Mobile Marketing to the Hispanic Community

This past March we posted an article titled 'Marketing to Hispanics' where we briefly mentioned mobile marketing. This month we would like to expand on that topic as we take a look at mobile Web sites, text messaging and mobile applications to reach the Hispanic community.

According to comScore m:metrics, 71% of Hispanics consume content on cell phones compared to the market average of 48%. Nielsen's recent 'Mobile Advertising Report' highlighted that Hispanic data users are more likely to recall seeing ads on mobile phones (41% compared with 30% of non-Hispanics) and more likely to have responded (22% vs. 13%). Therefore, mobile marketing to the Hispanic demographic is an opportunity to experience growth in this slowing economy.

Having mobile capabilities like text messaging is ideal for these consumers to find you. Especially since many Hispanics will first experience the Internet via their cell phones because of limitations of Internet on a home computer. In addition to having your Web site available on mobile devices is the need to offer a Spanish translated site. Many Hispanic consumers are bilingual, but there is a sizeable market that still communicates primarily in Spanish. To effectively target these consumers, mobile initiatives should include Spanish language media as a key component of the mobile marketing mix.

According to Jose Villa, author of MediaPost's blog, '10 Things You Should Know About U.S. Hispanics', "Hispanics are still a part of the honeymoon phase." Meaning, they are not burned out and therefore, are more likely to respond to advertisements from companies on their mobile devices. In addition to mobile Web sites, text messaging and mobile applications are essential.

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"There's an App for That"

Marketers Reach Consumers Through Mobile Apps

With the growing popularity of mobile communication for the masses, comes the development of mobile applications and mobile Web sites. Mobile initiatives are quickly becoming part of today's marketing mix because they can connect brands and products directly to consumers. Today's consumer is very tech savvy and branded applications and mobile Web sites are a way to connect on their terms, are perfect for consumer engagement and provide rich data.

ForRent.com® has launched a T-Mobile G1 (GPhone) application. The application is the latest addition to For Rent's existing suite of mobile marketing products offered to apartment seekers and solidifies ForRent.com as a leader in mobile marketing. In addition to the GPhone app, ForRent.com launched an iPhone app in April which has received more than 23,000 downloads.

With ForRent.com's free GPhone application, apartment seekers can browse through thousands of apartment listings nationwide. Users can also view apartment descriptions, videos, pictures, and floor plans, save their results, and contact the property. Consumers can use touchable map pins to click on a pin representing a property and go directly to the property's page. The GPhone runs on the new Google Android operating system. Applications are only accessible through the GPhone phone, but can be previewed at the Android Market Web site.

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ForRent.com “Ready2Move?” Video Contest Awards $10,000 to Dallas Apartment Renter

Justin Spence got the call of a lifetime on Friday from ForRent.com. He entered his video in the apartment listing service's nationwide online video contest and after months of anticipation, found out he was the $10,000 grand prize winner.

Spence, who works for his family's radiator manufacturing business, is also a part time videographer. Under the weather and in the process of moving, Friday's call could not have come at a better time. When asked how he felt about winning the $10,000 grand prize, he yelled, "Holy moly! I think I just got a better kick than any kind of medicine could give me!"

ForRent.com launched the "Ready2Move?" nationwide video contest on April 1. The contest asked apartment seekers to create a short video and tell ForRent.com why they were ready to move for a chance to win $10,000.

Spence did just that. He and his wife created and starred in the one-minute video "$1,200 a month and No Pool?" The video depicts a conversation between Spence and a buddy, who is living lavishly in a Dallas apartment community, while Spence is desperately searching the classified listings for an apartment. The friend recommends ForRent.com as an apartment searching resource. When speaking about the benefit of the site's functionality he boasts, "…you're not gonna find that from some dude's Web site in San Francisco."

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