Minorities Becoming Majority Online
Hispanics lead the Web 2.0 revolution
The previously held view of a heavily Caucasian Internet user base has been turned upside with the latest data on social media usage and demographics. According to Dr. Felipe Korzenny, Professor of Advertising & Integrated Marketing Communication at Florida State University, ethnic minorities, and especially Hispanics (both English- and Spanish-preferring), are networking and blogging in growing numbers and to a greater degree than their non-Hispanic White counterparts.
We caught up with Dr. Korzenny at the FSU Department of Communications in Tallahassee, FL to talk about why social networks attract minorities and the dos and don’ts of the new, diverse social media landscape.
For a long time the Internet was seen as the domain of White adolescent males. What reactions do you get when you show people how very diverse the Web population really is?
At first people have trouble believing that as a proportion of their own group more minorities are engaged in new technology than non-Hispanic Whites. For example more minorities, particularly Hispanics, have blogs than non-Hispanic Whites, and that holds even when controlling for age. That is, regardless of age, minorities are more eager to participate in the new digital world. You can find the reports at http://hmc.comm.fsu.edu
Why do you think social networking sites are so popular among Hispanic Americans, African Americans, and Asian Americans?
Online social networks are a solution to a real problem. Before they existed people who are gregarious could not find a place to exchange ideas and emotions. Now they can. A lot of it is due to cultural characteristics of these groups. They value interpersonal interaction proportionally more than non-Hispanic Whites. Non-Hispanic Whites also value interaction, but because of the individualism prevalent in non-Hispanic White culture, that social interaction has somewhat less value. Minorities depend a lot more on each other for emotional, informational, and entertainment interaction.
How can marketers and recruiters use this knowledge to engage with these audiences?
Clearly, being present in the social networks where these audiences are is an important approach. Basically, these social networks are a crucial touch-point for marketers and recruiters to establish connections. This can be via advertising in networks or offering information in the network that others are interested in. Creating groups that add value can be of great importance.
What best practices have you seen for reaching out to Hispanics in the digital realm?
The obvious one is in-language, then in-culture, which means integrating cultural elements to appeal to Hispanic consumers. Sometimes it does not have to be a separate website, but a website that recognizes cultural tastes and differences.
What are some pitfalls to look out for?
Assuming similarity "because we are people after all." Then assuming that translations are enough to reach out to Hispanics. In fact Hispanics are very critical of translations they find. First because many of these translations are idiosyncratic and not well done. Second because sometimes translations actually confuse the consumer if the site has a lot of technical detail. Translators can have certifications and be qualified but generally they do not understand the actual audience for a translation, thus the translation tends to be "booky" and soulless, or even incorrect when the translator does not understand the subject matter and the audience well.
Technical sites do better by not translating because translating technical content can actually confuse the Hispanic consumer more than it helps. Clearly, there are gray areas.
What are your predictions for the future of social media for multicultural audiences?
I think that social media will continue to grow and be a more important place for marketers and recruiters to participate in. Once you have a network that fulfills your needs, it will not go away. In this complex world social networks help the consumer go back to the "village." Where people know each other and enjoy the company of each other. Also, I believe that social media constitute an important symptom of the new world of emerging minorities having a stronger and even primary role in shaping the future of the United States.
Dr. Korzenny holds an M.A. and a Ph.D. from Michigan State University in Communication Research, where he was a faculty member, and later a member of the faculty of San Francisco State University. He has published six books and almost a hundred research publications dealing with communication and culture, including Hispanic Marketing: A Cultural Perspective. He is Professor of Advertising and Integrated Marketing Communication, and Founder and Director of the Center for the Study of Hispanic Marketing Communication at Florida State University and independently consults with major corporations on their Hispanic marketing strategies. His full bio can be found at http://www.korzenny.com/FKresume.htm
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