Darian Kovacs, Partner at Jelly Digital Marketing & PR argues that there’s never been a better time to invest in homegrown expertise.
With economic uncertainty on the rise, many Canadian businesses are feeling uneasy about the future. The key question is: how can we empower them to compete in an increasingly competitive global market?
In 2025, the push to support Canadian businesses has gained momentum—but this shouldn’t be limited to grocery stores and retail shops. Businesses themselves can play a role in strengthening the Canadian economy by choosing homegrown solutions for their business needs. One of the most cost-effective ways to do this is through digital marketing.
Canada is home to some of the most innovative digital tools and resources designed to help businesses thrive. From email marketing and social media management to e-commerce platforms, Canadian companies offer powerful, cutting-edge solutions to fuel growth and success. As the owner of a digital marketing agency, I’m always searching for innovative tools that drive success for both our agency and our clients. Here are five Canadian resources I highly recommend adding to your digital marketing toolkit to help your business grow and thrive.
1. Cyberimpact – Based in Terrebonne, Quebec.
Email marketing is a core part of what we do at Jelly Marketing—it’s strategic, essential, and invaluable to our clients. That’s why, last year, my agency made the switch to Cyberimpact, Canada’s leading alternative to Mailchimp. As the country’s top email marketing platform, Cyberimpact equips businesses with the tools they need to create impactful campaigns, build customer loyalty, and drive sales—all with exceptional customer support.
Despite the misconception that email marketing is outdated, a recent NP Digital survey found that email subscribers generate 7.3 times more revenue than social media followers, amounting to nearly $500 per subscriber, emphasizing its continued relevance in today’s business world.
The Terrebonne-based company tailors its solutions to businesses of all sizes, including marketing automation, landing pages, an intuitive email editor, and detailed performance analytics.
Committed to supporting Canadian small and medium businesses, it also launched Cyberimpact Academy—a free bilingual learning platform offering courses on email marketing, automation, compliance laws, and more. With new courses added monthly, businesses can enhance their digital marketing strategies with expert-led training and certification opportunities.
2. Jelly Academy – Based in Langley, British Columbia.
Jelly Academy is a global leader in digital marketing upskilling, offering future-ready training and micro-credentialing to help individuals land jobs or grow their businesses. Whether through live or pre-recorded lessons, Jelly Academy has earned a 5-star reputation for its practical and industry-relevant courses.
Its flagship Digital Marketing Bootcamp covers key areas such as social media, public relations, SEO, social media ads, email marketing automation, Google Ads, and Google Analytics. Students gain hands-on experience, expert insights, and 11 industry-recognized certifications, making it one of the most comprehensive programs in the field. Whether you’re just starting out in the digital marketing world or looking to expand your knowledge, upon completing the bootcamp, you’ll have the skills and tools necessary to thrive in today’s digital marketing landscape.
3. Hey Orca – Based in Newfoundland.
HeyOrca is a Canadian social media management tool designed for collaboration. Unlike traditional platforms built for large corporations, HeyOrca focuses on helping small social media teams streamline planning, scheduling, collaboration, engagement, and reporting—all in one user-friendly platform.
With HeyOrca, social media managers can work more efficiently, ensuring smooth content creation and community building. Say goodbye to the stress of on-time posting and managing content approvals across multiple platforms. Plus, the built-in analytics feature helps you track engagement, giving you the insights you need to refine and improve your next campaign.
Perfect for agencies and businesses, HeyOrca offers an intuitive solution for organizing and optimizing your social media strategy.
4. Shopify – Based in Ottawa, Ontario.
Shopify is the go-to commerce platform for entrepreneurs, retailers, and global brands—often considered the Canadian answer to Squarespace. Designed for ease of use, Shopify makes it simple to sell online and in person, whether you’re launching your first store or managing a high-volume retail business.
Building a website with Shopify is seamless, thanks to industry-specific templates that help optimize your store for your target audience. Unlike traditional platforms that require manual coding, Shopify offers built-in SEO tools, making it easier to optimize product listings, improve search rankings, and drive traffic to your store—all without needing to touch HTML or scripts. Optimizing SEO is one of the most cost-effective ways to generate leads, making Shopify a powerful tool for small businesses to be seen.
With its intuitive interface, powerful SEO capabilities, and streamlined inventory management, Shopify provides everything you need to start, run, and scale in today’s competitive e-commerce landscape.
5. Snappa – Based in Ottawa, Ontario.
Think of Snappa as Canada’s answer to Canva—a fast, intuitive graphic design tool built for entrepreneurs, marketers, and non-designers alike. Founded in 2015, Snappa was created to solve a common problem: small businesses needed high-quality graphics, but existing design tools were often too complex or time-consuming.
That’s why I recommend Snappa to clients who don’t have the marketing budget to hire a graphic designer. It makes it easy to create stunning social media graphics, display ads, blog images, and more—no advanced design skills are required.
In today’s digital landscape, standing out is essential. Eye-catching visuals capture attention, stop users mid-scroll, and drive engagement. With Snappa, businesses can effortlessly create compelling graphics that enhance their online presence and foster meaningful interactions.
If you’re looking to elevate your business’s digital marketing strategy, now’s the time to act and explore the high-quality Canadian-grown options. From powerful email marketing tools and social media management platforms to educational courses and cutting-edge content solutions, Canadian companies offer innovative and reliable options for businesses of all sizes.
I’ve found these resources valuable, and I recommend them to my clients. Think about the wider benefits too. As a Canadian business, choosing homegrown digital tools not only drives your own success but also contributes to the growth of local industries, creating jobs and fostering innovation across the country. Now is a great time to support Canadian-owned businesses and help build a stronger, more vibrant digital landscape.
Jelly Digital Marketing & PR is a member of the Institute of Canadian Agencies (ICA). Report on Marketing is where leading Canadian agencies showcase their insights, cutting-edge research and client successes. The Report on Marketing provides a valuable source of thought leadership for Canadian marketers to draw inspiration from. Find more articles like this at the Report on Marketing.
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