Social Networks Capture Users in Mexico EMarketer.com
go to original April 9, 2012

Internet users in Mexico are flocking to social networks, making them a favorite means of expression and source of entertainment. Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are leading social media usage and are expected to thrive financially as brands tap into a highly engaged audience.

According to eMarketer estimates, social networking in Mexico will increase by 17.9% in 2012, making it the fifth-fastest-growing market worldwide. Much of this expansion will come from Facebook, which is expected to reach 25.6 million users in the country by the end of this year.

Not only is the number of social network users growing, but those users are also highly engaged on the sites. According to the Asociación Mexicana de Internet (AMIPCI) study “Redes Sociales en México y Latinoamérica 2011” conducted by Elogia, 48% of Facebook users and 34% of YouTube users in Mexico visited the respective websites several times a day.

Video consumption and video advertising through social media are particularly interesting areas of engagement among social networkers. In December 2012, the Garritz Online Media and comScore report “Online Video Consumption Study, Mexico 2012” found that 86% of online video viewers watched video on YouTube and 39% did so on Facebook.

In terms of general video ad viewing across online formats in Mexico, 75% of respondents recalled seeing video ads on a PC or laptop in the last week and 23% recalled seeing video ads on non-PC devices, such as mobile phones and tablets, in the same time period. More importantly, of those who recalled encountering videos ads, about three-quarters of consumers on both desktop and mobile devices actually watched the video ads served to them. And, crucial to the social sphere, both PC (16%) and non-PC device (25%) viewers were willing to recommend or share the commercial with others.

Given that internet users in Mexico show such high levels of engagement with social media, it is no surprise that Renault México decided to use a digitally centered campaign to launch its new Stepway vehicle. The August–September 2011 campaign resulted in 500,000 unique visitors to the official Renault website and Facebook page, and 1,800 test drives. This success prompted Renault México to increase its digital marketing budget for 2012 by 60%.

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