Unlocking growth in Canada: 7 Strategies for successful expansion
Unlocking the Canadian Market: 7 Essential Tips for Affiliate Program Success
Canada, with its vibrant and diverse population of over 37 million, is a market brimming with potential. Known for its multiculturalism and friendly demeanor, Canadians place a high value on inclusivity and diversity. With both English and French as official languages, navigating this bilingual landscape is crucial for businesses aiming to connect with the local audience. Today’s article will dive into Affiliate Marketing in Canada and some of it’s consumer nuances.
1. Understand Canadian Consumer Behavior
To make an impact, it’s important to grasp Canadian consumer behavior. Canadians are avid internet users, with about 95% having online access. They spend an average of 2 hours and 24 minutes daily on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook (Meta), and YouTube. Tailor your affiliate program to their preferences, cultural nuances, and buying habits to boost engagement and conversions.
2. Embrace Comprehensive Localization
Given Canada’s bilingual nature, ensure your marketing materials and communications are translated into both English and French (Canadian). This not only demonstrates inclusivity but also helps build a stronger connection with Canadian audiences. Be mindful of spelling differences, such as “colour” vs. “color.”
3. Partner with Canadian Influencers
Influencer marketing is powerful in Canada, with over 80% of Canadians trusting recommendations from influencers. Collaborate with Canadian influencers to expand your brand’s reach and credibility, driving both awareness and loyalty.
4. Tailor Promotions to Canadian Holidays
Leverage Canadian holidays and seasonal trends to craft targeted promotions. Highlight Canadian shopping days and local preferences to capture attention and drive sales. Canadians are increasingly seeking deals, making this an opportune time for targeted marketing efforts.
5. Adapt to Canadian Payment Preferences
Familiarize yourself with the payment methods preferred by Canadians, including credit cards, mobile payments, and other local options. Offer payment in CAD (Canadian Dollars) to avoid deterring buyers due to exchange rate issues. Ensuring a smooth transaction experience enhances customer satisfaction.
6. Ensure Compliance with Canadian Regulations
Canada has strict regulations regarding data protection and consumer rights, such as PIPEDA. Adhering to these laws not only mitigates legal risks but also builds trust with Canadian partners and customers.
7. Provide Exceptional Customer Support
Offering bilingual customer support in both English and French (Canadian) shows a commitment to serving Canadian customers effectively. Accessible and responsive support boosts customer satisfaction and encourages repeat business.
Highlighting Canadian Success Stories
Canadian businesses, like Rakuten Advertising, have excelled by understanding and catering to the local market. Rakuten has been a key player in Canada since 2006 and hosts the annual Dealmaker Canada event, the only in-person affiliate event in the country. They also support Canadian-owned, woman-owned, LGBTQIA+-owned, and BIPOC-owned brands through initiatives like “Grow with Optimism” and “Shop With Purpose.”
Canada’s largest publisher also happens to be part of the Rakuten International family: Rakuten.ca. They work closely with their Toronto-based team and they share perks and savings when launching on a platform with 7.5M Canadians across the entire country. Rakuten also created “Grow with Optimism” and “Shop With Purpose” categories within Canada to highlight Canadian-owned, Woman-Owned, LGBTQIA+-owned and BIPOC-owned brands.
“The Canadian affiliate market is one that has seen steady growth for years. For decades Rakuten Advertising has been a leader in affiliate in Canada, and we’ve seen how Canadian brands and publishers have continued to grow and evolve alongside all of ecommerce. As the leading global affiliate network, we pride ourselves on our expertise in helping advertisers expand their reach into new global markets – and Canada is certainly no exception.” – Nick Stamos, CEO, Rakuten Advertising
Although loyalty affiliates like Rakuten.ca, AEROPLAN and AirMiles are still some of the countries top partners, Content and Media publishers are on the rise. Companies such as All Inclusive Marketing (AIM) leverage their Canadian based teams and customer expertise to work with these partners and drive growth for brands looking to expand in different provinces and across the country.
Krysta Gutteridge from the Rakuten Canada team states that it’s been interesting to see large U.S. based publishers make the move (and investment) as well to create Canadian programs of their own. Capital One Shopping is a great example of this and they’re having great success expanding into the Canadian market. You can find more about Canada’s loyalty affiliates from this article shared by AIM.
Need More Insights?
Check out this comprehensive ebook focused on the Canadian market can help spell out even more nuances and details needed for a successful launch and scale in a market that is still quite untapped. It offers deeper insights and strategies for a successful launch and growth in this promising market.
And of course, feel free to reach out with any questions. If you want to go waaaay back, you can check out how I called it on Canada making the map in my 2011 article here 🙂