Latino Rebranded: Latinos and Social Media

Subtitle: It is not the people that should look to businesses, businesses should look to the people.

Our visions of where influence derives is skewed.  Professionals do not make influential changes, but only identify, define, and market them.

Trends

In his book “The Tipping Point,” Gladwell talks about Hush Puppies shoes and how they went from almost being discontinued to a hugely successful brand.  Hush Puppies became a fad in lower Manhattan not on purpose, not because of a campaign, not because of any professional efforts, but because a few “kids” decided they were cool and the shoes became trendy and hip with their peers. 

Let’s look at social media for a minute.  The true value of social media is not the communication platform, but what that communication brings to the table.  Social media enables a company to gain vital insight to where markets are going by talking with the public.

Companies and Social Media

Companies need to talk to their customers to see what they are thinking.  Companies are usually ‘out-of-the-loop’ when it comes to what is being said on the ’streets;’  social media provides insight and establishes a public ‘advisory board’ that leads executives and marketing professionals to decide what to bring to the market – or discontinue.

The Public

Unbeknownst to the average person, it is they that are the true content providers and definers.  With the help of social media, this is slowly being realized – more people are providing top-notch content and participating in global dialogues.

Profitability is where professionals come in.  Once the public figures out how to crack this threshold, it is at that moment that that industry becomes open to change and revolution.

Here’s a modified statement from a popular quote for the movie “V for Vendetta” – It is not the people that should look to businesses, businesses should look to the people. Oh, so true.

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Despite conventional advice that one should be authentic and helpful regarding social media, truth is that those traits alone  – even talent! – will not be enough to make you stand apart from the pack and blaze your own trail.

You’ll need an objective and a good sound strategy to get you where you want to go, granted you have a clear direction of where you want to go in social media.

Desire alone won’t cut it.

You must be able to incorporate the dynamics that are specific to your group, niche, market or circle of influence.

For instance, let’s say you want to be a on the football team, but lack the necessary talent to be competitive.  Guess what?  The only way you may participate on the team is by being a waterboy.  If you were smart you would have trained a few seasons ahead of this desire and then went for tryouts.

Let’s say you’re a talented artist.  You want to be recognized for your work, yet you have not met any gallery owners, museum directors, contacted art magazines, etc.  Without making inroads into the creative industry your work will never become known.

What’s your goal?

Where do you want to take your content?  Do you want a lot of followers?  Be known as an authority in your field?  Network?  Make more friends?

Whatever it may be – make a goal.  Then figure out the steps on how to get there.

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With the announcement of Google Buzz, I’ve been thinking a lot about the Comments feature in blogs.  I don’t want to say that Buzz is necessarily bad for blogs, but it can de-augment a very powerful pillar of blogging – the Comments section.

Let me back up a little.

In October, I talked about the importance of publishing your content on a blog that you own versus a social media site like Facebook or Twitter.  I subtitled the post as “Centralized Me,” to build on the concept of concentrating your content to one main platform.

The Comment’s section of a blog is the site’s social component, for without it a blog is only a new media site with a one way conversation void of reader interaction.

Google Buzz, in essence does to your blog’s comments what other social media sites does to your content – spreads it far and wide.  If readers use Buzz the exposure of your blog will be multiplied, which is every blogger’s dream.  But I have to ask, will those who use Buzz also comment on your blog?

Latino Rebranded integrates a button called TweetMeme and if you look, more people Tweet posts than actually comment.  On Facebook, my followers comment or “like” my blog posts, as well as Networked Blogs – a Facebook application that delivers new posts to people’s inbox and utilizes an RSS feed as well.   Now Buzz, can be added to the list.  (I just had the thought that an opportunity exists for a program to pool together all these outside conversations and dump them into one spot – the Comment section.  Maybe it already exists?)

Taking all of the above into consideration, the ‘push-button’ interaction that they all offer will subtly deter comments because in the mind of the reader they already have commented – in the form a tweet, a buzz or a ‘like’.

I’m not saying to not use any of these services, because they are great tools that leverage your blog’s exposure – and that’s what you want!  But, with the awareness of conversations happening outside your Comment section you can start thinking of ways to harness them for the benefit of your blog.

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While social media is undeniably hot, without evidence of burning out, many established organizations and businesses have been exceedingly slow in accepting social media as the new engagement platform.  In the face of prudence, speculation and convention, enthusiasts – evangelists – have pressed forward with a new and unpredictable, yet powerful and stable form of communication that has haulted an entire industry and forced it look over its shoulders.

In many ways, social media has just begun – 2010, will be its pivot.  Pre-2010 will be looked back as social media being considered only an addition to already established marketing tools, but post-2010 social media will be viewed as a major factor, even replacing traditional media.

Hispanic organizations will be on the far end of the tail, as Hispanics are mostly a conservative population.  To the older generation, social media represents…is, change.  However, the younger generation is embracing new media in droves.  Somewhere in the near future – post 2011? – there will be a huge explosion of Hispanic based industries and organizations in social media.

These are my observations, not my judgments.  I think social media will continue to influence its way into every business sector and will be the fast track to Hispanic related communications.  The fact that Hispanics are the quickest and most abundant adopters of new technologies and media, should move every decision-maker toward the promised land of social media.  Will you be joining me?

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Subtitle:  What side of the fence are you on?

When it comes to social media, are you on the outside looking in or on the inside looking out?

This is the question I ask myself when I encounter someone involved in social media.  It gives me insight to their level of engagement, which is important to me toward my own expectations.

Insiders

If you’re one who uses social media to interact with friends and family, then your consider an insider.  This means that you’re using social media in it’s purest form without any interest toward professional interests.

There are some professionals however, who wants to further the cause of social media and has significant value to add – both professionally and personally.  I consider these insiders as well, as they further push the boundaries of social media by defining it, identifying new trends and adding content.

Outsiders

If you’re on the outside looking in you are looking to harness the popularity of social media for a professional means and not necessarily adding to the inherent value of social media.

This group includes marketers/advertisers, companies and brands, as well as sites looking to tap into social media to benefit their own agenda.

Value

Ultimate value lie with Insiders, for without them Outsiders would have no one to target, nothing to reap. For instance, I recall talking with a prestigious industry publication that said it would be of great interest to feature what Hispanics are doing in social media from the user’s perspective.  Once I told them about the outsiders involved the article lost it’s luster.

As I’ve stated above, this categorization of what people do online acts as a measuring stick to help guide what you may talk about with them, or to what extent you want to include them in a project or task…or not.

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Subtitle: The Why of it All

Without definition, one is left to be interpreted and thus defined by others.  More so, without definition one has no purpose and drifts to the will of the tides.

I’m going to briefly point out some things I have my sights on within the realm of social media.  I encourage you to do the same from time to time going forward.

In no special order here are some goals which have been set in motion and are continually honed:

• Give Latinos a pipeline to catapult their voices into the national conversation via social media.

• Engage influencers in multiple disciplines.

• Facilitate solidarity and communication within Latino community.

• Build Brand (Rebranded) “Me.”

• Communicate with like-minded people.

There’s much more to discuss for each point, but I’ve kept it brief for the sake of the blog and will pick up this discussion at another point in time.

If you have something you want to add, or think I’ve missed a critical point, please leave your thoughts in the comment section.

I’m also curious to know what YOUR purpose is?  Is it product or service awareness?  A grassroots endeavor?  Network with peers?  Keep abreast on the latest trends?  Become the next social media rockstar?

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Subtitle:  What social media has to offer?

With new media one discovers a personal pulpit.  For those engaged in new media, theirs is a public launch platform.

New media offers many benefits that are fairly easy to discern.  Such are:

• communication/conversation

• sharing/connecting (community)

• increased transparency of business/organizations

• democratization of media.

From this short list, we can see a concentration of potential.  Explore deeper within each broad idea one will see many possibilities.

This is why new media is not just a conglomeration of diaries and teenage chat.  Social media is pregnant with the seeds of revolution…even evolution.

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My good pal Julito (@julito77) took a video of the panelists that participated at LISTA event last week.

Take note of the #vivaviernes and #latism tags.

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Subtitle:  The Need To Pursue Media

The ability to cement your message within the stream of media conversation is more vital NOW than ever before.  We stand at the cusp of change.

With history unfolding before us, we must ensure our views engage the forefront of America’s, and thus the world’s conciousness.  Otherwise, others will define everything for us.

This is why I’m a huge advocate of new media.  It  provides the tools, which enables the masses to thrust forth with their stories and viewpoints.

If you are not so inclined, that’s okay but please support those who express this interest.

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Subtitle:  Learn and Practice Languages Using Social Media

With all the head-scratching and trial/errors, social media will undoubtedly become standardized, as people discover what works and what does not.  There will develop a safety net on the ‘proper’ way on how to pursue a social media campaign.  In actuality, this already exists.

But, what if this ’standardization’ is just the tip of the iceberg?  What if that is only 10% of what social media can do?  What if we were grandiose in our ideas and believed we could use social media for anything we imagined?

What if?

Here is an article which I consider an great example of the unlimitedness and unfathomable aspects social media has to offer.  The undertones present, displays the impregnable and impossible categorization of what social media is and can perform.  This is why the title states that YOU are the only limitation.  Read the below, and dare to imagine.

HOW TO: Learn and Practice Languages Using Social Media

Given the globalized online world we live in, learning a new language has never been easier — nor as interactive, interesting, and social! From Twitter to blogs to social networks, there are numerous ways you can start your social language learning and keep it up while making new friends.

The landscape of social media offers a wealth of resources and information where people can discuss and expand on hobbies, interests and passions – while creating connections with others who feel the same way. Learning a language is no different.

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