Why Social Media Is the 'Fabric' of Hispanics Online

65%of Hispanics online are now using social media, according to Manny Miravete, VP, Sales and Strategy, MySpace and MySpace Latino. “You bring what you do in your daily life online and social media is enabling that. You can run a simple banner or create a brand profile,” he said. “You can put your brand in that social arena. Social media has mass reach. It’s the fabric of Hispanics online.” Miravate argued that the difference between MySpace and Facebook is that MySpace is a social portal where users can customize their experience and choose to interact with content. Facebook, he said, is more of a social utility.
Consumers are really savvy and know if they are being advertised to, so marketers should create an ambassador for their brands, Miravate said, pointing out that marketers should also develop the experience and content around passion points.
Most successful campaigns have pushed or pulled from traditional media to the Web. Miravate offered the following advice: “Understand the key driving points for the brand. Connect what your brand can offer and what users want. Pharma has been slow to come to the medium; others like wireless have jumped right in. You need to bring very tangible value to users.”
In Miravate’s view, social media is a great way to use direct response. Some agencies use it just to drive sales and reach 10 million U.S. Hispanic users. It’s low cost and delivers high returns, he said. Branded initiatives are helping to launch new products and drive use and purchase behavior.
He encouraged agencies to come up with ideas and then use social media outlets as a vetting process—what’s possible and practical. “We love to brainstorm the new and coolest ways to connect,” Miravate said. “Keep it simple. Build the digital capabilities within your agencies so you’re able to deliver a broader based communication experience for clients—they are asking for it.”

A Look At Hispanics' Usage of Social Media

BodenPR recently completed a thought piece detailing the high engagement level by U.S.

Hispanics with Social Media and what brands should consider before developing an online news campaign targeted towards this very coveted market. Interestingly, very few leading brands are catching on to the online trends identified for the different Hispanic segments and what influences their opinions as consumers. Learning the trends and what truly influences these segments online will allow brands to create a powerful online news campaign that will create buzz on and offline for themselves.

Some of the key findings within the article include:

- An estimated 20% of Hispanics online are considered ‘Hispanic-fluentials.’ Hispanics are more likely than any other segment to pass on both positive and negative reviews/information to friends and family

− Hispanic teens are connected online 24/7 and it’s because this segment values the latest communication tools more than any other. This segment’s likes and dislikes also overlaps into the general market’s (American) teen trends.

− The older and acculturated Generation Y Hispanics turn to online forums and blogs to make everyday decisions from what restaurant to dine at to what car they will purchase next. They are not reading their local papers, but turn to online news instead and like to receive and comment on news more than any other U.S. Hispanic segment.

− U.S. Hispanic Baby Boomers are online, but most are not blogging. They’re online for reference information on topics from investments to healthcare and a vast majority prefer communication online in Spanish.

As a result, when beginning to develop a Social Media and Online News Campaign for your brand, it is key to ask two key questions:

(1) Which U.S. Hispanic segment am I targeting (Generation Y, Latinas, Baby Boomers?)

(2) Who and what is influencing them today (social media forums, TV shows, bloggers?).