Toronto-based Mark Evans, maintains three blogs and is VP Operations for B5 Media, a global blog network.Previously, Mark was a traditional newspaper reporter covering the Internet for the National Post, Canada's national newspaper. Mark has always espoused that blogging and social media lag behind in Canada, which puzzles me since a disproportionate number of my favorite blogs are Canadian authored and because FaceBook has enjoyed such meteoric success there.
I asked him about it and here are his answers:
1. You have often pointed out that the Canadian enterprise has been slow to adopt blogging. Has this changed? Why do you suppose adoption has been so slow?
While I think there is a lot more happening within the Canadian blogosphere, it's really not where it should be yet. By nature, I think Canadians are conservative when it comes to the Internet. You could argue that the e-commerce market is still lagging and the online advertising market is just starting to gain momentum.
2. What about other forms of social media? Is business using wikis, video, social networks or even podcasts to any appreciable degree? Why or why not?
The simple answer is no. In fact, I would argue that the vast majority of Canadian business still believe a Web site is cutting edge - let alone using podcasts, wikis or social networks. One exception might be ScotiaBank, which has a popular podcast called The Money Clip.
3. How can social media extend Canadian-based business opportunities?
If you want to engage your customers in a conversation and build customer loyalty, social networks are great tool.
4. Let's talk FaceBook. Contrary to most tech adoption trends, Canadians rapidly adopted it before Americans or Europeans even seemed to notice it. Now one in eight Canadians is on FaceBook. How do you explain this phenomenon?
To be honest, I'm not sure. We're all pretty amazed that it has caught fire so quickly given the same kind of wild adoption didn't happen with MySpace. Maybe it has to do with timing: Facebook opened itself up to the world at a time when Canadians were waking up to the wonderful world of social networks.
5. Is there a lesson for business in the Canadian FaceBook phenomenon?
Absolutely. I think the biggest lesson is you need to carefully monitor the online landscape for hot/key/new trends. If a Canadian business was savvy, flexible and fast-moving, they would have figured out a way to leverage the Facebook phenomena.
6. Because of FaceBook, a lot of younger Canadians are getting comfortable with social networks. What happens over time as they enter the workplace and marketplace?
I think it becomes a part of their work/personal lives. The challenge will be keeping a separation between the two, and making sure work doesn't interfere with play. Employers will also have to realize Facebook is becoming an everyday tool like e-mail. Rather than prevent people from using it, employers will have to trust their employees will use Facebook responsibly.
7. Do you know much about social media being used behind the firewall?
There's really not a lot going on. I do know that Imperial Oil, for example, is very active with internal blogs. I do find it puzzling that consumer-facing businesses such as Tim Horton's (our version of Starbucks!), Canadian Tire and Loblaw don't have blogs.
8. Almost every Canadian business person I've met has talked about social media giving them greater access to American markets. Do you see much evidence that this is happening? Do you have any good case studies?
Not really.
9. What social media tools do you see on the rise and which are diminishing?
I think blogs still have a long runway in front of them, and that audio (podcasts) and video are going to be embraced in a big way once people realize they are just as easy to produce as text. I'm not convinced about wikis.
10. Additional comments.
If you had to look at the Canadian online landscape, it's a mixed bag.
We are among the most penetrated high-speed nations in the world (although we've dropped a few places since being ranked #2 behind South Korea a few years ago) yet when it comes to new activities such as e-commerce, advertising and blogging, we're not as advanced. Then, you've got Facebook, which is extremely popular.
The one thing that concerns me about the Internet is Canada is the lack of high-speed competition. In many markets, you're lucky if you have two options (cable or DSL) while many rural communities only have one option. The problem is that with so few players, prices are going nowhere but up, and that does little to encourage non-high-speed users to jump on the bandwagon.
At the same time, I think the high-speed service providers are also looking at other ways to generate revenue such as tiered service. In other words, net neutrality may be at risk in Canada unless the government/community steps up.
