• by Lee Vann , Columnist, November 12, 2015

With the holidays around the corner and 2015 coming to a close, I took some time to reflect back on what’s happened in Hispanic digital marketing. I must say, it was quite a year.

The Hispanic digital marketing industry has evolved exponentially this year as more and more brands realize that to grow, they must win with online Hispanics. As a result, brands are increasing their investments in Hispanic digital marketing, which in turn has sparked innovation and growth across the Hispanic digital industry.

Here are four key trends from 2015:

Mobile usage among Hispanics skyrocketed

More data points to the fact that U.S. Hispanics, across segments, are mobile mavens. As I pointed out in a post early this year, if you are targeting Hispanics, you must think mobile first. 

Here’s why:

• 45% of U.S. Hispanics now use their phones to go online more than they use a computer, compared to only 38% of non-Hispanics

• Older Hispanics skew higher in many mobile activities

• 37% of all U.S. Hispanics adults say they often use their cell phone while watching television, compared with 29% of non-Hispanics

• 24% of U.S. Hispanics pay for a physical good with their phone vs. 13% non-Hispanics

Hispanic e-commerce is surging

To me this is the most important trend in Hispanic digital marketing. Smart brands are investing in reaching online Hispanics and driving them down the path to purchase because Hispanics are more likely to buy online. 

• 54.1% of U.S. Hispanics have purchased electronics on a PC vs. 53.5% of non-Hispanics

• 24.8% of U.S. Hispanics have purchased food on a PC vs. 23.% of non-Hispanics

• 18.4% of U.S. Hispanics have purchased personal care items on a cell phone vs. 10.8% of non-Hispanics

The fact that more and more Hispanics are engaging in e-commerce is also having a profound effect on the industry as a whole. As consumers increasingly turn to digital channels to research and purchase goods, brands are better able to quantify the return on their digital marketing investments. This is leading to more investments in digital marketing, which will drive further innovation and industry growth. 

Hispanic influencer and content marketing is gaining steam

The intersection of content marketing and Hispanic marketing has given rise to a vibrant Hispanic influencer and content marketing industry. As I wrote in July of this year, native advertising is projected to be a $21 billion industry by 2018 and, according to Curata, 76% of marketers are increasing investment in content marketing. 

From a Hispanic perspective, we know that Hispanics are hungry for relevant content and brands that provide it will be rewarded with long-term, profitable relationships. Brands that develop content for Hispanics have a myriad of efficient content distribution options across leading Hispanic publishers and social networks. 

In addition, Hispanic influencers are becoming increasingly important when it comes to creating and amplifying brand content and the Hispanic influencer industry is quickly maturing. For instance, Latino influencer network Mitú snagged $15 million in a series B funding round, social influencer software Tapinfluence teamed up with Latina Bloggers Connect and Latina Mom Bloggers rebranded as DiMe Media to expand their reach.

Facebook doubled down on digital Hispanics

If you need clear evidence to invest in the Hispanic digital marketing, here it is. This year, Facebook continued to invest in their Hispanic targeting capabilities by increasing their Hispanic affinity segment by 2 million people. Today, marketers can accurately target 29.1 million Hispanics on Facebook by language preference. Marketers can overlay this Hispanic data with Facebook’s rich insights to target Hispanics by interest, geography, behavior, purchase intent and more. What’s more, brands can now leverage Facebook’s Hispanic affinity segments to target Hispanics on Instagram.

Having dedicated the past 15 years to Hispanic digital marketing, I must say that 2015 was a one of the best I have seen. I have a feeling that 2016 will be even better.