Aqui Viene Las Blogueras

My mom didn't (and doesn't) blog, but she did bake. Back then baking could be seen as kind of a form of social media. She'd bake a cake for her club meeting. Everyone who tasted it would rave about it to their friends. They would comment to each other about the possible recipes. Some would hate on her--claiming she used a mix from a box (which she did). Ultimately, she would be known around the neighborhood for her baking abilities. Why? Because she shared!But my mom couldn't hold an Easy Bake Oven lightbulb to today's Blogueras!

According to one article on latinamomtv.com, a study was conducted that found that, “Hispanic women in the U.S. are one of the fastest-growing online demographics, and more than 85 percent of Latinas visit social networks on a regular basis.” That means that Blogueras have one of the strongest voices in the multicultural social media arena. 

Do you know how many cakes my mom would have to bake to hit 85% reach??

Big brands are already recognizing this and are turning to this audience to help sell their products. But that absolutely does NOT mean that these women have sold out! On the contrary, they value their audience more than they value any product sponsorship. Blogueras know at the end of the day, it is all about their reputation. So, rest assured that any product or service that you see advertised by your favorite Latina blogger, has been vetted and has past the reputation test.



As a marketer, your best strategic approach depends on where you are in your Product Life Cycle. If you are a new brand that is in the Introductory phase than your best bet is to engage with Blogueras. Introduce your brand and offer sponsorship. However, if you are a a mature brand, than you want to deploy your social media listening tools to see who is talking about your brand. Use that information to develop a target profile of all the blogs that fit that target. Once you have that, then you can craft messaging that will organically appeal to those Blogueras. This way, you may get the mentions and endorsements you desire without having to go the traditional sponsorship route--at least at first.




And as always...that's all you're going to get for FREE! :)




And...fade to black!
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WHO'S YOUR TEST KITCHEN?

The February 2013 Pew Study infamously ignored the Asian American population in its study of Multicultural social media usage. For the few of us who study multicultural social media, the reaction was a resounding WTF!!!

But it was kind of an understanding WTF. Kind of like the WTF you might exclaim upon finding your wife in bed with Brad Pitt (I guess I should interject here and say that Brad and I are the same age, and I wasn't trying to make an ill...gross! reference).

The point is, I understand all the hype behind the Hispanic audience.  But please don't sleep on the Asian American population.  Statistically, it is the fastest growing audience.  It is the most affluent audience.  And they over index for adopting new technologies.

So here's what,  in my humble strategic opinion, if you are trying out a new social media platform, it is probably best to target the Asian American audience.  This audience will give you strong data as to why or why not they are adopting this platform.

I could go on, but the point of this post is to let you know what audience you need to target if you are looking to to get quick data on the potential of your social media platform.

And I think you have all you need to know...and fade to black.

Standing On the Corner of #Instagram and #Vine

You want to know how quickly the social media world is evolving? Up until yesterday, this blog post was supposed to be all about Vine.  As you know, Vine is the Twitter-friendly app that allows you to take and tweet 6 second video clips.

The app is (or should I say was) gaining huge popularity among the multicultural audience--which already over-indexes for Twitter usage.


But then, this announcement happened...

Facebook's Video Service for Instagram Will Compete With Twitter's Vine.

And all of a sudden my topic became the Mother Theresa's death of compelling stories.  No one???  No one remembers that she died the same day as Princess Di?  Jesus people, read a book every once in a while.  But I digress.

By the time you read this, Instagram will have the capability to offer video to its users, with some pretty interesting innovations.  You can check it out on this video from Vimeo.

But my job here is to provide some insight on how this will effect the multicultural audience.  Most will agree that the reason why Instagram has left all other photo sharing platforms in the dust is because it truly makes you feel like an artist--even if you aren't one.

The combination of great after affects and ease of sharing makes Instagram a natural for anyone with a creative nature.  Twitter on the other hand has always had that added element of compelling you to make a post feel newsworthy.  Instagram is to Twitter what graffiti is to blogging.

So, here's what, both Instagram and Twitter are popular with the multicultural audience, but to quote Will Smith in Men in Black (which I have been known to do from time to time) Instagram video is THE NEW HOTNESS!!!

For marketers, the opportunity exists in helping these new found artists share their creations with the world.  Please don't get on Instagram with your 6-10 second video for your latest chip flavor. No one gives a sh*t.  But if you want to feature the most creative video in your next chip commercial, the multicultural audience will be all over that.

For right now, pull back on that Twitter strategy, and keep your social media listening team busy downloading 8 second videos of butterflies who start flying when you touch them on the screen.  How cool is that?

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Laying in the Cut

According to the Urban Dictionary (which is almost always wrong), the phrase "Laying in the cut," means almost everything except what it actually does mean.  My uncle used to use this phrase. To lay in the cut means to hang back and survey the situation before you make a move.

But what does this have to do with social media and the multicultural audience? Everything if you are a brand or an agency trying to reach this audience. When every bit of data tells you that the multicultural audience is ripe with Innovators and Early Adopters, the tendency is to want to throw money at the next big thing in social media.  That doesn't work for this audience.  Don't believe me? Ask someone at Coke how that multicultural Pinterest campaign is doing.

So here's what, the multicultural audience is definitely filled with early adopters when it comes to entertainment and technology. Social Media? Not so much.  Entertainment and technology are inherently cool. Social Media however still retains a huge nerd factor.

The multicultural consumer is not going to early adopt something that's "whack"!  I don't know any other way to say that.  So, if you are trying to target the multicultural consumer, please do me a favor and lay in the cut.  Don't throw any budget at the latest newest hottest thing.  Use your social media listeners.  Wait to see if thus latest platform is going to have some traction with the audience.  Sometimes, the waiting is the best part.

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Smile and Say Queso!!!

If you read the Pew Study published back in February of this year, you know that Latinos are heavy users of Instagram.  This social media network that allows you to snap a picture, add a comment and a few hash tags and keep it moving--is incredibly popular with mi gente.

As a marketer you need to understand a few things that can help you leverage Instagram for success with your desire to connect with this audience.

1. Why Instagram?
The quick answer is the exclusive mobility of the platform.  Due to a number of social and economical factors, Latinos over-index for using a mobile device to access the Internet.  That means, a platform designed from inception for mobile has a better chance of being adopted.

2. What is being shared?
Another quick answer: Anything and everything.  The difference is who is it being shared with. For the most part this audience is not trying to take over the world. The Latino Instagram user is targeting family, friends and friends of friends. They are looking to be an influencer among this defined sphere of influence

And finally...

3. How can a brand get in on the conversation?
 Much like Fight Club, the first rule of Instagram is "You don't talk about Instagram." Latinos are not following brands on Instagram. They have a life.  Your job is to integrate yourself into that life.  Instagram is about sharing on a very personal and spontaneous level.  A brand is not going to tap into that unless it connects with this consumer emotionally.  So here's what... If you want to be one of those hash tags in an Instagram post, take your social media budget and spend it on something that will tap the emotions. Try sponsoring a cultural event or handing out samples at a local nightspot.
There are many other ways but you get the  gist.

The point is, sometimes social media is really about being social.

And...fade to black!