Scandinavia; is one of the most connected regions in the world when it comes to digital. Are you looking to develop your business in Scandinavia? We've got some tips and tricks for you!
Scandinavia - the Nordic countries
First of all, let’s get to know Scandinavia. In local usage, Scandinavia covers the countries Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. In English usage, Scandinavia refers to the Nordic countries; Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. Scandinavia is located in the north of Europe and is the home of more than 27 million people. If Scandinavia would be a state in the United States, it would be the third most populated state after California and Texas. Another interesting fact is that the Scandinavian countries score really high on the EF English Proficiency Index. Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland have a place in the top 10.
One of the most connected regions in the world
Let’s get digital. Scandinavia is one of the most connected regions in the world. It is also one of the wealthiest regions in the world. With an overall internet penetration of 97% and a total of 18.8 million social media users, it is more than an interesting region to execute digital marketing actions.
Table 1: Statistics Scandinavia ( Source: Datareportal)
|
|
Population
|
Internet users
|
Internet Penetration
|
Active Social media Users
|
Social Media Penetration
|
|
Sweden
|
10.07 million
|
9.67 million
|
96%
|
7.30 million
|
73%
|
|
Denmark
|
5.78 million
|
5.67 million
|
98%
|
4.10 million
|
71%
|
|
Finland
|
5.54 million
|
5.26 million
|
95%
|
3.30 million
|
60%
|
|
Norway
|
5.40 million
|
5.29 million
|
98%
|
3.80 million
|
70%
|
|
Iceland
|
0.34 million
|
0.34 million
|
99%
|
0.28 million
|
82%
|
Sweden - comfortable with digital technologies and devices
Sweden is the most populated country in Scandinavia with 10 million inhabitants. 96% of the people are using the internet and there are 7.3 million active social media users in Sweden. Sweden is taking digitalization very seriously. This is for example visible in. The Swedish people are not only connected to the internet, they are also at ease with digital technologies and devices. Sweden came top in the OECD for the number of connected gadgets per 100 inhabitants, showing not only a high level of use of technology but also suggesting trust in these connected devices and networks
Denmark, Finland, and Norway
Denmark, Finland, and Norway are similar in terms of population size. The biggest difference between the three is that Finland has a relatively low percentage of social media penetration (60%), which means that 60% of the total population is using social media actively. This percentage, however, is still much higher than the social media penetration percentage in many other European countries.
Denmark - digitalization can provide new opportunities for growth
Denmark has already become far more digital, but they are still working on the very extensive process of transition that is written in their digital strategy. Denmark sees the importance of digitalization and describes it as follows: Digitalization can provide new opportunities for growth, greater flexibility and a wider range of services for users.” Denmark has a positive attitude towards digitalization.
Iceland - the highest rate of smartphones per adult in the world
Iceland has a population of only 340.000 thousand. However, it is the most connected country in the world (ICT’s Development Index). 99% of all households in Iceland are connected to the internet, which is the highest in Europe. Furthermore, 86% of the adults in Iceland have a smartphone, which is also the highest ratio in the world.
Table 2: Addressable advertising audiences ( Source: Datareportal)
|
|
Facebook
|
Instagram
|
Twitter
|
Snapchat
|
LinkedIn
|
|
Sweden
|
6.00 million
|
4.80 million
|
1.85 million
|
3.90 million
|
3.80 million
|
|
Denmark
|
3.70 million
|
2.10 million
|
0.69 million
|
2.25 million
|
2.60 million
|
|
Finland
|
2.70 million
|
1.90 million
|
0.77 million
|
1.10 million
|
1.30 million
|
|
Norway
|
3.40 million
|
2.30 million
|
0.83 million
|
2.95 million
|
2.10 million
|
|
Iceland
|
0.25 million
|
0.17 million
|
0.10 million
|
-
|
0.23 million
|
Increase your sales!
If we take a look at the addressable advertising audiences per social media platform (figure 2), it can be said that Facebook has by far the biggest reach and that Twitter is not very popular in Scandinavia. However, this does not mean that Facebook has the highest potential for your digital marketing objectives. It is crucial to define your objectives, to have a clear target group, and to identify the behaviour of your target market. Also, it is important to understand that each social media platform is used for different purposes. Twitter is mostly used for news and updates, whereas LinkedIn mostly acts as a business networking platform. Furthermore, it is valuable to know that each social media platform offers different targeting options in advertising and that one social platform is better for B2B marketing than the other.
If you’re looking to do sales in these countries, our digital marketing services can help you to reach out to the right people, increase your brand awareness and kickstart your sales. Together we will define the strategy, select the right target audiences and the right channels for your company and goals.
If you’re interested in more detailed country-specific information or the opportunities for your brand in Scandinavia, then please contact t.vaesen@eurodev.com.
