Social networking sites and Hispanics and emerging minorities

According to a recent study conducted by the Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication at Florida State University, the two reasons for using social networking sites that stood up most significantly were: “Keeping up with new trends,” and “asking friends and relatives about their opinions on products to buy.”

Minorities in general are more likely than non-Hispanic Whites to say they use social networking sites for keeping up with new trends and for interacting with friends and relatives about their opinions on products to buy. Latinos who answered in Spanish to the survey are more likely than anyone else to endorse these reasons.

There are several important implications of these findings. First, as other surveys have shown, emerging minorities are more engaged with the new media and are likely to use it as a source of information for their lifestyle and consumer behavior.

Further, Latinos who prefer Spanish are even more engaged with social networking sites for obtaining guidance and knowing about things like fashion. While Spanish dominant Hispanics have lagged in the adoption of online technologies, they are now fast adopting them and once they adopt these technologies they seem to strongly depend on them. The researchers indicate that synergies of social media and traditional electronic and print media are likely to be important and should be capitalized upon to create conversations and discussions. The virtual social world is opening enormous possibilities to people, and it is creating a new system of influence. Growing minorities appear to be eager to break traditional barriers.

Opinion leaders among these emergent minority groups are very likely to have an impact on their followers who share their background, but also on others who frequent social media sites. Thus, these minorities are not only finding a town center or “plaza” online, but are likely to also be affecting a larger social milieu because of the very public nature of social media.