Latino-owned Business and Associations Turn to Social Media to Thrive and Grow
Tuesday, September 20th, 2022
Every year, Hispanic Heritage Month honors the cultures and contributions of Hispanic Americans. This year, one theme is how many have turned to social media to grow and thrive.
In Fayetteville, Extreme Auto Restorations, owned by the Varela family, has used its social channels, primarily videos and Reels, to showcase its services, particularly restoration of classic cars. (They have 5000 followers on Instagram, 2500 on Facebook.)
In Sandy Springs, ESOL teacher Nicole Gray created the “Lion Pride” Facebook Group in March 2020 to serve students at Lake Forest Elementary (99% Hispanic families). It started by providing food support and has evolved into providing emergency assistance and educational enrichment. Since 2020, Lion Pride has raised $75,000 to help the community primarily through Facebook. In Sept/Oct they plan to use their Facebook Group to launch a fundraiser to support a new afterschool enrichment program. (300 Facebook followers)
Statewide, the Latin American Association is the leading agency representing Georgia’s Latino issues. During the pandemic, the organization shifted many of its in-person services to a virtual format, and those have been so successful they’re continuing those tactics. The LAA is using their FB and IG channels to tell stories, showcase testimonials, and talk about clients and staff. They’ve seen a strong growth in followers and engagement over the past 7-8 months. (21,000 Facebook followers)
For Hispanic Heritage Month, the LAA is offering: An art contest conducted for a new t-shirt (all ideas came through social media). Many teachers used it as a project in their schools and LAA will be selling the shirts during HHM. A social media campaign highlighting four stories about members of their community
