Have you ever wondered about how Canadian’s use social media?  Or, how Facebook can benefit your business?  Well, you are not alone, and the results are just plain exciting.  Below are some statistics from DigitalReportal’s 2019 Stats.

33.84 million internet users in Canada
25 million social media users 22 million on social mobile

Facebook
23 Million users in Canada – 55% female, 45% male
71% of adults 13+ that can be reached with Facebook advertising

Instagram
13 million users in Canada – 56% female, 44% male
40% of adults 13+ that can be reached with Instagram advertising

Twitter
5.37 million users in Canada – 42% female, 58% male
17% of adults 13+ that can be reached with Twitter advertising

Snapchat
7.70 million users in Canada – 55% female, 44% male
24% of adults 13+ that can be reached with Snapchat advertising

LinkedIn
16 million users in Canada – 49% female, 51% male
53% of adults 18+ that can be reached with LinkedIn advertising

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]There is little doubt, businesses benefit from a social media presence.  Even if your social media strategy is simply to have a Facebook business page and post update information periodically. It is definitely better than having no social presence at all.

It is surprising to find small businesses that believe that it is more bother than its worth to have a social media page.

Recently, I presented recommendations to a prospect that included social media pages and social advertising.  They shared with us their frustration seeing their business slow and many of their customers move to their main competitor.  After analysis, we discovered that although our prospect had no social media presence, their competitor has an integrated social campaign.

Here are some interesting and exciting statistics about social media usage.  The information is mainly about Facebook as they currently dominate in social paid advertising.  Some info is general for context but I wanted to give some Canadian numbers.

Facebook has 1.32 billion daily active users, 23.8 million in Canada.

That is a huge number of people actively on Facebook.  That is about the same population that lived on Earth in 1804.  This number is not the total number of Facebook profiles.  This is the number of people actively on Facebook on an average day.  Can someone say, “yea!”

Facebook has approximately 80 million small and medium sized business pages.

This, for every prospecting intent and purpose is an awesome number.  This means that for B2B companies, Facebook is the place to be.  A recent survey also points out that Canadian entrepreneurs use Facebook 77% over other social networks.

78% of American consumers have discovered retail products to buy on Facebook.

Although this is not open to brands to sell, Facebook Marketplace is a great place to post items for sale.  On Facebook’s website the say “more than one in three people on Facebook in the US use Marketplace every month for everything from new shoes to baby gear to cars and apartments.”

16.6 Billion in advertising revenue according to Facebook’s 2018 Q4 report.

Facebook is a powerhouse for online marketing.  It is a digital mall and people use this platform for many things.  It makes Facebook a good place to advertise.

3.91% is the average engagement rate for a post.
6.01% is the engagement rate for Facebook video posts.

We recommend video posting on Facebook not simply because they get more exposure.  Your audience may be on Facebook and expects access to video content.  Make your video engaging and share it on your Facebook page.

Facebook owns 24.5% of all digital video ad spending in 2018.

This again is huge as Facebook digital video advertising is up against like YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.

According to Digiday, 85% of Facebook video is watched without sound.

A challenge for many is getting a message across with no sound.  Your video may have sound, but the visuals should aim to convey your message.

24.2% of Facebook Pages use paid media.

Facebook advertising for business is barely tapped.  This is exciting news!

The average Facebook user clicks on 8 ads per month. Women click on the most. 10 per month on average.

A user chooses eight ads to engage with each month on average.  When a user chooses to respond to a paid ad in this way, it is a good thing for the advertiser.

E-Commerce click through rates are at 3%, an increase of 300%.

This is a low percentage that represents tremendous growth opportunity for e-commerce sales through Facebook.

Sources: HootSuite,  Data Reportal[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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When I first arrived here, I learned quickly that there is a perception out there among some that Hamilton is stuck.  Stuck with a “steel town” image trying to find itself.  One stranger replied when I asked what is best about Hamilton, “It’s 50 minutes from Toronto.”

So I went to discover Hamilton for myself.  It took all of an hour to realize that this is an amazing city with lots to discover and experience.  It is also an emerging modern city with a trendy and young vibe starting to express itself in the downtown core.

Ok, so here are the 10 top reasons that the MiAgency Marketing team has distilled for why you should visit Hamilton Ontario this summer.  And if you live here, you should seriously explore the sights around you.

1. Royal Botanical Gardens:

There are four formal gardens contained within 1,100 hectares of nature reserve on the border of Hamilton and Burlington.  Also, two restaurants and a teahouse on site so you can spend the day exploring.  Check their website for special holiday brunches and events.  This is a terrific place for a family day together or in our opinion, a romantic in-town escape for an afternoon or evening.

2. The Better Business Expo:

One of the first things we attended as exhibitors when we moved to Hamilton was the Better Business Expo.  It was  held at Carmen’s Banquet Centre on Stone Church Road.  The folks at the BBE hold these trade show events in different cities as well as Hamilton.  This was by far the most rewarding trade show experience that we have invested in.  Each year we attend reminds us that Hamilton is for business.

3.  Waterfalls:

They say that Hamilton is home to more than 100 waterfalls and all within minutes of downtown.  These are the low hanging fruit for visitors because they are easy to find, most are free to visit and park.  And they offer great opportunities for families to relax for a day or an hour.   They also provide wonderful backdrops for product photography or business info-graphics.  You just have to get there before the busy times.

4. Photographers Paradise:

The city has a beautiful mix of old and new architecture.  Beautiful office buildings, churches, the armory, and back alleys.   Take your camera and explore well-known streets like Barton, Hess and Loche.  These all add to the opportunities for photographers to capture unique images.  If you are a photographer and looking to plan a photo-walk group event, set it for downtown Hamilton.  You won’t regret it.

5. Waterfront:

Evolving as it should, Hamilton’s waterfront is simply terrific in our opinions.  It feels like we are surrounded by water here because there are many different waterfront parks and trails:  Bayfront Park, the Marina area and Williams Café, Lakeland Centre, Beach Boulevard and the Lift Bridge, Hamilton Beach, Pier 4, and Lookout Point heading toward the Botanical Gardens.

6. Vegan Food:

For those that have or are shifting to a vegan lifestyle and for those curious about vegan food, Hamilton has some surprises for you.  My first discovery was a few years ago when I went to Rawlicious for the first time.  I didn’t fully understand that everything was uncooked.  Watching them prepare our meal the seemed to take special care.  We were pleasantly surprised at how amazing it was.  Since then, we have discovered many additional restaurants and dessert places with vast vegan menus.    Talking desserts, there is tremendous buzz around Democracy on Loche Street for their vegan desserts.

7. Art Gallery:

I am inserting here the note from BlogTO on the Hamilton Art Gallery.   I am also linking to their page because it lists other art galleries in Hamilton that also deserve attention.  “Hamilton’s primary public art gallery (open since 1914) might fly under the radar compared to institutions in Toronto, but this is a serious art centre with impressive holdings and consistently exciting programming. The recent Cezanne still life exhibition is but one example of the marquee shows featured here. The upcoming Robert Burley exhibit also exemplifies the quality of work displayed here.”

8. Vegetarian Food Fair:

The Vegetarian Food fair in Hamilton deserves mention because it has been an annual event for 22 years.  Each year it draws about a thousand people over the four hours that it operates. Attendees have said that the food is excellent and inexpensive, and the event is a must attend.  This event is presented by the Hamilton Mountain Seventh day Adventist Church.  Mark August 18^th, 2019 on your road trip schedule.

9. Dundurn Castle:

The beautiful grounds and trails are the least of the attraction to this castle.  Dundurn Castle is located on the hill overlooking Lake Ontario.  This site used to be a British military encampment built in 1813.  Now it is a sprawling Italian-style villa that has 40 rooms.  Guided tours are available.  Pack a lunch, take the tour and picnic on the grounds.  And parking is free.

10. HMCS Haida:

A short walk from Pier 4 sits a Tribal class destroyer.  This battleship served in the Second World War, the Korean Conflict and the Cold War.  Walk through the captain’s quarters, the mess hall, the bridge and the upper decks.  It gives a fascinating exploration through history.  Your kids will imagine themselves experiencing life aboard a warship.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

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The post Why You Should Visit Hamilton This Summer! appeared first on MiAgency Digital Marketing Agency - Hamilton.

If you are reading this right now you already have a business idea, or a business already and you are trying to make your mark in the world.  You are excited, a bit scared but hopeful that you will reach your goals in your niche market.  Like anyone in business, you have a budget, a dream and you are looking for people to guide you and help you achieve your goals.  With MiAgency.ca you are in good hands!  Ivan and Theresa are extremely confident and professional people.  When they sit across from you at a table all eyes are on you.  They take in what you value and they use their expertise and take it far beyond your expectations.  They answer the phone when you call, set aside their Thanksgiving dinner to attend to your needs.  Their care and attention to detail far exceeded my expectations.

I have an online jewelry store.  Ivan photographed every piece so well that the jewelry jumped off the page when you looked at it.  I have received so many compliments on the ecommerce website design.  When I had a question or I was freaking out over something they met my concerns with great professionalism.  Their knowledge of computers, and especially marketing products gave me a lot of reassurance that my investment was in very capable hands.  I could go on and on about how fortunate I feel in investing my hopes and dreams into Ivan and Theresa.  MiAgency.ca is one great choice you will make in business.

Susan
www.looksalotalike.com

About Looks A Lot Alike

Looks A Lot Alike evolved out of a passion for loving fine jewelry but not having the means to afford it. This led to a personal journey to find fashionable designer inspired pieces that were affordable. The more research done, the more the excitement grew. There were so many styles, choices and colour options that containing excitement was difficult!

Many people are of average means. They loved everything about attractive designer inspired jewelry. Looks A Lot Alike saw an opportunity to fill a need which fueled our desire to search even more affordable gorgeous fashion jewelry.

Suffice it to say that they owe our customers a great big thank you since their vast collection of offerings is largely due to all of them!

Looks A Lot Alike carries a lot of unique, fashionable and quality pieces. They seem to love clever designs. Their collections are works of art. They am always looking for inspired pieces to enhance their already exciting collection.

The post Ecommerce Website Design – Testimonial appeared first on MiAgency Digital Marketing Agency - Hamilton.

In a recent article by Forbes, author Steve Olenski proclaims “organic search engine optimization is far from dead!” He states that “many companies are making a renewed commitment to investing into developing solid, SEO optimized web infrastructure that is search engine friendly, given the engines’ continued commitment to improving their algorithms over time.” Search Optimization isn’t just about rankings, it’s about digitally being there. Google says “Local searches lead 50% of mobile visitors to visit stores within one day.” This makes it vital to be found in search engines.

Search Engine Optimization is vital to your businesses success for a variety of reasons.

First and foremost, they work! Joshua Guerra, CEO of marketing firm BIZCOR says “As long as you are focusing on optimal user experience while performing methodic SEO strategies, you will be rewarded with higher positioning and organic traffic.” Moreover, it is predicted that it will continue to be effective for the foreseeable future.

Steve Olenski suggests that “Based on the way search engines appear to be developing, it is not likely that Optimizing for search engines will cease to be effective any time in the foreseeable future.” SEO’s are also cost effective and “somewhere between 80-90% of customers now check online reviews prior to making a purchase, and this number is only expected to increase”.

Thus, it is safe to conclude that without an SEO, a significant amount of sales are at risk of being lost as potential clients will likely experience difficulty locating your business. Finally, we ask you to remember that “SEO is a never-ending process,” as Jason Bayless, Owner of BestSeoCompanies.com, a website which tracks and ranks the efficacy and service of many of the nation’s leading SEO providers exclaims.

“If you’re not moving forward and improving your position, you’re losing ground to a competitor who is. That’s a simple fact of how the process works.” Investing in organic SEO is more important now than ever before, Steve Olenski suggests that “despite the current difficulty everyone finds themselves facing regarding the lack of organic keyword data and traffic”.Thus, we at Metro Interactive Agency urge you, invest in SEO’s and grow your business!!!!

Metro Interactive Agency has a focus on the most effective SEO strategies to drive traffic to your website, and the most compelling content strategies to engage and convert when landing on your site.

Our philosophy is that effective SEO and an effective content strategy equals an effective conversion strategy. Because of this, we have long standing optimization relationships with our existing clients and can’t wait to build our new SEO relationship with you. Contact us today and get started building your business!

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