of vital importance for brands to maximize their use of social media when trying to market products to younger generations.

The trend of using social influencers to impact purchase decisions has even gone global, with marketing firms in China now turning to social media to try and drive purchases.