Meta platforms dominate financial product purchases in India, study finds

Meta platforms have established themselves as dominant forces in India's financial services marketing landscape, with a comprehensive study revealing that the company's technologies account for three of the top six digital touchpoints in financial product purchase journeys.

The research, titled "From Feeds to Financial Futures" and conducted by IPSOS for Meta, surveyed over 2,000 respondents aged 25-45 across Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Kolkata during 2025. The study focused on current or prospective buyers of financial services products, documenting a fundamental shift in how Indians discover, evaluate, and purchase financial products.

Instagram and Facebook lead financial decision-making

The data shows 57% of users rely on Instagram and 53% on Facebook to make informed financial decisions. These platforms have transformed from social networking tools into primary sources of financial education and product discovery, with short-form content driving engagement rates that traditional financial advisory channels struggle to match.

WhatsApp emerges as another critical component in the financial services ecosystem. The study found that 1 out of 2 respondents used WhatsApp to evaluate financial products, with 44% utilizing the platform during discovery, 50% during evaluation, and 48% at the buying stage. Financial services consumers spend an average of 56 minutes daily on WhatsApp.

"Financial planning is integral to the lives of most Indians across income groups. But this process is rapidly changing, fueled by digital," said Shweta Bajpai, Director Financial Services, Media, Travel, Real Estate, & Services (India), Meta. "Whether it's the growing role of Meta platforms in the purchase journey, the increasing influence of Reels and creators, the rising role of business messaging or the growing number of women who are taking independent financial decisions – the study dispels many myths about how financial products are discovered and bought today."

Digital touchpoints dominate traditional channels

Despite financial services maintaining substantial offline presence, the study reveals that 6 out of 8 touchpoints in the purchase journey are now digital. Meta platforms account for 50% of these digital touchpoints, demonstrating the company's outsized influence in the sector.

More than 50% of financial services consumers view personal finance and investing content on Meta platforms, while 81% use these platforms during the discovery phase. This influence continues through evaluation (79%) and remains strong at the final purchase stage (83%).

Product-specific data shows Meta's platforms play definitive roles across different financial categories: loans (86%), investments (84%), insurance (78%), and savings (82%). These figures represent unprecedented levels of digital platform involvement in traditionally relationship-driven financial services.

Short-form content transforms complex financial education

The study challenges conventional wisdom about financial product marketing, demonstrating that complex financial concepts can be effectively communicated through short-form video content. Instagram Reels and Facebook videos have become primary vehicles for financial literacy, with consumers embracing creator-led explanations of mutual funds, credit scores, and investment strategies.

"Short-form video and Reels are transforming the way businesses connect with new customers and fuel product and brand discovery," said Anoop Manohar, Chief Marketing Officer, Axis Bank. "During our Open Experience 2.0 campaign, better discovery of our credit card products led to higher scale of initial card approvals resulting in a 26% cost savings on the performance marketing side."

The research indicates that 53% of Facebook users and 57% of Instagram users find short-form videos and Reels influential in financial decision-making. This represents a significant departure from traditional long-form financial content, suggesting that accessibility and engagement matter more than comprehensive detail in initial product discovery phases.

Creator influence surpasses celebrity endorsements

The study documents a notable shift in trust patterns, with consumers increasingly favoring authentic creator content over traditional celebrity endorsements. A significant 75% trust financial podcasts, while 67% look to influencers and subject matter experts for guidance. Celebrity endorsements, though still influential at 60%, are yielding ground to creator-led advice.

This trend reflects broader changes in information consumption, where peer validation and relatability drive financial confidence. The authenticity gap between celebrity endorsements and creator content appears to resonate particularly strongly in financial services, where trust and credibility are paramount.

"By aligning deeply with Meta's planning frameworks and leveraging Madison World's data-driven approach, we were able to target high-intent, affluent audiences faster and more effectively," said Vikram Sakhuja, Group CEO – Madison Media & OOH. "What truly set this campaign apart was the use of sharp, insight-led influencer Reels crafted for Meta's ecosystem — not just to engage, but to drive real business outcomes."

Women emerge as independent financial decision-makers

The research challenges traditional assumptions about gender roles in financial decision-making. Nearly 80% of female respondents indicated they make independent financial decisions, spending more time than men on Instagram and WhatsApp and nearly as much time as men on Facebook.

Women respondents demonstrate higher engagement levels across Meta platforms, particularly in the higher household income segments. This demographic shift has significant implications for financial services marketing strategies, which have historically focused primarily on male decision-makers.

The data shows high household income consumers spend significantly more time on Meta platforms: 56 minutes on Instagram, 63 minutes on WhatsApp, and 56 minutes on Facebook daily. This compares to 37, 52, and 54 minutes respectively for low household income segments, indicating that affluent consumers are particularly active in digital financial content consumption.

Business messaging creates direct engagement opportunities

The study reinforces WhatsApp's critical role in financial services customer journeys, with substantial usage across all purchase stages. This usage pattern validates the growing importance of conversational commerce in financial services, where personalized communication can guide users from initial inquiry to final purchase.

"Our partnership with Meta continues to deliver meaningful results, particularly as we embrace innovative and customer-centric engagement strategies," said Sai Narayan, Chief Marketing Officer, Policybazaar. "Recently, our use of the Click to WhatsApp product within Meta campaigns has proven especially effective—achieving over a 5% conversion rate from lead to policy sale, delivering 43% higher conversion rate compared to our business-as-usual (BAU) Meta web campaigns."

The business messaging capabilities represent a fundamental shift from traditional financial services communication, enabling real-time interaction and personalized guidance throughout the purchase process.

Advertising technology drives measurable results

Financial services companies report significant performance improvements through Meta's advertising tools. Publicis Media, as a strategic partner, leverages the platform's advanced advertising solutions including Advantage+ Sales Campaigns (A+SC) to enhance product discoverability and customer acquisition.

"This partnership enables us to deliver significant increases in leads and bookings for our clients, achieving outcomes like 53% improvement in high-net-worth individual leads for ICICI Prudential Life Insurance or a 7x rise in leads at 81% lower CPA for a large bank in the Philippines," said Lalatendu Das, CEO, Publicis Media, India.

These results demonstrate quantifiable returns on digital marketing investments, with sophisticated targeting and optimization capabilities delivering superior performance compared to traditional financial services marketing approaches.

Platform sophistication enables precise targeting

Meta's advertising ecosystem spans 25 distinct ad placements across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and Meta Audience Network. Each placement requires specific technical considerations and offers different user engagement patterns, creating opportunities for sophisticated campaign optimization.

The platform's AI-powered tools have shown measurable improvements in advertising performance. Recent enhancements to Meta's ranking systems increased ad conversions by approximately 5% on Instagram and 3% on Facebook Feed and Reels during the second quarter of 2025.

Financial services advertisers benefit from advanced features including value rules for placement-specific bidding control, allowing up to 10 customized bidding rules with targeting criteria based on age, gender, location, operating system, and ad placement factors.

Regulatory compliance shapes advertising practices

Meta has implemented mandatory verification requirements for securities and investment advertisers targeting Indian users, effective July 31, 2025. All advertisers running securities and investments ads in India must verify their identity through the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) registration system.

The verification requirement applies to global campaigns reaching Indian users, expanding compliance obligations beyond domestic Indian advertisers. Companies exempt from SEBI registration may choose alternative verification methods, including identity or business verification processes.

This regulatory framework demonstrates Meta's commitment to transparency and consumer protection in financial services advertising, providing SEBI oversight and advertiser identity disclosure for enhanced market integrity.

Technology integration expands marketing capabilities

The study coincides with Meta's broader expansion of advertising capabilities, including the introduction of generative AI tools for video creation and optimization. Video Expansion and Image Animation features, launched in October 2024, enable advertisers to create more immersive video ads through AI-generated content.

These technological advances make video creation more accessible for financial services companies of all sizes, democratizing high-quality content production that was previously available only to large institutions with substantial production budgets.

The integration of AI-powered creative tools with sophisticated targeting capabilities positions Meta's platforms at the forefront of financial services marketing technology, enabling personalized, engaging content delivery at scale.

Timeline

• August 7, 2025: Meta releases "From Feeds to Financial Futures" study conducted by IPSOS
• July 31, 2025: Meta mandates SEBI verification for India securities ads
• July 30, 2025: Meta posts 22% advertising revenue growth to $46.6B
• June 26, 2025: Meta introduces mandatory verification requirements for Indian securities advertisers
• June 21, 2025: Meta announces generative AI advances for advertisers at Cannes Lions
• June 16, 2025: WhatsApp introduces ads using Instagram and Facebook data
• June 4, 2025: Meta value rules now available for placement-specific bidding control
• October 13, 2024: Meta unveils AI-powered Video Tools for Facebook and Instagram Ads

PPC Land explains

Financial Services

Financial services encompass the broad range of economic services provided by institutions including banking, insurance, investment management, and loan products. In the context of this study, financial services represent a traditionally conservative industry that has undergone digital transformation, with consumers increasingly turning to social media platforms for product discovery and decision-making. The sector includes savings accounts, investments, insurance policies, and loans, each requiring different marketing approaches and regulatory considerations in the digital landscape.

Meta Platforms

Meta platforms refer to the comprehensive ecosystem of social media and messaging applications owned by Meta Technologies, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. These platforms collectively serve billions of users globally and have evolved from simple social networking tools into sophisticated advertising and business communication systems. The study demonstrates how Meta's integrated approach across multiple platforms creates synergistic effects for financial services marketing, enabling seamless customer journeys from discovery through purchase.

Digital Touchpoints

Digital touchpoints represent specific online locations or interactions where consumers encounter brand messaging, product information, or advertising content during their purchase journey. The study identifies that 6 out of 8 touchpoints in financial product purchases are now digital, with Meta platforms accounting for 50% of these digital interactions. These touchpoints include social media feeds, search results, mobile applications, and messaging platforms, each offering unique engagement opportunities and measurement capabilities.

Short-form Video Content

Short-form video content refers to brief, typically vertical video formats lasting under 60 seconds, popularized by platforms like Instagram Reels and Facebook videos. This content format has emerged as particularly effective for financial education, enabling creators to simplify complex financial concepts into digestible, engaging explanations. The study shows 53% of Facebook users and 57% of Instagram users find this format influential in financial decision-making, challenging traditional long-form educational approaches in financial services.

Creator Influence

Creator influence describes the growing power of social media content creators and influencers to shape consumer opinions and purchase decisions through authentic, relatable content. The study reveals 67% of consumers trust influencers and subject matter experts, while only 60% trust celebrity endorsements. This shift reflects consumers' preference for peer-to-peer recommendations and authentic experiences over polished, traditional advertising approaches, particularly important in trust-dependent financial services.

Purchase Journey

The purchase journey encompasses the complete customer experience from initial product awareness through final purchase and beyond. In financial services, this journey traditionally involved multiple offline touchpoints including branch visits and advisor consultations. The study documents how this journey has become predominantly digital, with 81% of consumers using Meta platforms during discovery, 79% during evaluation, and 83% at the final purchase stage, representing a fundamental shift in consumer behavior.

Business Messaging

Business messaging refers to direct communication channels between companies and consumers through platforms like WhatsApp, enabling real-time, personalized interactions throughout the customer journey. This communication method has become particularly important in financial services, where complex products often require detailed explanation and customer support. The study shows WhatsApp usage across discovery (44%), evaluation (50%), and buying (48%) stages, demonstrating its critical role in modern financial services marketing.

AI-Powered Tools

AI-powered tools encompass the artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies that Meta integrates into its advertising and content creation systems. These tools include automated bidding optimization, content generation capabilities, and audience targeting algorithms that improve campaign performance. Recent enhancements have increased ad conversions by 5% on Instagram and 3% on Facebook, while new generative AI features enable automated video creation and creative optimization for financial services advertisers.

Advertising Revenue

Advertising revenue represents the income generated by Meta through its comprehensive advertising ecosystem, reaching $46.6 billion in the second quarter of 2025, a 22% increase year-over-year. This revenue demonstrates the commercial success of Meta's advertising model and validates the effectiveness of its platforms for business marketing. For financial services companies, this ecosystem provides sophisticated targeting capabilities, measurement tools, and creative formats that deliver measurable returns on marketing investments.

Regulatory Compliance

Regulatory compliance encompasses the legal and industry standards that financial services companies must meet when advertising and conducting business, particularly important given the regulated nature of financial products. Meta has implemented mandatory SEBI verification for securities and investment advertisers targeting Indian users, effective July 31, 2025. This framework demonstrates the platform's commitment to transparency and consumer protection while ensuring that financial services advertising meets appropriate oversight and disclosure requirements.

Summary

Who: Meta commissioned IPSOS to survey over 2,000 Indian consumers aged 25-45 across Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Kolkata, focusing on current and prospective buyers of financial services products.

What: The study reveals Meta platforms account for 3 of the top 6 digital touchpoints in financial product purchase journeys, with 57% of users relying on Instagram and 53% on Facebook for financial decisions. WhatsApp shows significant usage across discovery (44%), evaluation (50%), and buying (48%) stages.

When: The study was announced on August 7, 2025, documenting the digital transformation of financial services marketing in India throughout 2025.

Where: The research focused on India's major metropolitan markets (Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Kolkata), examining behavior patterns across Meta's global platform ecosystem including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger.

Why: The study demonstrates how digital channels have fundamentally altered financial services marketing, with short-form content, creator influence, and business messaging creating new pathways for financial education and product discovery. This transformation matters for the marketing community because it validates the shift from traditional advertising approaches to platform-native, creator-driven financial services marketing strategies.