By now, you should be aware of sites like Facebook, MySpace, Hi5, Sonico, Twitter, MeetUp and of course YouTube. And if you don’t is ok, don’t feel bad, I still have friends that work with computers that haven’t sign up to any of these sites. After living in NYC for many years I moved back to my home town Washington, DC. When I first arrived back in DC I try contacting some of my old friends but it took me a while until someone told me to go to MySpace. I heard of MySpace but to be honest I didn’t really pay much attention to it. But since I wanted to start doing comedy in DC and I needed to get in touch with all friends, I checked out MySpace and to my surprise I found many of my old friends having their own page. I got super exited and starting searching for people and for the next couple of months MySpace was my everyday life. In December 2007, I organized the first Latino Comedy Showcase in DC and I did all my promotion via the internet, sending emails and using MySpace. Over 300 people attended my first show. Soon people got to know about my comedy shows and Rice and Beans Entertainment, my production company.
2 years has passed since then and I am proud to say that I can organize any event and do the promotion online and get excellent results. I have over 5 MySpace accounts, including one with a sexy girl showing her beautiful figure, you may ask why? On my personal account it took me about 6 months to get over 400 friends, with the “Latinqts” account, I got over 1000 friend request within 2 weeks after its creation. I have 2 Facebook accounts my personal with my real name and another one with my Stage name Ricky-Ricardo. Just for fun I created 110% Latino Americano fan page, and within a week I have over 80 fans and most of them are young Latina women. According to Facebook my 110% Latino Americano fan page, gets 4 stars out of 5 on content and respond for the information I post.
I have used the Internet for many years; I have used sites like craigslist.org to find jobs, to sell things and buy staff and even to get a date. I am very familiar with Ebay, and YouTube. I recently started blogging, mostly to promote my Social Networking Services. But I have to admit, social media can change the way we do business, take such as Groupon.com a site that sells discount coupons, but it only works when many people buy the coupons, amazing idea based on thePoint.com, both very new companies. Groupon started on November 2008, a year ago and so far they have save over 37 millions to consumers.
But I started talking about Latinos and the internet, and let me tell you something, we are online, here in Washington DC, every club has a Latin Night, and most of them are promoting their events online. Fliers and radio promotions help but some promoters have realized that they don’t need to spend money on radio or print ads. They just pay a sexy girl to collect emails at their events and blast them with emails, they hired photographers to take pictures on post them online. Everything is being done online and Latinos are on Facebook, MySpace, Meetup.com, Twitters and if you want to see the latest video about your favorite Bachata artist just go to YouTube and you will find it.
What I don’t understand is how companies keep on using old methods to advertise when the internet can produce better and faster result for less. The problem is that people don’t know how to do it.
By now you should also realized that English is not my first language and I am not the best writer, I write the way I think and the way I talk, and I am sure my grammar is not good. But one thing I know is how to make money without money, how to use the Internet to put money on my pocket and I can help your company do the same.
I have use the Internet to reach Latinos since I am one, and since I produce events to service the Latino Community, I am bilingual and I can post in both languages just check out 110% Latino Americano, and you will see. So if you are looking to reach the Latino Market in DC or any other city, just let me know and I am sure I can come out with a plan, a goal and an Internet Marketing Solution for your company.
Call me for a free consultation!! 202-367-5544
Ricardo O Villalba
As Latino I have to support up and coming Latino Artist… Especialmente los que usan el Internet para promover su talento… Check out Rene Lopez!!
We have entered a new millennium, a new century and now a new decade. I have lived in this country for a little over 20 years, and I have seen the Internet bloom, blow up and settle. In the last 10 years New Media has moved steady over the Internet, and in the last 4 years many companies started to catch up and realized the opportunity the Internet is offering with this new way of marketing. And believe me when I say is a going get better and bigger than what you think. My older son is only 12 years old, and he saves his allowance to buy ITunes cards, order his skateboards online, has uploaded his skateboard tricks videos over youtube and when he is hungry orders Chipotle with an Itouch app. My younger son only 7 is a Lego fanatic, knows every product about Lego because he plays Lego online and gets tips on designing cars, creatures and many other creative things from the Lego website. The Internet in a way has become a new babysitter at times without being aware.
