U.S. Hispanics flock to web

NEW YORK - The U.S. Hispanic Internet population is young, vibrant and growing -- in numbers, broadband connections and time spent online.

In 2009, there are nearly 23 million Hispanics online, about 51 percent of the U.S. Hispanic population, according to eMarketer estimates. Hispanics make up about 12.3 percent of the U.S. Internet population in 2009, and will increase to 13.9 percent in 2013.

Like its offline counterpart, this group of Internet users is young -- 63 percent are under age 35 -- and mobile. Some 81 percent of Hispanics own a mobile phone, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, and for 25 percent of these adults, their mobile device is their primary phone. Hispanics use more phone features, including Internet access, at higher rates than other mobile subscribers.

Marketers and online publishers are creating campaigns and Web sites in English and Spanish to reach an audience that switches between languages and cultures. For example, some Hispanics who consider themselves Spanish-dominant say they prefer to read Web pages in English, while online publishers have noticed some English-dominant Hispanics gravitate toward online ads in Spanish. There is no simple, single way to reach this diverse population, except to respect their broad cultural values.

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Source: Adweek