Meta platforms dominate digital touchpoints in India’s financial product purchases: Study

Indians are increasingly turning to Meta-owned platforms—Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp—when making financial product decisions, with the company accounting for three of the top six digital touchpoints in the purchase journey, according to a new study by IPSOS commissioned by Meta.

The ‘From Feeds to Financial Futures’ report, based on a survey of over 2,000 respondents aged 25–45 in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Kolkata, found that six of eight touchpoints in the purchase journey are now digital, with Meta platforms responsible for half of them. More than 50% of financial services consumers view personal finance and investing content on Meta-owned apps.

Reels and Short Videos Drive Financial Literacy

The study shows that 81% of consumers use Meta platforms during the discovery stage of financial products, 79% during evaluation, and 83% at the purchase stage. In specific categories, such as loans (86%), investments (84%), insurance (78%), and savings (82%), Meta apps play a definitive role.

Instagram is used by 57% of respondents and Facebook by 53% for making informed financial decisions, with short-form video formats like Reels emerging as key drivers of awareness.

“Financial planning is integral to the lives of most Indians across income groups. But this process is rapidly evolving, 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.”

Anoop Manohar, Chief Marketing Officer at Axis Bank, said short-form content is helping simplify complex products: “During our Open Experience 2.0 campaign, better discovery of our credit card products led to a higher scale of initial approvals, resulting in a 26% cost savings on performance marketing. More recently, we launched our first Made on Instagram campaign led by creators called ‘The First That Stays’, further strengthening our belief in Reels for impact.”

Creators Outpace Celebrity Endorsements

The research highlights a shift in trust, with 75% of respondents valuing financial podcasts and 67% relying on influencers and subject matter experts for advice—outpacing traditional celebrity endorsements.

Vikram Sakhuja, Group CEO – Madison Media & OOH, noted that creator-led Reels are delivering measurable results: “The 129% lift in savings leads and 3-point jump in unaided recall stand testament to the power of collaboration, creativity, and smart media thinking.”

Publicis Media’s CEO, Lalatendu Das, added that AI-powered ad solutions on Meta have delivered “53% improvement in high-net-worth individual leads for ICICI Prudential Life Insurance” and “a 7x rise in leads at 81% lower CPA for a large bank in the Philippines.”

Women Take the Lead in Financial Decisions

Contrary to common assumptions, nearly 80% of female respondents reported making independent financial decisions. Women are spending more time than men on Instagram and WhatsApp and nearly as much time on Facebook, using these platforms not only for knowledge but also for community support.

WhatsApp Emerges as an Evaluation Tool

WhatsApp is being used across all stages of the purchase journey—by 44% at the discovery stage, 50% during evaluation, and 48% during purchase—with financial services consumers spending an average of 56 minutes on the app daily.

Sai Narayan, CMO at Policybazaar, said Click-to-WhatsApp campaigns have proven especially effective: “We achieved over a 5% conversion rate from lead to policy sale, delivering 43% higher conversion compared to our business-as-usual Meta web campaigns. These results underscore WhatsApp’s critical role in engaging customers and driving decisions.”

The findings underline how digital—particularly Meta’s platforms—is no longer just an influencer of financial product decisions but an essential part of the purchase journey. For brands and marketers, the report signals a shift in strategy: meeting consumers where they spend the most time, in the formats they trust most, and with messaging that moves from initial curiosity to final conversion.