Commentary

Upstarts Challenging Big Media In Reaching Online Hispanics In English

  • by , Columnist, January 12, 2012

Eighty-one percent of the 34 million online Hispanics prefer English or are bilingual. This reality, coupled with the flood of advertising dollars that political campaigns will invest to sway the critical Latino vote, make it an interesting time to look at English digital platforms that target Latinos.

Digital advertising tactics such as search, behavioral, re-targeting and contextual targeting have emerged to allow marketers to reach English-preferring Hispanics, but they all require a relatively high level of expertise to execute. Today, brands looking to reach online Hispanics in English have another option, thanks to English-language digital platforms that target Latinos.

I took a quick look at the market of Latino-themed, English-language digital platforms and found that a couple of upstarts are challenging traditional media companies. I am sure that the competition to reach online Hispanics in English will heat up as a result of the following market dynamics.

  • There are not that many players.
  • There is no clear leader.
  • Low barriers to entry provided by social media
  • The ad dollars associated with the upcoming election
  • The importance of the Latino vote

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Below is a summary of some of the players targeting online Hispanics in English today.

The Upstarts

Two startups that had the foresight to cater to online Hispanics in English are Guanabee and Being Latino. Founded in 2006, Guanabee is a hip, Latino lifestyle and news site. Being Latino is just over two years old and pegs itself as an online magazine that educates, entertains and connects Latinos. (The website numbers are via Compete.com.)

  • Guanabee
    • Website –         157,000 monthly visitors
    • Facebook  –     2,500 likers
    • Twitter –          2,300 followers
  • Being Latino
    • Website –         11,000 monthly visitors
    • Facebook  –     65,000 likers
    • Twitter –          5,500 followers

Big Media

Several big media companies also are proactively targeting online Hispanics in English with digital platforms. These typically consist of a centralized website/blog supported by social media outlets. Of the bunch, NBC Universal’s Mun2 and MTV’s Tr3’s are the oldest and as a result have the most reach, here is how they all stack up.

This quick analysis shows that upstarts are holding their own against big media when it comes to targeting online Hispanics in English. That said, it will be interesting to see who else enters the market and it is likely that those that can garner the lion’s share of election advertising dollars will emerge as the leaders next year.

For what it’s worth, I’m voting for the upstarts.

7 comments about "Upstarts Challenging Big Media In Reaching Online Hispanics In English".
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  1. Jesus Grana from Independent, January 12, 2012 at 10:40 a.m.

    Great - you should also check out http://latinbusinesstoday.com/
    More than just report the news, Latin Business Today seeks to provide an unprecedented array of resources specific to today’s enterprising Latino. Building on the previous success of Latin Business Magazine, we are leveraging its initial audience base and its heritage in education development, community support and vast archives to develop a 21st century dynamic forum for the exchange of ideas and collaboration. We aim to be today's information, inspiration, mentor and empowerment source for Latino business owners and current and future professionals.

  2. David Chitel from NGL Media, January 12, 2012 at 11:22 a.m.

    Great piece Lee. Wanted to add that one of NGL Media's owned and operated video sites, UrbanoTV.com, is definitely in the mix as well. We're at just over 30,000 monthly uniques (per Compete).

    Beyond that we've assembled the largest Latino Video Network featuring both Spanish and English content that we produce and aggregate from independent producers and TV outlets.

    http://www.NGLMedia.com

  3. Latino Rebels from Latino Rebels, January 12, 2012 at 11:43 a.m.

    A few others to check:

    http://newstaco.com
    http://thinkmexican.com
    http://latinorebels.com
    http://latism.org
    http://pocho.com

    It is a bigger world than you think, but thanks so much for writing this. It is a GREAT start.

  4. Latino Rebels from Latino Rebels, January 12, 2012 at 11:46 a.m.

    Another thing you miss is YouTube, for example our YouTube page in 9 months has reached almost 250K views. That would be an interesting angle to cover as well. ¡Saludos!

  5. Latino Rebels from Latino Rebels, January 12, 2012 at 11:48 a.m.

    One more thing, Twitter profiles of individuals as brands, there a major Latino influentials out there with more Twitter followers than most of the brands you list here. Peace! Ok, last comment LOL

  6. Pete Quiroba from Mr. Latino Magazine Online, March 9, 2012 at 9:54 a.m.

    Check out http://www.mrlatinomagazine.com/home/ it's my online magazine I launched just over two years ago. Feb we had just over 8,000 unique visitors and have been showing significant traffic gains in each of the last 5 months. Mr. Latino is an online magazine and daily email guide focused towards 2nd and 3rd generation Latinos in the U.S.A. Thanks for the article I feel like I have been on the right track these past few years. I would appreciate any feedback both positive and negative.

  7. Pete Quiroba from Mr. Latino Magazine Online, March 9, 2012 at 10:09 a.m.

    also http://www.mrlatinomagazine.com is an English based online magazine currently focused on Northern California including the Central Valley, Sacramento and the Bay Area. Our next regional launch is San Antonio, Tx this summer. Thanks!

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