Latinos Leading the Mobile Web
Mobile is taking over as the key way of accessing the Internet. Latinos are leading this new trend, representing an important opportunity for brands.
Mobile is taking over as the key way of accessing the Internet. Latinos are leading this new trend, representing an important opportunity for brands.
Mobile is the fastest-growing platform in the world. In the U.S., for example, there are more than 290 million mobile subscribers. And this growth is not only about penetration. It’s reshaping the way consumers use their devices. The mobile industry estimates that, by the end of this year, almost 90 percent of all new phones sold in America will be smartphones.
In that same direction, according to Google, mobile web traffic will surpass PC traffic in 2013. It’s clear that, for marketers, mobile marketing represents a powerful tool whose role needs to be redefined.
Digital Divide or Digital Conquest?
In the past months, many experts have been talking about a digital divide among Latinos. The notion that many Latinos are using their mobile device as the main, and many times only, way of accessing the Internet created a lot of reactions. Some say that this audience is losing a bigger, more complex experience by browsing the web via mobile instead of a regular PC.
When you analyze the smartphone penetration, almost half of Latinos own a smartphone, a much higher percentage than the general population. Important to note, 65 percent of Latinos use their handset as their primary access to the Internet. Even for its original purpose, talking, 60 percent of Latinos use their mobile phone as their primary phone service. Jokes aside, Latinos have a love affair with their mobile phones: 75 percent of adult Hispanics sleep with their phone.
If we go back to Google’s projection on how the web is becoming mobile, it seems to me, more than a digital divide, Latinos are leading (or conquering) this new trend.
Leading the Smartphone Penetration
Seventy-four percent of Hispanic mobile subscribers are between 18 and 44 years old. Being younger than the overall populations as well as more tech-savvy is helping drive smartphone penetration. These users are young, bilingual, dynamic, and connected. They live fast-paced lives, always on the go; their phone is an extension of self and they rely on their mobiles for everything.
Latinos are early adopters of the iPhone: more than 30 percent of iPhone users are Hispanic. But they are also Android fans: around 30 percent of Latinos with a smartphone have an Android phone and growing.
The iPhone has a better share among 25 to 34 year old Latinos and skews male. Android has a more even distribution in terms of age and sex.
From a language perspective, 52 percent of Latino smartphone users are English preferred with some Spanish, and 38 percent are Spanish preferred.
Super-Connected and Entertainers
Social media ranks as the top mobile activity for Hispanics – no surprise there – more than one-third of Facebook updates are mobile.
According to Forrester, Hispanics lead in mobile activity:
In that same direction, consider these interesting trends according to information provided by Briabe Media:
One Size Does Not Fit All
When it comes to targeting the mobile Latino, there are three different segments to consider, based on content preferences and usage.
The Latino Opportunity
Mobile is taking over as the key way of accessing the Internet. Latinos are leading this new trend, representing an important opportunity for brands. Here are some thought-starters.
Remember, Hispanics over-index in mobile content consumption, are active users of advanced mobile features, and are more receptive to targeted advertising.