Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Latinos in Social Media and the Power of Leverage

The explosion of social media has created a tidal wave of activity and Latinos are the driving force behind this momentum. Countless articles and blog posts are springing up providing today's interested parties with a unique perspective into how Latinos are using social media to lead, influence, and foster change.

However, as researchers and opportunists, we must move beyond this data and into the arena of action. The validation of the U.S. Hispanic market is expanding as are numerous opportunities to innovate and make full use of our resources, knowledge, and capabilities.

Enter the dynamic element of leverage.

lev·er·age (According to Dictionary.com)
1. the action of a lever.

2. the mechanical advantage or power gained by using a lever.

3. power or ability to act or to influence people, events, decisions, etc.; sway: Being the only industry in town gave the company considerable leverage in its union negotiations.

4. the use of a small initial investment, credit, or borrowed funds to gain a very high return in relation to one's investment, to control a much larger investment, or to reduce one's own liability for any loss.

The biggest lesson in argumentation and persuasive writing (which is indeed a big part of advertising and public relations) is to use supporting material. Armed with tons of supporting material validating the size, impact, and sheer potential for return on investment in the Hispanic market, we must move into the dynamic arena of action and innovation.

Rather than participate in a continual spiral of information exchange and data sharing, we must embark on opportunities to leverage our efforts and focus on areas to change the game no matter what our 'game' happens to be.

What would you attempt to do if you knew you would not fail?

Innovate. Move beyond research into the realm of possibility and opportunity.