It’s time for our annual data report on Canadian social media use! Each year, we gather Canadian statistics from multiple sources and reorganize it by platform. Enthusiasm for social media in Canada remains consistent in 2024, but analysis takes us deeper to reveal changes when new data is published.
Our internal data indicates visibility across social networks continues to decrease. Both organic and paid ad reach is down, and with it the return on ad spend (ROAS). Current search methods just can’t handle the large volume of advertisers who are all vying for the same thing. This trend will continue until someone comes up with a better way to index and present database search results, which I believe is coming soon. In the meantime, all we can do is monitor the data and plan our campaigns more strategically.
The good news is social media continues to be extremely popular in Canada, and you can still reach consumers there. Social media networks are the top type of website visited in Canada, at 94.8% of internet users aged 16-64 (who have visited or used each kind of digital property in the past month).
71% of Canadian anglophones report using at least one social media platform in the past month. 91% of newcomers and 90% of kids used a social networking platform in the past month, according to MTM Data Collection on Social Connections. However, kids aged 7 to 11 are 42% less likely to use social media compared to teens (90% versus 52%). Video is much more effective if you’re trying to reach younger children on social media, but please be responsible and ethical when you do so.
2024 Social Media Users in Canada
It can be difficult to find Canadian-specific data and it isn’t always reliable when we do find it. When the numbers really count, I gather information from several sources and base my decisions on consensus or averages. Since social media is a huge part of digital marketing success in Canada, we pull data from a number of sources to help guide our campaigns. That’s what we’re sharing with you here.
There are 36.74 million internet users in Canada, or 94.3% of the country population.
(Chart source: We Are Social / Meltwater)
Canadian internet users age 16-64 who use social media: 91.9%
Daily time spent online: 6 hours and 18 minutes
Daily time spent on social media: 1 hour and 53 minutes
Canadians use an average of 6.4 social media platforms each month.
The main reasons Canadians use social media are:
- Keeping in touch with friends and family (58.2%)
- Filling spare time (43.3%)
- Reading news stories (31.0%)
- Finding content (articles, videos, etc.) (29.4%)
- Finding inspiration for things to do and buy (26.0%)
- Seeing what’s being talked about (25.8%)
- Finding like-minded communities and interest groups (19.8%)
- Finding products to purchase (19.7%)
- Posting about your life (19.2%)
- Sharing & discussing opinions with others (18.1%)
- Watching live streams (17.5%)
- Avoiding missing out on things (FOMO) (17.4%)
- Watching or following sports (17.2%)
- Seeing content from your favourite brands (17.0%)
- Work-related networking or research (16.3%)
Canadian perceptions of safety from online harassment are highest for LinkedIn (82%) and lowest for X (52%), TikTok (58%) and Facebook (60%).
Of all social media used in Canada, YouTube is viewed by Canadians as being both ‘most helpful’ and ‘most positive’.
Canadians believe LinkedIn has the most accurate information.
X is most likely to be selected as promoting polarizing content.
2024 Social Media Use in Canada by Province:
- British Columbia 65%
- Alberta 57%
- Saskatchewan 77%
- Manitoba 59%
- Ontario 57%
- Quebec 61%
- New Brunswick 67%
- Nova Scotia 69%
- Prince Edward Island 77%
- Newfoundland/Labrador 79%
Advertising on Social Media in Canada
Social media continues to be an effective way to reach Canadians online, especially when compared to search engines. The targeting on most networks is superior and the cost is lower if you get the ad right. Social listening can further inform your digital campaign strategy.
A Meltwater survey asked, “Why do marketers use social listening?”
- To better understand my target audience
- To manage brand reputation
- To raise brand awareness
- To benchmark against competitors
- To gather and analyze consumer insights
- To identify and manage crises
Canadian businesses spend USD $3.54 Billion annually on social media advertising, or 22.3% of their total digital ad spend.
26.2% of Canadian internet users find new brands and products through ads on social media.
32.9% research brands on social media.
13.1% clicked or tapped on a sponsored social media post in the past 30 days.
Canadian use of social media for brand research:
- 60.7% of Canadians use any kind of social platform for brand research (including social media, forums, question sites, etc.). 32.9% use social media networks specifically.
- 22.9% of Canadians follow companies and brands they purchase from. 22.5% follow influencers or other experts.
- 17.7% follow companies and brands they’re considering purchasing from.
- 15.8% follow companies relevant to their work.
Inbound traffic from Canadians comes from:
- Facebook (49.5%)
- Pinterest (22.0%)
- X (Twitter) (13.2%)
- Instagram (8.8%)
- YouTube (2.6%)
- Reddit (2.6%)
- LinkedIn (0.7%)
- Others (0.6%)
32.9% of online Canadians visit social networks to look for information about brands and products.
42% have looked up information about a product in response to an ad on social media in the past 12 months, and 28% bought one or more products because of an ad.
Canadian anglophone social networkers are more than twice as likely as anglophone non-social networkers to click on ads or to buy something from an ad.
Anglophone social networkers with children in their homes are more likely to purchase items from online ads than those anglophones without.
Canadian Influencer Marketing
Influencers are thriving in Canada, as Canadian businesses continue to find success with influencer marketing. $510 Million is spent annually in Canada for digital advertising through influencers, or 3.2% of the digital ad spend.
16.9% of online Canadians watch influencer videos & vlogs.
Young Canadians are huge social users and shoppers, and they prefer to hear about products from influencers:
- 48% of Canadian 18-to-29-year-olds follow over 20 influencers on social media.
- 58% say they prefer content created by social media influencers.
- 67% of 18-to-29-year-olds have purchased a product after seeing it used by an influencer, compared to 50% of all ages surveyed.
(Chart Source: IZEA)
51% of Canadian 18-to-29-year-olds have purchased a product directly through a social media app.
IZEA asked Canadian influencers which social media platforms they use regularly:
- Facebook 88%
- YouTube 86%
- Instagram 75%
- TikTok 59%
- LinkedIn 49%
- X (Twitter) 47%
- Snapchat 44%
- Pinterest 34%
- Reddit 32%
- Twitch 20%
There’s no question that social media can bring in traffic, but that doesn’t automatically translate to sales. It pays (literally) to take some time to evaluate how your customer avatar uses social media and what their online shopping journey looks like.
That said, with social network shopping options becoming the norm, I expect social media’s place in the shopping journey to shift. We’ve seen evidence of that in SEO research, as more consumers use social media networks like YouTube as a search engine.
“Just 13% of Canadian shoppers typically start their eCommerce journeys on social media, compared to 55% who use search engines and 43% for retailer websites, and only 8% end up actually buying products on social media,” states Capterra.
22% of Canadian consumers have blocked or unfollowed a brand in response to a social media ad in the past year, and 28% have blocked a specific advertisement. Add that to browser ad blocking and we have a real visibility problem on our hands.
Canadian Social Media Statistics 2024 Snapshot
We have additional Canadian social media data for you below, organized by network. Different types of people use each social network for different reasons. Each network attracts individuals in specific demographics too, such as age groups. Use this data to optimize your network-specific marketing strategy in order to improve campaign results and increase your return on ad spend (ROAS).
[DISCLOSURE: We may receive compensation for links to products on this website.]
Facebook/Meta
Facebook (438 Million visits, 21.3 Million unique visits) is the second most visited social media network in Canada, according to WeAreSocial.
Facebook (470 Million visits, 66.9 Million unique visits) is the second most visited social network in Canada, according to Semrush.
75.9% of Canadians age 16-64 use Facebook
64.8% of Canadians age 16-64 use Facebook Messenger
78% Canadian anglophones and 76% of newcomers use Facebook.
21.3% of Canadian Facebook users name it as their favourite social media network.
Facebook (61%) still dominates among social media sites and messaging apps in Canada, but many say they use YouTube, Instagram and/or WhatsApp, says the CIRA Internet Trends Factbook. Facebook Messenger claims 49% of the Canadian online population.
Ads on Facebook will potentially reach 23 Million Canadians, or 59.1% of the total population.
Previously, engagement rates reported from several data sources have been hard to find, leaving us all short of benchmarks other than internal data. We’re able to bring you those numbers from a couple of different sources to use as benchmarks for your own social media marketing and engagement strategy.
According to Locowise, Canadian Facebook engagement rates are as follows:
- The average Facebook page post engagements vs. page fans is 0.09% for photo posts.
- The average Facebook page post engagements vs. page fans is 0.04% for video posts.
- The average Facebook page post engagements vs. page fans is 0.03% for link posts.
- The average Facebook page post engagements vs. page fans is 0.02% for status posts.
According to SocialInsider, Canadian Facebook engagement rates are as follows:
- Facebook post engagements vs. page followers for reels posts is 0.18%, and engagements vs. post reach is 12.71%.
- For photo posts it’s 0.27%, and engagements vs. post reach is 5.77%.
- For video posts it’s 0.17%, and engagements vs. post reach is 4.88%.
- For album posts it’s 0.29%, and engagements vs. post reach is 7.33%.
- For status posts it’s 0.22%, and engagements vs. post reach is 12.32%.
- For link posts it’s 0.07%, and engagements vs. post reach is 8.67%.
According to WeAreSocial, Canadian Facebook engagement rates are as follows:
- The average Facebook page post engagement rate vs. page followers overall is 0.20%, and engagements vs. post reach is 7.00%.
- The average Facebook page post engagement rate vs. page followers of pages with fewer than 10,000 fans is 0.35%, and engagements vs. post reach is 5.05%.
- The average Facebook page post engagement rate vs. page followers of pages with 10,000-100,000 fans is 0.20%, and engagements vs. post reach is 6.26%.
- The average Facebook page post engagement rate vs. page followers of pages with more than 100,000 fans is 0.09%, and engagements vs. post reach is 9.15%.
YouTube
Owned by Google since 2006
YouTube (912 Million visits, 26.1 Million unique visits) is the most visited social media network in Canada, according to WeAreSocial.
You Tube (2.74 Billion visits, 116 Million unique visits) is the most visited social network in Canada, according to Semrush.
49% of Canadians use YouTube, says CIRA.
Ads on YouTube will potentially reach 31.90 Million Canadians, or 81.9% of the total population.
Instagram (Meta)
Owned by Facebook/Meta Platforms since 2012
Instagram (125 Million visits, 14.6 Million unique visits) is the fourth most visited social media network in Canada, according to WeAreSocial.
Instagram (169 Million visits, 41.3 unique visits) is the fifth most visited social network in Canada, according to Semrush.
62.1% of Canadians age 16-64 use Instagram
18.2% of Canadian Instagram users name it as their favourite social media network.
37% of Canadians use Instagram, says CIRA.
Ads on Instagram will potentially reach 19.25 Million Canadians, or 49.4% of the total population.
According to WeAreSocial, Canadian Instagram engagement rates (engagements vs. followers) are as follows:
- The average Instagram business page post engagement rate vs. page followers overall is 1.04%, and engagements vs. post reach is 5.19%.
- The average Instagram business page post engagement rate vs. page followers of pages with fewer than 10,000 followers is 1.37%, and engagements vs. post reach is 5.12%.
- The average Instagram business page post engagement rate vs. page followers of pages with 10,000-100,000 followers is 0.87%, and engagements vs. post reach is 5.00%.
- The average Instagram business page post engagement rate vs. page followers of pages with more than 100,000 followers is 0.86%, and engagements vs. post reach is 5.68%.
According to SocialInsider, Canadian Instagram engagement rates (engagements vs. followers) are as follows:
- The average engagement rate for Instagram business accounts for all post types is 1.04%, and engagements vs. post reach is 5.19%.
- The average engagement rate for Instagram business accounts for image posts is 0.73%, and engagements vs. post reach is 5.36%.
- The average engagement rate for Instagram business accounts for reels posts is 1.39%, and engagements vs. post reach is 5.07%.
- The average engagement rate for Instagram business accounts for carousel posts is 1.23%, and engagements vs. post reach is 5.00%
“An Ipsos study of 1,500 Instagram users found that 65 per cent of those who identified as frequent travellers in Canada said they use Instagram for destination inspiration,” reports Pippa Norman for The Globe and Mail. “And of 300 Instagram business users surveyed, 53 per cent said it helps them find customers outside their city, and nearly three in five said the platform helps them bring in local clients.”
TikTok
TikTok (77.4 Million visits, 27.5 million unique visits) is the sixth most visited social network in Canada, according to Semrush.
When it comes to children, TikTok stands out as the most popular social media platform, with 53% of children using social media having used TikTok in the past month.
42.0% of Canadians age 16-64 use TikTok
11.0% of Canadian TikTok users name it as their favourite social media network.
13% of Canadians use TikTok, says CIRA.
Ads on TikTok will potentially reach 12.05 Million Canadians, or 30.9% of the total population.
Canadians on TikTok are big fans of sales events, with 77% planning to shop on Black Friday, 72% on Boxing Day, and 56% on Cyber Monday.
The connection between consumer sales and their emotions has been established since the beginning of retail, and it’s still just as relevant online today.
“According to research, gratefulness is the top emotion associated with Thanksgiving for audiences on the platform, while for Christmas it is joyfulness,” says TikTok. “Brands can lean into these key emotions and behaviours to be a part of these family celebrations, fostering meaningful connections that leave a lasting impression.”
Inspiration is a big motivator for Canadians on TikTok, especially around the holidays, says Canadians on TikTok: Leveraging Key Moments to Drive Brand Impact:
- 55% look for holiday cooking and baking ideas.
- 52% search for gift ideas.
- 40% want inspiration for their home décor.
LinkedIn (63.1 Million visits, 7.81 Million unique visits) is the sixth most visited social media network in Canada, according to WeAreSocial.
36.8% of Canadians age 16-64 use LinkedIn.
24% of Canadians use LinkedIn, says CIRA.
Ads on LinkedIn will potentially reach 24 Million Canadians, or 61.6% of the total population.
X (Twitter)
X (138 Million visits, 13.2 Million unique visits) is the third most visited social media network in Canada, according to WeAreSocial.
Twitter/X (174 Million visits, 37.2 Million unique visits) is the fourth most visited social network in Canada, according to Semrush.
19% of Canadians use X, says CIRA.
38.1% of Canadians age 16-64 use X.
4.2% of Canadian X users name it as their favourite social media network.
Ads on X could potentially reach 14.41 Million Canadians, or 37.0% of the total population.
Snapchat
12% of Canadians use SnapChat, says CIRA.
29.1% of Canadians age 16-64 use Snapchat.
2.7% of Canadian Snapchat users name it as their favourite social media network.
Owned by Facebook/Meta Platforms since 2014
35% of Canadians use Whatsapp, says CIRA.
45.1% of Canadians age 16-64 use Whatsapp
8.0% of Canadian Whatsapp users name it as their favourite social media network.
15% of Canadians use Pinterest, says CIRA.
34.8% of Canadians age 16-64 use Pinterest
3.0% of Canadian Pinterest users name it as their favourite social media network.
Ads on Pinterest will potentially reach 9.95 Million Canadians, or 25.5% of the total population.
Canadians who use Pinterest are more likely than others to buy something from an ad (28%).
Reddit (112 Million visits, 9.35 Million unique visits) is the fifth most visited social media network in Canada, according to WeAreSocial.
Reddit (367 Million visits, 51.1 Million unique visits) is the third most visited social network in Canada, according to Semrush.
3.4% of Canadian Reddit users name it as their favourite social media network.
Redditors are more likely to click on ads than users on any other platform (55%)
IMessage
39.0% of Canadians age 16-64 use IMessage
5.4% of Canadian IMessage users name it as their favourite social media network.
5% of Canadians use WeChat, says CIRA.
Telegram
4% of Canadians use Telegram, says CIRA.
Threads
2% of Canadians use Threads, says CIRA.
Tumblr
2% of Canadians use Tumblr, says CIRA.
Viber
1% of Canadians use Viber, says CIRA.
Stay Tuned!
As more social media data is released throughout 2024, we’ll update this report. Please follow us on social media or subscribe to our newsletter to be notified of updates.
How will you leverage social media for your Canadian business in 2024? Please share your tips or questions in the comments below, or join us in the Online Business Canada Facebook group.
SOURCES:
Kids? Adults? Newcomers? The MTM releases new social media reports on each
Canadians on TikTok: Leveraging key moments to drive brand impactÂ
CIRA Trends in Internet Use and Attitudes 2024: Findings from a Survey of Canadian Internet Users
DIGITAL 2024 Your ultimate guide to the evolving digital world
IZEA 2024 Canada Trust in Influencer MarketingÂ
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Melody McKinnon is an internet entrepreneur with 25 years of experience in a wide range of online business models, backed by a formal business/marketing education and enhanced by training and mentorship. She has owned or managed both educational and ecommerce websites. Her book, 7 Recession Proof Online Businesses to Start From Home, is available from all major ebook retailers.
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I’ve used your social media data since university and now look forward to your report every year for my job. Thanks for the effort you put into publishing Canadian business information. It must take tons of time! Know it’s appreciated!