Social media is a popular marketing vehicle and the Hispanic market has become a popular market to tap into. But many companies have yet to market to Hispanics via social media.
According to a
recent survey by TeleNoticias, 92 percent of companies surveyed have social media communications programs, but only 45 percent have programs specifically targeting the Hispanic market. Are these numbers projected to increase?
¡Por supuesto! (Absolutely!)
Hispanic Facebook users grew 167 percent (versus 21 percent for non-Hispanics) from April 2010 to April 2011, according to marketing news site ClickZ.
So to help you
aprovechar (take advantage), here are some tips to help your social media efforts with the Hispanic market.
Relationship building – Pierponter David Gonzalez stated in a
recent blog post that relationship building is key when marketing to Hispanics. This is very true, especially when it comes to social media. But how do you build these relationships?
First you must understand the culture! Hispanics are very prideful of their heritage and love to share it. So give them opportunities to do that! This also can demonstrate that you’re interested in their culture and not just their buying power. A good Facebook post example is“¿Qué plato típico de tu país recomendarías a un visitante extranjero?” which translates to, “What traditional dish from your country would you recommend to a foreigner,” by
American Airlines en español. This post alone generated 45 likes and 143 comments. Inviting Hispanics to share their culture can definitely help strengthen your relationship with them.
Language barriers – If your company does not have all the Spanish-speaking resources you’d like, not to worry. According to ClickZ, English-preferred Hispanics are the fastest-growing segment online, currently making up 50.6 percent of Hispanics on Facebook. Hispanics like to communicate in English since it allows them to connect with all their "friends" no matter age or acculturation level. But this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t let up on posting in Spanish. And when doing so, make sure you have a native Spanish-speaker proofread before posting to avoid miscommunication.
Mobile technology – Sixty five percent of Latinos use their
cell phones as their primary access to the Internet. So make sure to keep this in mind when creating ways to engage them on social media. A simple photo-submitting contest on Facebook can be a big hit – all they have to do is snap a picture on their smartphone and upload it, all in a matter of minutes. Hispanics might even be likely to utilize QR Codes to share information on their purchases or places they’re at with their “friends.”
Access to social media is only increasing in the Hispanic market, so make sure to establish your relationships! For more ideas on how to go about it,
email me.