Businesses today need a Facebook page. Not only does it give you a chance to get direct feedback from your target audience and attract new followers, it also puts a human face on your company and drives traffic to your Website. If you’re operating in Quebec, you also need to consider the language issue.
Why in French?
It’s the law! If you’re a Quebec-based business delivering advertising or information on products and services via an official social media channel, you cannot have an English-only Facebook page. All promotional content, even on the Web, is subjected to the Charter of the French Language (Bill 101), which means it has to be produced in French.
Why in English and French?
You can’t afford to miss the boat! Facebook is growing strong worldwide, in Canada and in Quebec. Here are a few stats to illustrate its influence:
- As of December 2016, there were 1.23 billion daily active Facebook users worldwide.[i]
- In Canada, the number of account holders is expected to rise to 19 million by 2018, up from 16.1 million in 2012.[ii]
- Facebook is one of the most popular social media networks in Quebec.[iii]
- In 2015, 40% of adults in Quebec took into account comments and recommendations made by their social media contacts before making purchases.[iv]
Given the sheer number of people on Facebook, the impact of social media on purchasing decisions and the bilingual makeup of the province, you simply cannot afford to exclude any linguistic group. A whopping 1.8 million LIKES are given out on Facebook every minute. Don’t you want more of those for your company?
References: Facebook, Statista, Cefrio