National Cyberspace Center: Instagram’s Market Size in Iran Reaches 70 Trillion Tomans Annually
Date: November 12, 2022
The National Cyberspace Center (NCC) has estimated the annual market size of Instagram in Iran at 70 trillion tomans, according to a report released by the Center. The report notes that even if data-deficient segments are added on an estimated basis, Instagram’s share would account for no more than 7.3% of the country’s total digital economy.
According to the Public Relations Office of the Tehran E-Commerce Association, the NCC report indicates that Instagram accounts for 50% of total traffic sales revenue generated by fixed and mobile telecommunications operators, amounting to approximately 30 trillion tomans per year. In the second layer of the digital economy, the market size of Instagram-related activities—such as advertising services, customer support, logistics, and integrated solution services—is estimated at around 15 trillion tomans. In addition, the value of the digitalized economy associated with Instagram storefront pages is estimated at approximately 25 trillion tomans.
The report categorizes jobs formed or expanded on Instagram into three main groups. The first group consists of licensed commercial businesses that operate under official guild permits and use social media primarily as a marketing channel. Sales for these businesses typically occur outside Instagram, either through dedicated payment gateways or in-person transactions.
The second group includes micro and informal businesses that are not registered as guild-based enterprises. These businesses use Instagram and other messaging platforms not only for marketing but also as their primary means of communication with customers. According to the findings, approximately 415,000 Instagram pages belong to micro-businesses, including home-based and informal operations. Payments in this category are mainly conducted through card-to-card transfers or cash on delivery.
A third category includes content-based businesses, whose revenue is not generated through the sale of goods or services. Instead, these activities focus on managing Instagram pages, attracting audiences, and monetizing through advertising. Although around 60% of Instagram-based jobs fall into this category, they represent only 7.5% of the total market value.
The National Cyberspace Center also reported that, based on a national survey conducted in September, only 6.4% of citizens prefer shopping via Instagram. The main reasons cited for distrust include lack of confidence in sellers and product delivery (39%), receiving goods that differ from descriptions (11%), delivery delays (3%), and the absence of effective complaint and dispute resolution mechanisms (8%).
The report further states that more than one million micro-businesses are currently active across 10 domestic digital platforms. After cross-referencing and removing overlapping data, it was determined that over 60% of micro-businesses are operating on domestic platforms.
Finally, the National Cyberspace Center announced that 41.8% of social media users—equivalent to 23 million unique users—are currently registered on domestic messaging apps and social networks and are considered active users of these platforms.
Source: Peivast