Social media and the buying process in Quebec

Web marketing specialists point to the growing impact of social media on consumers. More and more web users start their buying process on one of these networks, the most popular being, without question, the giant Facebook.

A survey conducted by CEFRIO to gauge web trends looked at the relationship between Quebec internet users and social networks, and found that these networks have a remarkable influence on their purchasing decisions. So what defines the relationship between Quebecers and social media? What impact does social media have on the buying process?

Quebecers are increasingly interested in social media

Social media has taken the world by storm over the past several years. It is credited with ever-greater influence in many areas, including e-commerce, advertising, the flow of information and even economic and political projects.

Quebecers have made social media part of their daily lives, with these platforms working their way into every sphere of our everyday routine. The results of surveys conducted by CEFRIO show that 72.8% of Quebecers use social media, and do so on a daily basis. The two most frequent activities are logging into an account and viewing various types of content.

Facebook holds first place, used by 62.4% of Quebecers, and YouTube comes in 2^nd place with 57.4%. 27.3% of Quebecers are active on Google+ and 16.5% on LinkedIn, followed by Twitter and Pinterest, respectively. These percentages show how well social media has become part of Quebecers’ daily lives.

Social media at the heart of purchasing decisions in Quebec

40.4% of Quebec internet users ask their friends, acquaintances or contacts on social networks for their opinion while they’re shopping. 29.7% of internet users, for their part, check with their network before buying a product.

This highlights the crucial, fundamental role social media now plays in commerce. As spaces for exchange and discussion, social networks are now seen by marketers as an essential asset. Businesses’ investments in the various social networks to promote their products and services keep growing. According to a 2015 eMarketer study, North American businesses were expected to spend US$15.15 billion on social media advertising in 2017. In 2015, the figure was just over US$10 billion. This shows the ever-growing place these platforms occupy in businesses’ advertising budgets, gradually eating into the share of those budgets previously allocated to traditional forms of advertising.

One may therefore wonder whether Quebecers consider social media a reliable source of information. According to the NETendances survey by CEFRIO, many people buy a product after seeing people in their network use it. Moreover, according to the same survey, positive reviews shared on pages or in discussion groups have a significant influence on the purchasing decisions of many Quebec internet users. In many cases, people buy a new product only after checking the favourable reviews and recommendations posted on Facebook or another popular social network.

There’s no longer any denying that social networks now play an important role in Quebec internet users’ buying process. Your healthcare business must seize the business opportunities these new media offer. You need to build an online community around your brand by encouraging satisfied clients to share their opinions with their network. The influence of these reviews should not be underestimated, as more and more internet users rely on them.

If you’d like advice on seizing these opportunities, ask the healthcare marketing experts at Virus Santé Communication. They’ll give you sound advice to help you develop your social media presence so that it becomes a real asset for your business.