Only recently, social network Facebook reported that it had 2 billion active users on the planet. This week it has offered slightly more insight into where those people are in the information it provides to advertisers. As of July the 13th, Facebook says it has a “potential audience” of 241 million active users in India making that it’s biggest single country. By comparison, they say they have 240 million users in the United States.
Each country represents 11% of the total Facebook audience. But what’s most intriguing is that India’s user numbers are growing much more strongly than those in the US.
Active users in India have increased 27% in the past six months (up about 50 million) but American user numbers have seen growth of 12% (26 million or so) in the same period. Both numbers are pretty impressive but it’s clear that India is going to be ever more important to Facebook in the years to come. With a population of over 1 billion it is roughly three times the size of the USA.
What does this all mean for online sellers? It’s another significant indication that India is increasingly a key arena for online activity and ecommerce. It’s not for nothing that both Amazon, eBay and others are keen to get solid toeholds in India and are investing in local marketplaces. Have you considered selling to India?
And if you are already selling in India, this news from Facebook suggests that you probably ought to consider advertising your wares using any one of Facbook’s various advertising options because it a place where local shoppers are increasingly congregating. India is an easier asian marketplace than China for the UK seller because English is a widely used language and it’s easier to communicate with customers. But thus far local shoppers have seemed more keen to buy locally than from sellers overseas.
