by JdeLarzac
1. April 2010 23:43
Canadians are among the world’s busiest users of social networking websites and no, this is not an April fool’s day joke.
And it’s not just Twitter and Facebook that’s attracting new users. According to the Globe & Mail, LinkedIn now has more than two million Canadian members and it’s still growing. In fact, LinkedIn is planning on opening its fifth global office in Toronto, based solely on Canadians’ intense use and adoption of social media.
The story is of huge importance to the Canadian employment market obviously, but more so, it’s a call to all international and domestic companies that the Canadian consumer/user is not to be ignored. While the Canadian market might pale in comparison to that south of the border, it’s still a viable place to do business, especially as one of the fastest-growing online markets.
Almost eight in 10 Canadians use social media at least once a month, according to the Globe article. LinkedIn’s VP of international operations told the newspaper: “The only question [is], why weren’t we here earlier?” Canada is not a place to be neglected and holds huge opportunities for companies both within and outside its border.
From our perspective as a direct agency, this article is further proof that consumers have changed. With both our U.S. and Canadian clients, we’ve espoused the idea of creating one-on-one conversations that connect with consumers, versus push marketing, or yelling at the consumer from afar. So LinkedIn’s decision to open up shop here is good news.
What do you think?
-Jill
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