The majority of Canadian businesses are planning to maintain or increase their social media spending this year, according to a Creative Group survey.
The advertising company’s survey found that more than half (53%) of survey respondents expect that Canadian companies will increase their spending on Facebook. More than a third of survey respondents expect companies to spend more in 2012 on LinkedIn (43%), YouTube (42%), Google+ (41%) and Twitter (39%) than they did last year.
“Organizations of all sizes and industries increasingly understand the important role social media plays in brand building,” said Lara Dodo, regional vice-president of the Creative Group in Canada.
Dodo commented that as the demand for social media skills increases, the competition to land skilled social media talent will rise.
“Bringing in freelancers who have successfully managed social media projects and who demonstrate up-to-date knowledge of the latest trends can be a cost-effective way for organizations to support new and ongoing social media initiatives,” she said.
Market research firm ICR conducted the survey, canvassing views from approximately 200 marketing executives of companies with at least 20 employees.
