The Benefits of Social Media for Business can’t be denied!
Many Canadian businesses know the importance of using social media for business—just look at the social media and small business statistics. It shows that with the right strategy, it’s possible to generate more leads and drive sales through the roof.
But with the wrong strategy, you can spend valuable time without seeing any results. Chances are, you’ve tried some social media posts for your business in the past—maybe even had a few Facebook ads running. But you’ve let it fall to the back burner, if you pay attention to it at all.
Businesses across Canada and the US have been using social media in recent years. It’s time to start paying attention to social media for your business. Don’t let past inexperience, disinterest, or even failure stop you from taking advantage now.
Social media is the reason many businesses have seen rapid growth. You may notice some of your competitors have gained on you. In some cases, they’re even running circles around you. They generate leads that are cheaper and flow more freely, they are closing deals faster, and the people in charge of purchasing decisions remember them more readily. Social media trends reflect this growth.
And where are you right now?
You’re still struggling with cold-calling, emails, and conventional advertising. A few years back, that worked—the leads were pouring in. But today? Not so much.
The proverbial well hasn’t dried up, but the gush has been reduced to a trickle, at best.
The Pitfalls of Outdated Marketing Methods
It’s time to face the music—conventional marketing methods are too expensive, and most of your potential customers can’t be reached using those antiquated tactics. They’re not picking up their phones, your emails are going unanswered, and paid ads are a waste of time and effort.
On the other hand, businesses using digital marketing with a strong social media presence are raking it in. They might have an inferior product compared to yours, but that doesn’t matter. Brands on social media are seen and heard, mostly for free, while you’re paying to get your foot in the door.
Follow these social media tips to make sure your game plan is on message.
Like it or not, you have to adapt, and your business’s social media presence needs to grow fast. It doesn’t matter if you’ve already tried and failed; persistence is key. With a firm understanding of what to expect, a detailed plan, and a few new tricks up your sleeve, you can harness the power of social media marketing for small businesses.
But being on social media doesn’t mean being on every platform. Canadian businesses need to be smart about where they show up—it’s not about quantity, but quality. Focus your efforts on the platforms where your target audience actually spends their time. Choosing the right channels based on audience behaviour is what turns social media into a powerful growth tool, not just a time-consuming task.
After all, business owners aren’t quitters, and you’re not ready to throw in the towel just yet, right?
Let’s look at some social media statistics as they pertain to your business and what they might mean for you.
(Un)Surprising Social Media Statistics for Business
- Overall, about 5.17 billion of the world use social media. That’s 4.2 BILLION users across the globe. (Source: Hootsuite)
- Broken down, that number is approximately 90.4% of Millennials, 77.5% of Generation X, and 48.2% of Baby Boomers use social media in some form. (Source: eMarketer, 2019)
- 96.2% of these users access their accounts through mobile devices like smartphones or tablets. (Source: Oberlo)
- The average person spends 4 hours and 37 minutes on their phone each day. (Source: Exploding Topics)
- What’s more, this survey estimates that these people go on to check their smartphones at least 58 times during the day.
- 52% of TikTok users in the U.S. regularly get their news from the platform. (Source: Hootsuite)
- 63% of customers actually expect companies to offer customer service through their social media, and 90% of social media users have already connected with a brand or business through their chosen platform (Source: Smartinsights)
- Adults aged 18 to 34 are most likely to follow a brand on social media, with 95% of them doing so. (Source: MarketingSherpa)
- The likelihood that a consumer will recommend a brand on social media to others after having a positive experience is about 71%. (Source: LYFE Marketing)
- 71% of small-to-mid-sized businesses use social media to market themselves, and of those who do so, 52% post at least daily.
Social media is where users spend time, and where your audience is. What’s more, it’s where they want to learn more about you. And your competition already knows it – that’s why marketers spent over $276.72 billion on social media advertising and marketing in 2025. (Source: Statista)
Let’s take this a step further and break down some of the important statistics by platform.
Facebook Is An Essential Social Media Platform for Business
As one of the largest and longest-running social media platforms, Facebook should not be neglected. Your ideal customers are likely there; you’ve just got to reach them.
- 31.1% of Facebook users are between 25-34 years of age, with Millennials and Baby Boomers being the most active users. (Source: Hootsuite)
- According to Hootsuite, there are 2.1 billion daily active Facebook users.
- Of those active users, 74% log into Facebook daily (Source: Pew Research Center) and spend an average of 38 minutes per day on the platform.
- Facebook Stories attract 500 million daily viewers. (Source: TechCrunch)
- 1.4 billion people are involved in Groups every month. (Source: Facebook Insights)
- Facebook users spend 50% of their time watching videos. (Source: Statusbrew)
- 19% of Facebook users search for products on the platform—a number that will only grow. (Source: Statusbrew)
- Facebook users click on an average of 11 ads each month, with women clicking on more ads (14 per month) than men (10 per month). (Source: Hootsuite)
- 90 million small businesses use Facebook Pages, Groups, and Messenger. (Source: Statusbrew)
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X is An Important Social Media Platform for Many Industries
Another of the most popular and prolific social media platforms is X (formerly known as Twitter). Although fewer people use X than Facebook, the platform is very different, and therefore used differently, by both consumers and businesses.
- X boasts 600 million active monthly users. This represents a 9% growth over the previous reporting period. (Source: Exploding Topics)
- Link clicks make up 92% of all user interaction with posts. (Source: Hubspot)
- 78% of people who complain to a brand on X expect a response within the hour. (Source: Lithium)
- A whopping 83% of X users who sent a tweet to a company – and received a response – felt better about the company and were more likely to do business with them. (Source: Hootsuite)
- That said, only 3% of posts about customer service issues call out the company’s username with the @ symbol – so you’ve got to watch out for them! (Source: MarTech)
- People are 31% more likely to remember what they read on X as compared to general online browsing. (Source: Hootsuite)
- 7 million Americans can be reached with X ads. (Source: WebFX)
- X ads are 11% more effective than TV ads during live events. (Source: X) Think about that next time you watch a Superbowl ad!
Instagram is the Social Media Platform To Find Millennials
Another important platform to consider is Instagram, a highly visual, image- and video-sharing app. It differs significantly from both X and Facebook, which means you need to tailor your approach. To effectively reach your audience, it’s essential to understand Instagram’s unique content style, especially with the platform now prioritizing Reels and Carousels to compete with TikTok, within a well-crafted social media marketing strategy.
- As one of the fastest-growing platforms, Instagram has 2 billion monthly active users and about 500 million daily users. (Source: Statista)
- Instagram boasts one of the youngest audiences, with 72% of teens saying they use it. (Source: Sprout Social)
- What’s more, 60% of users are under 34. (Source: Sprout Social)
- Reels from Instagram influencers saw the highest engagement rate at 2.08%, Carousel posts had an engagement rate of 1.7%. (Source: Sprout Social)
- 71% of US-based businesses now use Instagram. (Source: Business Dasher)
- Engagement with brands is over 10 times higher than on Facebook. (Source: Statusbrew)
- 70% of Instagram users shop through the app. (Source: CapitalOne Shopping Research)
LinkedIn Is the Best Lead Generation Platform for B2B Businesses
As the premier B2B social network, LinkedIn is important to your business in different ways from Instagram, Facebook and X.
- LinkedIn has 1.15 billion monthly active users worldwide. (Source: Demand Sage)
- Designed with networking in mind, LinkedIn is 277% more effective than Facebook and X when it comes to lead generation and customer acquisition. (Source: HubSpot)
- In fact, 80% of social media B2B leads and 46% of all social media traffic to company websites come from LinkedIn. (Source: LinkedIn)
- 82% of B2B companies have used LinkedIn paid ads. (Source: Business Dasher)
- 95% of B2B content marketers have used LinkedIn for organic marketing. (Source: LinkedIn)
- 57% of marketers are planning to increase their organic marketing efforts on LinkedIn. (Source: Sprout Social)
TikTok Is the Best to Reach Younger Audiences
If your business is looking to connect with Gen Z and younger millennials, TikTok is the platform to prioritize. With its short-form, video-first format and highly engaged user base, TikTok has quickly become a powerful tool for brands that want to stay relevant and build authentic relationships with younger consumers. It’s less polished and more personal, making it ideal for creative, fast-moving content that captures attention.
- TikTok users spend 58 minutes and 24 seconds on the app daily. (Source: Demand Sage)
- There are almost 1 billion unique monthly TikTok visits. (Source: Exploding Topics)
- 1 in 4 TikTok users are under 20 years old. (Source: Exploding Topics)
- 55.7% of the TikTok users are male, and 44.3% of the TikTok users are female. (Source: Demand Sage)
- TikTok achieved $3.7 billion in in-app revenue for 2024. (Source: Demand Sage)
Even B2B operations are growing wary of ignoring social media!
The writing on the wall is clear—decision-makers consult others before making a purchase. They ask friends, colleagues, and peers for their two cents’ worth. And they usually turn to social media to check the buzz around a product or a service.
- 89% of B2B Buyers rely on recommendations and review sites. (Source: B2B SaaS Reviews)
How does it look when the only online reference to your company is your website and an obvious PR article? A couple of results in the search engine don’t exactly inspire too much confidence.
- 63% of consumers make plans to visit a business after a positive interaction with them on social media. (Source: Synup)
This isn’t really surprising. If people are going to complain or praise a company, they will do it where it has the greatest impact. Having a presence there means that you can drown out (and respond to) the negatives while making sure that you brag about the positives as much as you can. Social media management has become the new customer service.
- Articles beat advertisements, and 80% of B2B decision-makers prefer them. (Source: Oren Greenberg)
Content marketing is more important than ever. A handful of great articles, strategically shared over social media platforms, inform and add value. They help build trust and move actions along, but they do not drive them, which is something that today’s ad-weary customer appreciates.
- Don’t call us, we’ll call you.
How easy is it for people to find your business online? If you’re depending exclusively on your website, then it’s very difficult. 90% of B2B decision-makers don’t want to hear from you (Source: DemandGen Report), which is why your telesales crew is not very successful. When they’re good and ready, they will find you—provided you’ve made an effort to stand out from the crowd.
These small business social media statistics paint a very definite picture: you’re ignoring new marketing approaches at your own risk.
Social Media: Saying No Is Dangerous
You’ve likely tried a social media campaign for your small business in the past. If you dig hard enough, you might even find your business’s old Facebook page, sitting there all neglected and abandoned. It’s important not to get discouraged by past failures—the fact that you didn’t see any ROI back then could be due to a lot of things: you didn’t understand the benefits fully, the fact that your execution was lacking, or difficulties with measuring success and replicating it.
Poet William F. O’Brien put it nicely: “It’s better to try and fail than never to try at all.” If that past failure is holding you back now, just consider what you’re risking.
New customers are flocking to your competitors through social media
Showing up is 80% of success. Your competitors showed up on social media – you didn’t – so they get to take home the bacon. A lot of your target audience never hears about your company because they don’t participate in the traditional marketing activities you’re still focusing on. Perhaps it is time to consider hiring a social media marketing agency, and we have some helpful tips to help you answer that question.
They don’t attend as many trade shows as in the past. They don’t read (what they think of as) spam mail, or don’t answer calls from numbers they don’t recognize.
Those who do hear about you often forget by the time they’re ready to purchase because your competitors are the ones they see in their social feeds. Social media offers an opportunity to regain that audience engagement among your customer base.
Spending more money on traditional and digital, and having nothing to show for it
Add up everything you spend monthly on traditional marketing and digital ads. Now look at that number and realize that you could have reached at least 100x more potential customers through strategic social media marketing.
Let that sink in.
Indeed, most of those views and interactions wouldn’t actually translate into leads, but it’s the same with the conventional methods—not every phone call turns into a warm lead, nor does an ad read signify a sale. Spend your marketing dollars where they count. Right now, they count on social media platforms.
Breaking the ‘purchasing path’ chain and losing a potential customer forever
Google has been talking about the ‘Zero Moment of Truth’ (ZMOT) for years now. Essentially, it describes how people shop today, from Google searches to reviews and testimonials. Social media figures prominently in ZMOT. It’s where people turn to for social proof.
If you’re not there, you’re breaking the chain, and your potential customer will move on to something else.
Looking obsolete, irrelevant, and untrustworthy to your target audience
Without a strong social media presence, you will have a tough time making a genuine, ‘human’ connection with your potential customers. Research has shown that customers put a strong emphasis on that connection, and that shapes their purchasing decisions.
Not being able to respond to negative comments about your brand
Customers often use social media to vent about brands. If you’re there, you get a chance to respond in real time and turn a bad experience into a customer support victory. If you’re not, you end up not seeing those negative comments, causing them to pile up, overwhelming your marketing message.
FAQs: Social Media for Canadian Businesses
How do I know which social media platform is right for my Canadian business?
Choosing the right platform depends on your business type, target audience, and goals. Here’s a quick guide:
- Facebook is ideal for B2C companies looking to build community and run targeted ads.
- Instagram works well for visual brands in fashion, food, or lifestyle.
- LinkedIn is a must for B2B companies, professional services, and recruiting.
- TikTok is growing fast among younger demographics and can help with viral marketing.
- X (formerly Twitter) is good for news, tech, and customer service.
Start by identifying where your audience spends their time and testing content on a few platforms before committing.
How can I measure the ROI of my social media efforts?
Here are some methods you can use to measure ROI:
- Engagement metrics (likes, comments, shares) to gauge interaction.
- Traffic analytics from Google Analytics to track referral visits.
- Conversion tracking on Facebook or LinkedIn to see how many sales/sign-ups result from social campaigns.
- Social media tools like Hootsuite, Buffer, or Sprout Social offer dashboards to track ROI in real time.
Remember to set clear goals before launching a campaign so you can measure success effectively.
What impact has social media had on the way Canadians do business?
Social media has changed how Canadian businesses operate. Some of its impacts include a boost in brand visibility, which enables even small companies to reach wider audiences affordably. Another impact has been real-time customer service responsiveness and personal connection. Data gained from social platforms also supports targeted marketing, while features like Instagram Shops can drive e-commerce growth. Businesses also build loyal communities and brand advocates online.
What are the best social media sites for small businesses in Canada?
Some of the best social media sites for small businesses in Canada include Facebook, X, Instagram and LinkedIn. For more detailed information, read our “Best Social Media Sites for Small Business in Canada” post.
Now that you understand how critical social media is for your business, in our next piece, we will delve further into its ROI by introducing the advantages of social media for business.
Get more great content from Asset Digital Communications, a top social media agency in Calgary.
As one of the top digital marketing agencies, social media is one of our passions! Curious to learn more about how social media marketing can benefit your business? Check out our Social Media Marketing and Content Marketing services!
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