Social media is an increasingly important part of Canadian public and private business strategies. A full 90% of businesses surveyed in a recent poll say they use social media, with only 10% responding that social media is unimportant. While there are some differences in opinion between private Canadian businesses and public, it’s clear that the Great White North is eager to expand its influence amongst consumers using the ubiquity of social media.
Canadian businesses appear to be more ready to experiment with social media than their American counterparts. The SAS/Leger Marketing survey reveals that nine out of ten Canadian businesses use some form of social media, and one in six CEOs say social media is the most important avenue for engaging the public in brand awareness. About 31% responded that social media was a major part of their business strategy, and 42% indicated that it played a limited role. Compared to a recent survey on employee engagement in the US, Canadian CEOs are positively gaga over social media. 60% of American executives responded that they did not use either internal or external social networks.
Why the difference in attitude between executives just a thin borderline away? Maybe it has something to do with business culture in both countries, with Canadian businesses willing to take more risks than their American counterparts. Or maybe American businesses are playing it cool towards social media because they already have such a wide consumer base. Canada, with just about 10% of the population of the US, hosts many businesses who are no doubt eager to use social media to expand outward at low costs.
This survey also reveals a gap in opinion between Canadian businesses and government services. Executives in the public or government sector are more likely to say that social media plays a crucial role in engaging with the public than private business executives – responding 21% and 14% respectively.
It makes sense that federal and provincial governments would embrace social media. It is a low cost means of engaging the public (something that any government agency salivates over) and the potential for it to increase voter turnout, awareness of candidates and issues, and bring the youth into the political conversation are invaluable.
Digging down through the data even further reveals interesting discrepancies between business sectors on the corporate side of things. Over 50% of Canadian construction, manufacturing and engineering executives say that social media has no impact on their businesses. Banking and financial business executives sit at the other end of the spectrum, with 28% responding that social media is the most important way of interacting with their customers.
There is a significant amount of variety within the Canadian public and private industry when considering social media, but with nine in ten businesses adopting it, it must have a certain allure even for the most skeptical CEO.
