Instagram was UK's top social media platform in lockdown, key for shopping

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Aug 24, 2020

Instagram is the most popular social media platform for UK consumers with 46% of them saying it's the app via which they consumed the most content during the Covid-19 pandemic.

That's according to a survey of more than 3,000 consumers by Bazaarvoice’s Influenster, which also said it has unearthed a shift in consumer behaviour. Some 82% of consumers have increased their social media consumption since the outset of the pandemic.

In fact, during lockdown, 67% of consumers expanded their use of Instagram. But importantly too, 47% increased their use of TikTok with the entertainment app becoming the most used platform for 21% of consumers.

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It's no surprise that Britons consumed social media content in greater numbers during the pandemic as lockdowns and furloughs meant that many had more time on their hands and fewer ways of filling that time with shops, bars, restaurants and entertainment venues being closed.

As well as the consumers who increased their use of Instagram and TikTok, 35% also used YouTube more often and 30% upped their usage of Facebook.

And it's particularly interesting, given that shopping seems to have been a low priority for many people during lockdown, that it was a high priority for a large number using social media. During the pandemic, the most popular forms of social media content were influencer content (46%) and shopping content (39%). And 25% of consumers said they actually prefer shopping on social media, with 92% of those shopping from Instagram and 39% from Facebook. Meanwhile, 22% shopped from YouTube and 20% from TikTok.

Suzin Wold, Bazaarvoice’s SVP of marketing, said: “This data reveals that social media is playing an increasingly important role in brand engagement and consumers’ purchase decisions. With 82% of UK consumers using social platforms more since the pandemic started, it’s vital for retailers to respond to this behaviour shift and ensure their social media presence meets consumer expectations.

“The rising popularity of Instagram, as consumers search for influencer and shopping content, coupled with the increased use of new platforms like TikTok, present a key opportunity for retailers to use consumer-generated content. By focusing on their community, retail brands can provide relevant, high-quality content that engages consumers on the platforms that matter to them most. This empathetic approach is also crucial for retailers to build trust.”