In November 2023, Dentsu Macromill Insight, Inc. and Tete March Inc. jointly conducted a survey on the usage patterns of SNS services among 2,000 SNS users. Based on this survey data, they held a joint seminar in January 2024 on future SNS marketing strategies, which received significant attention. For Transformation SHOWCASE, we interviewed Kana Nagahara of Dentsu Macromill Insight, Inc. and Junko Kawamata of Tete March, who spoke at the joint seminar, about the survey data summary and consumer behavior models in the SNS era. In Part 1, we examine the usage patterns and effectiveness in marketing of the three major SNS platforms with high usage rates among young people: Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and TikTok.
SNS penetration is higher among younger generations, with TikTok becoming indispensable for teenagers
Q. SNS has become an important source of information for consumers. Against this backdrop, Dentsu Macromill Insight, Inc. and Tete March conducted a questionnaire survey of 2,000 SNS users. First, please tell us how the two companies came to conduct this joint survey and seminar.
Kana Nagahara, Dentsu Macromill Insight, Inc.
Nagahara: At Dentsu Macromill Insight, Inc., we've witnessed the immense influence of SNS firsthand through various surveys conducted with client companies. Driven by a desire to empirically understand how SNS users across generations utilize these platforms, we approached TeteMarch, a company with strong expertise in SNS marketing. Based on the survey results, we also held a joint online seminar with TeteMarch titled "How to Choose SNS for Marketing: Characteristics of Instagram, X, and TikTok Revealed by a Survey of 2,000 People."
Kawamata: This seminar generated tremendous response. The first session drew 250-300 registrants, and we subsequently rebroadcast it twice. Seminars requiring three broadcasts are rare even for our company, clearly indicating the high level of interest.
Q. Could you share the survey findings on how SNS is currently being used?
Nagahara: This survey analyzed data from 2,000 SNS users aged 15 to 59 to uncover the user characteristics of Instagram, X, and TikTok.
First, regarding "SNS usage rates among consumers," Instagram, LINE, and X all had usage rates above 60%, with half of users accessing them daily. Furthermore, usage rates for Instagram, X, and TikTok were higher among younger demographics, and a significant number of teenage girls used TikTok for over 3 hours per day. This data shows SNS penetration is strongest among younger generations, with TikTok being particularly ubiquitous for teens.
Social Media Proves Effective in the First Step of Consumer Behavior: Product Awareness
Q. Could you share the characteristics of each platform as seen in the survey results? Based on what you mentioned earlier, TikTok seems to be particularly popular among teenage girls. Is that correct?
Nagahara: Exactly. TikTok is highly effective for marketing to teenage girls. Its overwhelmingly top usage purpose is "killing time." While this is true for other SNS platforms too, on TikTok, over 70% of female users in their teens and twenties use it specifically to kill time. On the other hand, data also shows that about 25% of teenage female users utilize it to gather information about new products and services.
Q. I imagine that recognizing products via TikTok could also lead to purchases. How does TikTok influence consumer behavior?
Nagahara: When we investigated which information sources users reference at each stage—"awareness," "understanding," and "purchase/visit"—for different product categories, we found that among teenage girls, TikTok is where many first become "aware" of cosmetics and fashion-related products. TikTok also functions as an information source for teenage girls regarding other product categories. Its distinctive feature is the wide range of information referenced, including reviews explaining product effects and precautions, and points differentiating it from other products. Since TikTok is a video platform, I believe its influence on purchasing can be enhanced if it effectively aggregates and concisely communicates information that interests users.
Kawamata: TikTok is a truly innovative platform. While the mainstream approach to social media marketing has traditionally focused on acquiring followers, TikTok's unique feature is that users often enjoy and gain information from content displayed in their recommendations rather than just viewing what they follow. In a sense, the algorithm is replacing the role of followers.
Therefore, I believe it's a platform with significant potential for brand awareness expansion, even for companies or brands aiming to grow their follower base or increase their visibility. Unlike the past, where the goal was to boost brand awareness to gain followers or increase follower counts, now, if the content itself is compelling, it can go viral instantly and become popular. I feel we're entering an era of such dramatic turnarounds.
Tetemarch Inc. Junko Kawamata
Q. What about Instagram?
Nagahara: It's an SNS widely penetrating across broad age groups. Usage is high among women in their teens to 30s and teenage boys, with over 70% of young women using it daily. A key feature is that it's used not just for posting images, but as a mainstream SNS for communication with friends and acquaintances, and for gathering information. For women, it's utilized as a source of information for purchasing and using many products, making it an SNS that easily influences purchasing behavior.
Compared to TikTok, Instagram proves effective at each stage: "awareness," "understanding," and "purchase/visit." For cosmetics and dining establishments, the entire journey from awareness to purchase tends to occur through Instagram.
Furthermore, for cosmetics and fashion, influencer content is referenced first, followed by information from regular users. A discernible pattern emerges: users first check recommendations from admired influencers, then consider reviews from regular users before carefully deciding whether to purchase. For dining establishments in particular, posts from regular users are highly valued.
Q. Finally, please tell us about X.
Nagahara: X has a large user base in their teens and twenties, with about half of this generation using it daily. Among men in their twenties and thirties, usage rates are higher compared to other SNS platforms. Usage purposes are somewhat similar to Instagram, including killing time, pursuing hobbies, and gathering information on new products.
Products like games/toys and online services perform well on the platform, with many users referencing posts by regular users. Unlike Instagram, where users seek recommendations from admired figures, X functions more as a space to gather relatable voices from everyday users.
This survey of 2,000 people revealed the actual usage patterns of each SNS and the types of products where they are most effective. These findings should provide a starting point for developing SNS marketing strategies tailored to the products and services you offer. In the second part, we will explore how SNS marketing can lead to purchases, based on the consumer behavior model "PERCARS (Parkers)" proposed by TeteMarch.
Born in 1995. Project Leader at Generation Z Marketing Research Lab "lookey". After joining Tete March Inc. in 2019, he has handled strategy and planning design for SNS marketing centered on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) as an SNS Planner and Producer. Specializing in youth marketing, he launched "Insta Seminar," an event connecting university students with corporate representatives. Since then, he has been planning and proposing fundamental corporate promotional strategies, encompassing SNS account management, casting, and campaigns.
Kana Nagahara
Dentsu Macromill Insight, Inc.
Joined Dentsu Macromill Insight, Inc. in 2022. Engaged in communication planning and supporting the establishment of PDCA cycles, starting from consumer insights inherent in products across diverse categories such as food, games, and real estate.
