It’s clear that recent technology adoption rates among Latinos are helping fuel new social media trends. The Hispanic community now boasts a 45% smartphone usage ratio among U.S. ethnic groups, which signals social media adoption is guaranteed to continue exploding.
There is plenty of other data that demonstrates just how important the Hispanic community is becoming to PR professionals and marketers:
• Hispanics are overall early adopters of technology/social media. Latinos are more likely than whites to use Twitter (The Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project). Hispanics have also taken up Facebook faster than non-Latino whites at 54% vs. 43% (Big Research).
• The number of Hispanics online is expected to increase to 42 million by 2015 (Interactive Advertising Bureau). In the past year alone, the number of Hispanics using social media grew by 38% versus 16% for the general population (comScore).
• The importance of tapping into Hispanics via social media has never been more significant. There are roughly 32.2 million U.S. Hispanics online (360i Report on Hispanic Digital Influencers).
Latinas and Latinos alike have taken on social media with a feverish drive because culturally, social media resonates with us.
The Latino blogosphere is in high gear with new blogs popping up daily. Editorial focus varies with themes ranging from parenting to dog tricks, everyday cooking to cuisine reviews and technology to entrepreneurial ideas and more. Additionally, there are core issues that ignite the Latino blogosphere, from political and immigration news to the more unifying themes, including a true call for higher education among Latinos, financial independence and improved opportunities for affordable housing and professional jobs.
Communications professionals are once again faced with the challenge of understanding the community, its many concerns and issues and, most importantly, how to connect a brand with its Latino audience in a relevant and meaningful fashion.
Below are some initial strategies and tactics that can help better prepare PR pros to reach Latino audiences using varied social media channels:
1. Identify the language preference of your target Hispanic audience: Truly understanding whether your Hispanic target audience prefers English, Spanish or both is essential in any program, but most relevant for social media-based outreach since you’re creating a two-way dialogue.
2. Know your targets: Is it Latinas—working moms, single moms, grandmothers, young up-and-coming Latinas or Latino men? Who are they and why should your brand or service resonate with them? And are they on Twitter and Facebook?
3. Find the right mix: What media mix works for your target Latino audience? Which types of communications platforms does your target Hispanic audiences use the most—video, mobile?
4. Make an emotional connection. Creating emotional ties are essential in gaining the trust and appreciation from Hispanics online. Do you know what issues your targeted Hispanic audience is facing? How can your brand support a key Hispanic issue?
5. Go further than your launch initiative. When you are ready for a social media launch—i.e. new Twitter handle, a Twitter chat or party, new Facebook fan page, a dedicated YouTube channel or other tactical components—launch and stick to it. There are so many one-time handles and programs that have no further engagement initiatives post launch. Abandoning a conversation is worse than never starting it.
6. Carefully select and make contact with Latino bloggers. Don’t make assumptions that Latino bloggers are anxiously awaiting your next press release. They are aspiring entrepreneurs and, for the most part, take their blogging seriously and understand its editorial focus. Invest time in getting to know them and carefully select your targeted blogs.
Get out there and get your brand or organization engaged. Keep updated on the latest trends and dialogues. It’s well worth the investment and surely will broaden your brand reach in the long term. PRN
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This article was written by Cristy Clavijo-Kish, CEO and partner at Hispanicize digital. She can be reached at [email protected].