For many years, Hispanics have been categorized in the other side of the digital divide compared to non-Hispanics in the US. This theory has developed from the underlying assumption that Hispanics have limited access to technological resources such as computers and/or internet. However, eMarketer expects that in 2014, 70% of the Hispanic population will be online (a 10% increase from this year’s figure) and this prediction is expected to be a little bit larger after the 2010 census is released. The rapid change is attributed to the growth of the Hispanic Population in the US, which is now a record 50 million.
Hispanics aren’t simply online, they are engaging in social media activities as well. Facebook is the most used by Hispanics, followed by Twitter, Hi5, MiGente, Univision, and Bebo. Through my research of Hispanics in the blogosphere, I have noticed that Blogs are popular amongst US Latinos as well. There are several blog directories exclusively for Latino Blogs (i.e. Blogadera.com, Blogsbylatinas.com, Latism.org, Twitteros.com, and more) and the topics range from health tips to parenting tips to their take on US politics. There are also several blogs created by Latinos who are experts in the use of social media and who give advice on the best ways to effectively reach out to the US Hispanic population.
Borden PR categorizes avid users of blogs and social media networks in their article US Hispanic PR 2.0, as “Hispanic-fluentials” (like e-fluentials) and they constitute 20% of Hispanics online. They routinely pass their reviews or comments to other fellow bloggers and acquaintances, and “are more likely to pass on or share negative opinions.” These Hispanics are typically in their early 20s and 30s and they believe that Blogs and forums are one of the most important sources of information because they can review other people’s opinions and blog about their own opinions.
Hector Orci, co-founder of the Hispanics-focused agency Orci, encourages companies to reach out to the Hispanic market in the US, pointing out that developing a conversation between a brand and US Hispanics on social media networks is a great way to reach them. As Orci puts it, “What we have found is Latinos are extremely social so they are very eager to communicate with whoever wants to communicate with them.” As a Latina, I can testify to this statement for there is nothing that I enjoy more than carrying a conversation with someone, hearing what they have to say and giving my personal feedback.
Regarding the language preferred by Latinos in the US, according to Advertising Age, 27% of US Hispanics are most comfortable in English, and 17% are comfortable in both English and Spanish. This means that nearly half of the Hispanic population, meaning 44%, is at ease with the use of English language for marketing purposes. However, according to Lisa E. Phillips from eMarketer, Hispanics notice when “marketers’ Spanish-language efforts are not strong.” So it is extremely important for companies to make sure that they take the time to know the Hispanic market and the culture in order to be successful in their marketing efforts. This is especially important to have in mind considering that Hispanics are more likely to respond to e-mail marketing offers than African-American or white Internet users according to a survey for ARAnet conducted by Opinion Research Corporation. In addition, eMarketer states, “Hispanic consumers are projected to wield $1.33 trillion in spending power in 2014.”
So marketers, if you want to stay ahead of the game, I would suggest to take a look at this demographic and spend the time and effort to get to know them through social media. I might not be Nostradamus, but the evidence proves it, in a few years this will be a demographic that you will want to reach and the sooner you start, the easier it will be to beat the competition.
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