Engaging in Latin America
As a child of Argentineans, it often takes time to adjust back to American culture every time I come back from visiting my family. It seems like I have to briefly retrain myself to get back into the routine of American life. In business, its the same thing. The desire to establish relationships with people in other countries should be done with a country's culture and customs in mind.
As more and more companies expand to new corners of the globe, they too must teach their staff the appropriate social cues, customs and traditions that will make their business meeting a success. Knowing how a country utilizes certain products as well as their needs and wants is key in establishing a good relationship while taking your business to the next level. A concept that might be widely successful in the United States may not provide the same results in Brazil or Mexico.
Although the fact that there is no set rule that applies to all Latin American countries may be daunting, it is still vital to brush up on culture before stepping off the plane and into the conference room. Just knowing a few things about a country can show that a business cares about accommodating its practices to a different market and shows genuine respect.
For social media companies, Latin America is a great place to expand business. Latin American countries are increasing their use of social media at an exponential rate, which can be an important opportunity for companies looking to expand into those markets.
Social media strategies should also be modified for Latin American consumers. According to Burson-Marsteller's Latin America Social Media Check-up 2013, the percentage of companies that use Twitter more than doubled in Argentina, Peru, Puerto Rico and Venezuela. The percentage of companies in Latin America that utilize Twitter since 2010 has increased by over 20% while the ones who utilize Facebook increased by 11%. Although Latin American countries are increasing their presence on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and blogs, many are not yet using Google Plus, though I think that soon that will change, as Google Plus is a growing platform for businesses.
Taking the lead on Google Plus are Brazil, Peru and Mexico.
Based on these quick facts, companies can address consumer wants and needs through the most widely used and effective platforms. It is also important to note that many Latin American countries are warming up to online dating, LinkedIn and other platforms.
Social media also comes in handy in countries like Venezuela and Mexico, where channels are highly controlled and supervised by the government and it is harder to get information quickly. Because of this, many turn to Twitter and utilize it as a source of news and to stay up to speed on current events.
Internet use in Latin America is growing rapidly and there is no evidence that it will stop doing so in the future. In order to utilize each platform and have the most efficiency, brands need to research which platforms are most popular in the region they wish to engage in as well as how to engage those people. There is no “one size fits all” for this concept, success in one place does not guarantee it in another.
Despite this, the future of social media in Latin America is very promising as it changes the way we connect with each other throughout the world. By focusing on the heritage and customs of a country, a company can create meaningful connections and engagements with consumers all around the globe.
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