Mexico’s Social Media Trends
The number of internet users in Mexico grew by more than 150% from 2006 to 2013. With President Enrique Peña Nieto announcing that his target of 100,000 free internet hotspots is set to be surpassed by the end of this year, we take a look at what this means for Mexico’s growth on social media.
Time spent online
The average time spent using the internet each day is five hours and 22 minutes, with more than half of that (three hours, ten minutes) spent through mobile devices. Social media dominates the time Mexicans spend online, at three hours and 46 minutes.
96% of all millennials are active on at least one social media channel. Comprising a little more than half of all internet users in the country, smartphone penetration has reached only 57% of Millennials, meaning desktop-based is still very much alive.
Facebook is favorite
Mexico is one of the most active countries in the world on Twitter, more than doubling the number of users in the UK to 12 million. However, Facebook is by far the most popular social media channel, with an estimated 38 million users and 95.6% of internet users stating it is their preferred form of social media.
Social and e-commerce
At present, the Mexican market is dominated by travel ticket sales, which are purchased by almost two-thirds (64%) of all online consumers. It also benefits greatly from the neighboring US, as half of Mexican online shoppers use foreign websites. It is out of this relationship that the US company Walmart has been able to capitalize on the Mexican market, being part of more than 90% of the physical item orders made online.
Social media may also prove to be the key to boosting Mexican e-commerce. If domestic brands can improve their in-country online offering, they could start to cultivate a social following that will ensure repeat purchases. By offering exclusive productions or promotions to social media followers, brands can take advantage of a country that is booming in terms of social users, and on the verge of an e-commerce breakthrough.
You can find more information about internet usage in Mexico via Search Laboratory’s ”internet usage infographic”
