Creators share three tips for connecting with the Latinx community on Twitter

Focus on the Latinx community year-round 

People can come to Twitter to find Communities and participate in conversations that align with their interests and identities. When it comes to specialized events such as National Heritage Months, brands and marketers are eager to show support and connect with audiences on Twitter in order to make an impact. However, when speaking with our Twitter Creators, one thing was abundantly clear: Heritage Months actually aren’t the best way to approach the Latinx community. Creators tell us that brands and marketers should engage with these audiences year round, not only during those Heritage Months, for example. 

@juanskindiary says, “Oftentimes, it seems disingenuous to want to partner with creatives during a certain time of the year and not work with them any other time. It’s very noticeable when companies are trying to push a narrative that they’re all for the community, but in reality after the partnership is over, they completely forget about it until the next year.” 

@JENNIZZLES agrees: “Latinx people statistically spend the most money on brands and their products, so it’s not a good look if a brand only focuses on our community on Hispanic Heritage Month. If you’re gonna cash in on HHM, don’t just focus on our community once a year.” 

@UsTheDuo adds, “I’ve seen many Latinx individuals and businesses be celebrated for an achievement or accomplishment that glorifies one moment. But, what happens after that moment is gone? Campaigns that only celebrate a Latin athlete for their recent win or a Latin entrepreneur for their recent uptick in sales, all hyper-focus on a singular event in order to show passive camaraderie with our community. The solution? Evergreen initiatives and partnerships.”

@juanskindiary’s ultimate advice is to work with creators year round for them to bring awareness to the topic and allow them to suggest others who they think would be a great partner in the opportunity.

We love how @Target has worked to build ongoing relationships with Latino creators and businesses through its “Más Que” collection. Initially launched during Hispanic Heritage Month to showcase a full Latin-owned line of products across its physical and online stores, the brand has since kept these items in-stock and added “Latin-Owned” stickers to them so that consumers could return to their favorite Latin-owned brands year round. To further support this community, @Target created a program where Latin-owned small businesses could apply and gain support in selling their products within Target stores globally.

Latinx creators are NOT a monolith

Across the board, Latinx creators want brands to understand that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to Latinx audiences. “Latinx” and “Hispanic Heritage Month” are broad terms covering a wide intersection of people, so brands should partner with a diverse set of creators for culture-centric campaigns. 

@JENNIZZLES says,“With so many different identities and backgrounds encapsulated in [Hispanic Heritage Month], brands need to be sure to hire diversely. Make an effort to reach out to Latinx influencers from different backgrounds and races: Afro-Latinx, Caribbean, South American, Indigenous, etc. Brands will only benefit from this variation because a Mexican influencer will bring something entirely different to the table than a Dominican influencer, for example. The more brands do this, the more people will be educated on our community and realize we have just as many differences as we have similarities.” 

“Latinx people as a community struggle to get outsiders to understand that we aren’t a monolith,” she adds. “We aren’t one race, we don’t eat the same foods, not everything we do involves spice, we don’t all align the same way politically – even our Spanish can vary.” 

@UsTheDuo adds, “I distinctly remember being 5 years old listening to Salsa records with my dad as he educated me on the regional musical differences of Salsa (Puerto Rico / Cuba), Bachata (Dominican Republic), and Cumbia (South American with African inspiration). My Caucasian neighbor would come over and say ‘I like your Mexico Music!’ and I would reply with a chuckle and say ‘thank you! This is actually Puerto Rican Salsa, my favorite.” So many marketers are like that neighbor. Brands should consider the values and traditions of each subculture they may be trying to connect with. Yes, Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, and Venezuelans are all Latin, but our upbringings, traditions, and cultures are incredibly unique and intricate.”

This can seem difficult, especially as a brand tries to balance marketing something while still connecting with audiences around the world. Latinx Twitter may agree on a moniker, but this group is anything but homogenous. @Tide exemplified this in a powerful way by confronting stereotypes given to the various members of Hispanic subcultures. 

Trust creators to know their communities best.

Creators actively drive conversation and shape culture. On top of that, creators know their audience better than anyone else. Trust them and listen to their insights when tapping into their community.

@JENNIZZLES notes, “Content creators know their audience better than anyone else. We know what our audience wants to see and what turns [our] audience off. If a video is too heavily branded and leaves little room for the creator to add their special touch to the project/campaign, it will not only upset [their] audience, but it will potentially cause harm to the creator due to inauthenticity. When a brand allows me to make content tailored to my audience’s needs and wants, the video is 10x more likely to succeed. When some videos were too heavily branded, [they] failed.”

@juanskindiary adds: ”The vast majority of new content creators, photographers, videographers, etc. don’t fit into a mold and they have a way of creating the work that best suits them.We understand that companies have a vision and want to create within it, but when we aren’t equally aligned, partnerships can seem off and disingenuous.”

@UsTheDuo says: “What if brands created a reason or occasion for generations to connect and have a genuine conversation with their audience? The most effective ads allow the customer to see themselves using the product. I’d love to see brands and creators achieve similar genuine conversation over more authentic action.”

@juanskindiary agrees.“Brands usually focus on traditions and food in the Latinx community, and while that is a large part of how we express ourselves, it’s what’s mainly displayed in the media,” he says. “A lot of us take on creative outlets such as art or photography because we can visually express ourselves and what we’re feeling. Perhaps brands collaborating with Latinx creators on installations and ads would help a wider audience see what we can bring to the table.” 

The bottom line is: brands hire creators for their voice and expertise, so the best course of action they have at their disposal is to let them use it.

What does this mean for marketers?

We hope these insights will inspire you to create, connect, and push the status quo whenever it comes to connecting with Latinx Twitter. Understanding that the Latinx community is more than just one post, one month a year, should encourage you to tap in and create with mindfulness as well as with meaning. Year round advocacy, diversifying the talent pool when featuring Latinx creators, along with trusting their voice, are some of our favorite themes and hope that they bring more life to your upcoming brand campaigns.

About the Creators

Juan Cazares (he/him) 

Juan Cazares is a self-taught commercial photographer and content creator focusing on the beauty space.

Jenny Lorenzo (she/her)

Jenny Lorenzo is a Cuban-American actress, writer, and content creator with over 1 million followers across platforms. Jenny first became a viral sensation with her beloved Abuela character which has garnered millions of views online. Jenny is an original co-founder of Buzzfeed’s Latinx vertical, Pero Like, and worked with We are Mitú. She has guest starred in various series across Hulu, Netflix, Disney+ and more.

Michael Alvarado (he/him)

Michael Alvarado is a songwriter and producer best known for being half of pop-folk musical group, “Us The Duo.” When he’s not in the studio or on stage, you can find Michael spending time at a local beach with his 3-year-old daughter Xyla. 

About Twitter ArtHouse

At @ArtHouse, Twitter’s in-house content creation team, we design Twitter-first content for culture, communities, and conversation. Follow us on @ArtHouse to see more campaigns and content we’re sharing and talking about.