3 out of 10 SNS Users "Buy After Seeing Ads"... 44% of People in Their 20s Highest

3 Out of 10 Purchase Products Through SNS Ads
44% of Those Aged 19-29... Highest Among All Age Groups
KakaoTalk 'Gift' and Instagram 'Live Broadcast' Used Most Frequently

Recently, the online market is rapidly reorganizing from online platforms and individual shopping malls to social networking services (SNS). A survey found that 3 out of 10 social media users purchased goods or products through SNS advertisements. In particular, many purchases occurred on Instagram, where live broadcasts for group buying are active.

According to the '2024 Social Media User Survey' released by the Korea Press Foundation on the 11th, 26.1% of adults using social media responded that they use social media to purchase products or goods. Users used an average of 1.89 social media platforms for product purchases.

Purchase rates through social media varied significantly by age group. Those aged 19-29 had the highest rate at 44%, followed by those in their 30s (41.7%) and 40s (34.7%). In contrast, the purchase rate for those aged 70 and above was only 2.6%.

This is a stock photo provided to aid understanding of the article and is unrelated to the article content. Pexels

Among types of social media, SNS users had the most purchase experience. Among SNS users, 63.7% reported having clicked on advertisements, and 28.2% reported having purchased products through advertisements. Online cafes and communities ranked second in both ad click experience (59.4%) and purchase experience (18.6%).

Among individual platforms, the highest percentage of users who used KakaoTalk for product purchases was 53.4%. This is interpreted as KakaoTalk, a messenger service, including commerce platforms such as gift sending and TokDeal within the service. Kakao's commerce transaction amount, including KakaoTalk Gift, recorded 907 billion KRW last year, growing 5% compared to the previous year.

Following that, Instagram recorded 21.3%, YouTube 20.2%, and Instagram Direct Message 19.2%, meaning respondents who said they use Instagram practically exceeded 40%. Although Instagram has not fully launched its commerce business, product purchases through influencer group buying, branded content, and advertisements are actively taking place. Instagram offers the 'Instagram Shopping' service, which supports browsing stores or products through content such as photos and videos. However, the in-app payment feature is currently only supported in the United States.

Comedian Lee Su-ji is reenacting a group purchase live broadcast by an Instagram influencer. YouTube channel 'HotIssueJi'

Meanwhile, recently comedian Lee Su-ji attracted attention by posting a parody video satirizing so-called 'Pal-i People,' influencers who sell products on SNS. 'Pal-i People' is a newly coined term referring to some influencers who sell goods in a 'group buying' format on SNS and other platforms. They have been criticized online for unsightly behaviors such as selling unverified products, only disclosing specific prices via direct messages (DM), and exaggerated promotions.

In a YouTube video, Lee Su-ji transformed into 'Shubleemom,' who sells rice cakes, detox drinks called 'Bbaebbaesu,' and cosmetics, creating laughter. Her exaggerated eating scenes, overly retouched footage, and statements like "I barely got this price after fighting with the factory owner" and "You absolutely can't buy it if not today" realistically reenacted actual Pal-i People, gaining explosive reactions from netizens.