Social media, whether in the form of a Tweet or a simple “like” on Facebook, is reaching a greater audience than ever before. Every day, social media connects consumers with companies and consumers of similar interests with each other, providing marketers with a fun and interactive way to reach out to populations in a way that is often better received than traditional advertising. The Latino population is already the youngest and fastest growing population in the U.S., and their presence in the social media world is increasing even more dramatically.
A study by the nation’s foremost media research company, Nielsen, showed that Latino adults are 25% more likely than the general online population to follow a particular brand or company via social media. In a recent NPR broadcast, Aracely Panamelo explains how a while back, much of the Latino demographic was not able to afford computers and therefore internet access, but as technology improved and prices went down, Latinos became more engaged in technology. With the internet now readily accessible, Latinos have been diving into the web and the social media scene.
Latino television broadcasts are now using using Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to get their viewers more involved with the network. Among numerous Latino broadcasts is Univision, the 4th largest network in the nation. In some time slots Univision hits #1, which means it reaches a tremendous number of members of the Latino population, who can interact with others through social media. The majority of these Latino broadcasts use social media platforms to interact with their audience and to stimulate interest in the organization.
In an NPR interview, Laura Martinez, blogger and founder of Mi blog es tu blog, noted that Univision and Telemundo do a great job of interacting with their audience using social media. Univision just launched a new English channel called Fusion, whose Twitter account had nearly 100,000 followers even before its first broadcast on October 28th. Univision and ABC’s goal in launching Fusion is to have the Latino youth feel informed, entertained and empowered by what they see on the channel. Fusion focuses on matters that are relevant for the Latino population in the U.S., including music, immigration, the economy, entertainment, education, health, and more.
With the Latino population growing rapidly, it is imperative that the mainstream media realize that the Latino community has a growing buying power and that marketing to them is imperative.
Sources:
http://www.npr.org/2012/04/03/149845056/media-outlets-adapt-to-growing-hispanic-audience
http://corporate.univision.com/2013/press/abc-and-univision-introduce-fusion/#.UnqbL5TwIt0
http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/newswire/2012/hispanics-in-u-s-highly-active-on-mobile-and-social.html