Research on How Canadian Consumers Behave Online

2 © 2013 ExactTarget | exacttarget.com/sff
In The Digital North—the 21st report in our SUBSCRIBERS,
FANS, & FOLLOWERS research series—we provide marketers with
an overview of how Canadian consumers are behaving online. If
Canadian consumers are part of the target audience for your email,
Facebook, and Twitter marketing efforts, this detailed look at their
habits and preferences will offer invaluable insights.
In this report, we explore three main themes:
• When and how Canadian consumers use email,
Facebook, and Twitter
• What motivates consumer interactions within each
of these channels
• How digital marketers can communicate more
effectively with Canadians
Marketers who understand the motivations and behaviors of
consumers in different geographical areas have an advantage over
those who do not—namely that they are able to leverage the unique
strengths of each channel when enacting their marketing strategies.
They’re also able to combine those strengths into a comprehensive
cross-channel marketing strategy. Prior SUBSCRIBERS, FANS, &
FOLLOWERS research conducted in the US, UK, Australia, Brazil,
Germany, and France has taught us that worldwide consumers use
each digital channel for distinct reasons. Now, our new research
illustrates what those distinct reasons are for the Canadian market.
In this report, we’ll take an in-depth look at email’s current role in
the marketing mix, how Canadian consumers use social channels
like Facebook and Twitter, and what entices them to engage with
brands online.
Overview

3© 2013 ExactTarget | exacttarget.com/sff
INTRODUCTION
With approximately 85% of its 18-and-over population online,
Canada is one of the most digitally connected countries on Earth.
The vast majority of Canadians have access to the internet, and
Canadians are regular users of online tools for work and play, with
email, Facebook, and Twitter among the most popular channels for
digital interaction. Email is the clear first-place winner when it comes
to how many Canadians use a particular online channel—93% of
online Canadians subscribe to a brand through email.
As one might imagine, online participation skews towards younger
Canadians. Surveys indicate 95% of the population aged 18-44
uses the internet, while only 58% of the 65+ crowd does the same.
As the population ages, these percentages will certainly rise.
How do Canadian internet users interact with companies online?
We’ve broken the type of interaction down into three categories:
subscribers, fans, and followers.
FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS REPORT, WE HAVE DEFINED THE TERMS SUBSCRIBERS, FANS, AND FOLLOWERS AS SUCH:
93%
61%
13%
Subscribers:
Canadian online consumers who have provided their
email address to at least one company for the purpose
of receiving permission-based emails.
Fans:
Canadian online consumers with a Facebook account who
have “liked” at least one company or brand on Facebook.
Followers:
Canadian online consumers with a Twitter account who
“follow” at least one company or brand on Twitter.
of the online Canadian consumers polled
(age 18 and older) are Subscribers.
(age 18 and older) are fans.
(age 18 and older) are followers.

4 © 2013 ExactTarget | exacttarget.com/sff 4
With approximately 85% of its 18-and-over population online,
Canada offers digital marketers a large audience to engage
through a strong online presence.
Canada is increasingly a digitally driven culture. Canada has
adopted the internet into its daily habits, and digital marketers
have a large audience in Canada to interact with through a strong
online presence.
Of these subscribers, fans, and followers, the vast majority (89% on
a daily basis) frequently use email, a phenomenon consistent with
internet users all over the world.
Facebook engagement skews slightly toward younger users, whereas
Twitter usage skews more heavily toward that same demographic.
The overall percentage of Twitter followers in Canada sits at 13%,
which is slightly higher than the worldwide average. However, we
must caution against interpreting this as a significant difference.
Rather, the difference most likely stems from when these surveys
were conducted. The Canadian survey occurred more recently than
respondents in other parts of the world, so one might attribute the
slightly higher-than-average rates for Canadians to Twitter’s rampant
growth in adoption rate rather than the country’s love for tweeting.
So what trends and developments are on the horizon for marketers
to consider for the Canadian audience?
As little as five years ago, the question of “Which device?” would
have been superfluous, as the answer would have been obvious:
the computer. But with an ever-expanding array of internet-
enabled devices on the market, consumers now have the option
of checking email and social networking messages on not only
desktop and laptop computers, but also tablets, smartphones,
and even televisions.
As a whole, the majority (66%) of Canadians still favor computers
over other devices for the first check-in of the day, with 19%
preferring mobile phones, 5% preferring tablets, and 5% waiting
until they arrive at school or work to access their online content.
However, taking age into consideration, the numbers paint quite
a different picture, with preference for smartphone usage skewing
heavily towards the younger demographic.
54% of Canadian internet users own a smartphone. Broken down
by age group, the numbers look like this:
• For consumers aged 18-24, 84% own a smartphone
• For ages 25-34, 68% own a smartphone
• For 65+, 20% own a smartphone
Make all of your digital marketing mobile-friendly to truly stay
present in the Canadian consumer’s daily habits. This practice will
only become more vital as smartphone prevalence increases.
now trending

Source: ExactTarget 2013 Global Research (Canada), March 2013
N = 1,382 Canadian online survey respondents, age 18+CANADIAN Subscribers,Fans,and Followers (byage)
Email Subscribers Facebook Fans Twitter Followers
18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65 or Older
90%
75%
24%
19% 19%
9%
5%
95%
50% 51%
94% 95%
90%
33%
2%
93%
76% 74%

What’s the first thing you do every morning? Retrieve your
smartphone from the nightstand and check email? Start a pot of
coffee and fire up the laptop? Or turn on the radio and make yourself
an omelet? Consumers’ behavior first thing in the morning tells us
much about their priorities and motives. Smart marketers consider
the mindset and activities of their target audience when determining
when and how to communicate with them.
The Digital Morning provides marketers with insight into how
customers start their digital day—whether focused on business,
social, or news—as well as which device they reach for first.
How do Canadians start the digital day? The majority (71%) checks
email right off the bat. Facebook comes in at a distant second
(13%), followed by news sites (6%).
The place people first visit online each day varies by age, but across
every age group, email is the most common initial check-in of
the morning.
Facebook is increasingly popular as a communication channel; the
company even has a messaging-only app for smartphones. This
growing popularity means many consumers check Facebook first
thing in the morning for the same reason others check email: to see
if any new messages have arrived (or if anyone has engaged with
previous Facebook postings, which are as important—if not more—
to Facebook addicts).
And addicts they are, although the degree varies by age group.
48% of younger users report checking Facebook “compulsively,”
whereas only 23% of users 65 and up admit to having the
same motivation.
Across age groups, the majority of respondents report using
Facebook for personal communication among friends and family.
73% of 18-24-year-olds and 65% of 65+ report using Facebook for
personal contacts, with little deviation in age groups in between.
62% of 18-24-year-olds and 57% of 65+ report using Facebook to
reconnect with old friends or people who live far away, again with
minimal deviation among constituent age groups.
Digital Morning

What is the first thing
you check online in a typical day?
N = 1,382 Canadian online survey respondents, age 18+
13% Facebook
2% Twitter
1% Google+
6% News site
1% My company’s website
2% Entertainment site
1% Search/portal site
4% Other
71% Email

Digital Evening
As evening rolls around, Canadian online consumers shift their priorities
toward online social and leisure activities, though email still remains the
last check of the night.
The compulsion to check email declines for Canadians throughout
the day, with 48% of Canadians checking email as part of their digital
evening—a significant drop compared with 71% who check it first thing
each morning.
Meanwhile, social check-ins become more important as the day goes
on, with 23% of Canadians accessing Facebook just before lights-out.
This number is up from the 13% who do so in the morning.
Taken together, social networks (Facebook, Twitter, and Google+) attract
only a quarter of consumers as the last digital check of the evening
(23%, 3%, and 2%, respectively). News and entertainment sites attract
15% of the evening audience, indicating greater stratification of action
when compared to morning routines.
Email (both personal and professional) still reigns supreme in the nighttime
digital lives of Canadian consumers, with more people checking email
before bed than anything else.
The evening uptick in social, entertainment, and news sites is likely
due to a desire among consumers to satisfy personal or social/cultural
desires and engage in leisurely pursuits—activities that are generally
more common in the evening than in the morning.
Thus, marketers should consider reaching their consumers through
Facebook and Twitter in the evening, as Canadians demonstrate a
preference for social sites in the evening. Still, a significant number of
consumers are still closing out their evenings via email inbox, so this
channel shouldn’t be ignored.

What is the Last thing
you check online in a typical day?
48% Email
23% Facebook
8% News site
1% My company’s website
4% Search/portal site
4% Other
2% Google+
3% Twitter
7% Entertainment site

the email consumer
Buying Power: Canadians use email frequently, and they’re
not averse to making purchases based on the emails they receive.
When asked how they use email, the numbers show:
• 89% of Canadian online consumers report checking their
email at least once a day
• 44% have made a purchase as a direct result of receiving
a marketing message via email
• In the increasingly prevalent smartphone-owning
demographic (54% of online Canadians), 65% report
checking their email via the device at least once per day
These numbers highlight the importance of considering email design
to ensure proper rendering on non-desktop devices.
Why Email? It’s vital for digital marketers to approach email from
the same mindset that online Canadian consumers do. Consider
how these consumers view and utilize their inboxes:
• 69% view email as a means for communicating
with personal contacts
• 44% view email as a tool for work
• When compared to Facebook (17% of Facebook users,
13% of all respondents) and Twitter (28% of Twitter users,
6% of all respondents), email is used more frequently for
work than these social media channels
Respondents overwhelmingly described email as a “necessity” when
compared to Facebook and Twitter, which were more commonly
viewed as “entertainment.” Only 25% of consumers say they check
email when they are “bored,” compared to 53% of Facebook users
that use Facebook to relieve boredom, and 39% of active Twitter
users that use Twitter to do the same.
MOTIVATION: An overwhelming majority (93%) report choosing
to receive commercial emails. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the most
common motivating factor relates to monetary incentives and perks:
• 63% subscribe to receive discounts or money-off promotions
• 58% do so to receive free items or giveaways
This contrasts with consumer motivations to engage with
businesses via social media, where the prompting factor(s) might
be to affiliate oneself with a “trendy” company and/or show support
for a company.
Such contrast suggests a distinction between email (which is private)
and social channels that are more public in nature (i.e., your social
media connections can see which companies you “like,” while they
don’t see what’s in your inbox).
The vast majority (93%) of online Canadians report subscribing to at least one commercial
newsletter and/or “special offer” email list, making it the top communication channel for marketers
in Canada. Email’s top spot in Canada aligns with the global research of the SUBSCRIBERS, FANS,
& FOLLOWERS series. In every country we’ve studied so far, email has been the most popular
(and perhaps most trusted) consumer communication channel.

Generational Differences: Younger
consumers are more likely than their older
counterparts to subscribe to a company’s
emails due to recommendation by a friend or
to show support for/affiliation with a “cool”
brand. Conversely, older consumers opt to
sign up for an email subscription to receive
information of personal interest. Regardless
of age, however, most consumers (63%)
report becoming more selective about which
companies they provide with their personal
email addresses.
Canadians in general tend to be slightly more
cautious online consumers compared with
other countries we’ve studied so far. With
competition for “inbox attention” already
increasing, this selectivity highlights the
imperative for marketers to send only relevant
communications.
motivationsto Subscribe
To receive discounts and money-off promotions63%
Someone recommended it to me
18%
To keep up to date with a company’s products, services, or offerings
58%
To receive alerts related to developments within the company, association, or organization
15%
To receive advanced notice of new products or future releases
43%
For a quick and easy way to “keep my finger on the pulse” of the brand/company
13%
To receive “free stuff” or giveaways (e.g., free download,
voucher, discount) offered in exchange for my email address
39%
To be affiliated with the product or brand because it’s trendy or “cool”
10%
To gain access to exclusive content
36%
To show my support for the company to others (including friends and family)
6%
For more information related to my personal interests, hobbies, etc.
34%
I shop with this company or buy this brand on a regular basis
32%
N = 1,290 Canadian email users who receive at least one email from a company

the facebook consumer
Buying Power: Unlike email, where purchase behavior is
reasonably consistent across age segments, younger Canadian
consumers are much more likely to have made a purchase based
on a Facebook message than their older peers:
• 21% of online Canadian consumers aged 18-24 have made
purchases based on a message received via Facebook
• 24% in the 25-34 bracket have made purchases based on
a message received via Facebook
• Only 8% of consumers 45 and older have made a purchase
based on a message they saw on Facebook
However, it is important to note that “sponsored story” ads in
the Facebook news feed are a fairly recent development, and
sometimes consumers falsely equate “advertising on Facebook”
only with banner or sidebar ads. So it’s possible that some
consumers actually have made a purchase based on a Facebook
brand message without realizing it, because they saw a sponsored
story instead of a banner ad.
Why Facebook? Facebook, to a greater extent than email,
satisfies the social needs of its users.
• 69% use Facebook to communicate with personal contacts
(friends, family, & acquaintances)
• 68% use Facebook to reconnect with old or geographically
distant friends
• 57% use Facebook because a significant amount of their
friends use Facebook (“That’s where my friends are”)
• 53% - To alleviate boredom
• 51% - To coordinate their social life (where friends are
hanging out, what events people are planning, etc.)
One of the distinguishing characteristics of Facebook is how
rarely users visit the site for business purposes (17%)—a figure
significantly lower than email (44%) and even Twitter (28%).
MOTIVATION: Consumers “like” companies on Facebook primarily,
but not exclusively, to save money. Canadian online consumers
“like” brands on Facebook for these reasons:
• To receive “free stuff” or enter for giveaways (58%)
• To receive discounts or money-off promotions (53%)
• To keep up to date with a company’s products,
services, or offerings (34%)
• Because they already shop with the company or buy
the brand (30%)
30% of consumers become fans because they’re purchasing
from the brand already. Those who take the step of “liking” your
brand are saying something: they want to be affiliated with you.
Think of it as a “non-celebrity endorsement.” Even everyday
consumers exert some degree of influence over those in their social
circles, whether indirectly or overtly.
Good news for digital marketers: 61% of online Canadians are Facebook users, although a scant
15% of online Canadians report making a purchase as the direct result of a marketing message
they received through Facebook. But don’t let that number discourage you. Facebook serves a
different purpose for marketers than the digital direct-mail equivalent that is email.

To receive “free stuff” or giveaways
offered in exchange for my email address
To keep up to date with a company’s products,
services, or offerings
For more information related to my personal interests, hobbies, etc.
To receive discounts & money-off promotions
Someone recommended it to me
To receive advanced notice of new products or future releases
To receive alerts related to developments within the company,
association, or organization
For a quick and easy way to “keep my finger on the pulse”
of the brand/company
To show my support for the company to others
(including friends and family)
Consumers also “like” companies as a
means of gaining access to exclusive
content (30%), whether the exclusivity
of that content is real or merely
perceived. The takeaway for marketers
is this: consumers are looking for more
depth than simple promotions—social
media pros need to post a variety of
content types, so as not to appear one-
dimensional or too commercial.
One interesting and fairly unique aspect
of Canadian Facebook fans, when
compared with those in other countries,
is the rate at which Canadians use their
profile to show support for a company.
30% of respondents report doing
so. However, only 16% of users
“liked” a brand because someone
recommended it to them. And only
11% of users will admit to “liking” a
company/brand on Facebook as a
means of looking trendy or “cool.”
56% of Facebook fans report
becoming more selective over the
past year about which companies
they choose to “like.” Given
the similar trend witnessed
in email subscription
selectivity, one might
surmise that user
fatigue is setting in.
motivationsto“like”
54%
30%
20%
53%
30%
16%
34%
28%
14%
30%
25%
11%
N = 842 Canadian Facebook users who say they have “liked” at least one brand

the twitter consumer
“Influencers” doesn’t just mean anyone (or any company) with
a large number of followers. While this can be an important
audience, even those with relatively small numbers of Twitter
followers can be active in other arenas that wield influence over
the purchasing decisions of others.
buying power: A mere 5% of online Canadians have made
purchases as the direct result of a marketing message received
via Twitter. Like Facebook, the success rate of conversion tracks
to younger demographics. 18-24-year-olds and 25-34-year-olds
are the most likely to have made a purchase as the result of a
message seen on Twitter (11% for both groups).
Zero percent (that’s right, 0%) of consumers age 65 and up
have done so. However, those numbers alone may not tell the
entire story.
Twitter users are more likely than Facebook and email
users to buy from (31%) and recommend (27%) a company
after “following” them on Twitter. Though they represent
a smaller portion of the overall population, Twitter followers
are a niche group worthy of investment because they can
drive influence across this smaller network of people.
Why Tweet? 22% of respondents to our survey described
themselves as “active Twitter users,” reporting that they check
Twitter at least daily.
• 39% use Twitter to relieve boredom
• 37% use Twitter as a method for receiving
“insider information”
• 36% use Twitter for personal contacts
• 29% use Twitter to connect with old or
geographically distant friends
Motivation: Some Twitter followers (33%) indicate they’re
becoming more selective about whom they “follow” on Twitter,
although this percentage is slightly lower than Facebook and
email users. This may be due primarily to the nature of the Twitter
stream. Users may view following as less of a commitment or
imposition on their time than “liking” a brand on Facebook.
The greatest percentage of online Canadians “follow” brands on
Twitter to keep up to date with a company’s products, services,
or offerings. Unlike Facebook and email, where consumers
mainly want to receive discounts and free items through opting in,
Twitter serves a different purpose, and updates are seen as more
important than getting a special deal.
More so than other channels, Twitter is a circle of influence. With Twitter profiles generally being
more public outlets than Facebook and email, the most active Twitter users tend to have influence
outside of Twitter itself. They are the most likely to blog or create other forms of content hosted
elsewhere. So, while the measureable impact of Twitter on sales is fairly small, the real impact may
be in its ability to connect with influencers.

To receive alerts related to developments within the company,
association, or organization
47%
27% For more information related to my personal interests, hobbies, etc.
44%
To keep up to date with a company’s products, services, or offerings
26%
To receive discounts and money-off promotions40%
To show my support for the company to others (including friends and family)
23%
To receive advanced notice of new products or future releases37%
21%
For a quick and easy way to “keep my finger on the pulse” of the brand/company
35% To receive “free stuff” or giveaways (e.g., free download, voucher, discount)
offered in exchange for my email address
15% Someone recommended it to me
27%
N = 182 Canadian Twitter users who say they have followed at least one brand
30%
motivationsto follow

inspiring engagement across all channels
Email, Facebook, and Twitter can each inspire business success through different forms of customer engagement.
Marketers should factor in the uniqueness of each channel as they determine how to market to Canadian consumers
active in the digital space.
Recommendations for Email: The inbox remains the
crossroads for all things personal and commercial. Though
consumers may prioritize and respond to messages differently
based on the sender, they generally remain receptive to email
messages from companies they have authorized to contact them,
though they are increasingly selective with those permissions.
To this end, brands should focus on gaining permission and
maintaining trust with the target consumers. Merely obtaining an
email address is not enough—you need to get the consumer’s
permission before he or she will engage. But attaining that
permission does not give companies carte blanche to inundate the
inbox with whatever the company wishes to promote. Excessive or
irrelevant emails will cause the consumer to revoke permission, and
thus disengage.
Companies must demonstrate trustworthiness and value before
consumers are willing to engage, and they must continue to deliver
valuable information in order to maintain the relationship. Canadian
online consumers are tethered to their email inboxes morning
through evening, so marketers should pay keen attention to this
channel for both branding and selling purposes.
Recommendations for Facebook: Facebook use revolves
heavily around the social life of the consumer. Consumers are
less likely to expect marketing messages after “liking” a brand on
Facebook than they are with the Subscriber or Follower models.
That’s not to say brands should shy away from Facebook; brands
simply need to approach customers in a way that is consistent with
the overall tone of Facebook. Rather than going for the hard sell,
brands should concentrate on demonstrating value and deepening
the consumer’s relationship with the brand. Post content that’s fun,
engaging, and creates an opportunity for consumers to feel as if

they’re interacting with a person rather than a faceless entity.
Facebook engagement should also drive customers to become
Subscribers, which delivers a more personal and targeted experience
for the customer.
Recommendations for Twitter: Despite the relatively
small number of followers Twitter delivers, the channel still holds
great potential for influence. Marketers simply need to tweak the
manner in which they engage followers.
Compared to email and Facebook users, Twitter users are the
least selective about which brands they tend to follow and are the
most likely to be open to receiving marketing messages. Because
Twitter users report an increased likelihood of recommending and
purchasing from a brand after becoming a follower, Twitter users
hold incredibly high value to marketers.
Followers expect to see engagement through retweeting, inviting
comments, and holding dialogue. Thus, brands should adopt a
more informal and friendly stance on Twitter to engage with their
audience and invite their audience to see the brand’s lighter side.
Twitter’s 140-character limit requires brevity and is an effective
means of driving consumers to other points of engagement (blogs,
Facebook pages, etc.).
CROSS-CHANNEL RECOMMENDATIONS: As the chart on the
next page shows, significant overlap exists between Canadian
subscribers, fans, and followers. Many people will subscribe to your
brand as well as “like” it on Facebook, or “follow” you on Twitter.
Marketers should always keep in mind this cross-channel overlap
when creating a digital marketing strategy. The same CTA likely
won’t be as effective on both Facebook (an innately personal
platform) and email (a platform used frequently for the hard-sell).
Likewise, an infographic may yield thousands of shares on Twitter,
but not be the best choice for an email image.
Consider, also, that customers don’t want to see the same message
recycled on every platform that your brand owns online. Keep
messages appropriately tailored to customers’ motivations for
joining you on that platform in the first place, and refrain from reusing
creative elements in a way that would make them seem stale to a
customer who follows you on multiple channels.

Canadian Subscribers,Fans,and Followers Overlap
5% None of the Above13% Followers61% Fans93% Subscribers
2% Subscribers & Followers
11% Subscribers, Fans, & Followers
32%
Subscribers
Only
48%
Subscribers
& Fans
2% Fans Only

As media theorist Marshall McLuhan famously said,
the medium is the message. This holds true even for
new media like email and social networking. While
consumers generally don’t expect vast differences
in communication across these three channels, they
quickly tire of the same recycled content appearing
on their screens every day. Strike a balance between
playing to each channel’s strengths while ensuring
consistent brand image and messaging.
When planning marketing efforts to engage
consumers through these channels, adopt an
approach that layers these channels on top of each
other. Consumers do not silo their interactions with
brands; therefore, brands cannot afford to silo their
interactions with consumers, especially among these
critical channels.
As Canadian consumers switch between screens,
social platforms, and the hundreds of emails in their
inboxes, your brand can remain a constant voice.
Build meaningful relationships with customers and
prospects by developing content that suits the unique
nature of each channel, always keeping in mind
the preferences of your Canadian consumers and
their motivations to “like,” “follow,” or subscribe to
your brand.
conclusion

Research on How Canadian Consumers Behave Online

Empfohlen

Empfohlen

Weitere ähnliche Inhalte

Was ist angesagt?

Was ist angesagt? (18)

Ähnlich wie Research on How Canadian Consumers Behave Online

Ähnlich wie Research on How Canadian Consumers Behave Online (20)

Mehr von Salesforce Marketing Cloud

Mehr von Salesforce Marketing Cloud (20)

Kürzlich hochgeladen

Kürzlich hochgeladen (20)

Research on How Canadian Consumers Behave Online