Social media trends in the U.S. Latino market in 2026 started with a strong and clear message: community, authenticity, and connection.
In a world where AI-generated content seems to be the norm, we’ve seen how users keep demanding what is human and real. And for Latinos, humanity and authenticity have always been non-negotiable.
Consuming content that truly reflects our culture and values has always been a priority. Today, creating content in Spanish is no longer enough. Latinos now want to see an authentic approach to our identity, not just a mere translation — or worse, an AI translation. It’s no longer just about knowing what language we speak; it’s about truly understanding who we are.
This behavioral change is leading to some of the social media trends we are seeing in 2026. And as these trends continue to evolve, we advise brands to be aware of these shifts when planning campaigns, especially for the New American Consumer.
Curious? Let’s dive deeper into these trends.
1. LIVESTREAM COMMERCE
A sense of community has always been paramount for Latinos, and this is not different in the digital world as now we can see how e-commerce is becoming another community hub for Latinos.
Livestream shopping is expanding in popularity among users and Latino buyers becoming a space that blends entertainment, community interaction, and instant checkout. Through livestream shopping, viewers are now able to watch product demos, ask questions, and buy without leaving the app.
Livestream commerce, especially on platforms like TikTok Shop, Whatnot, and eBay Live, are driving real-time purchasing decisions with higher trust, deeper connection and constant engagement.
That said, livestream commerce is emerging as a powerful growth channel where Latinos will continue expanding their nearly $4 trillion economic influence — an opportunity brands can’t afford to miss.
2. IN-APP CONVERSATIONAL COMMERCE
Conversations spark trust, and trust leads to purchasing opportunities. Meeting Latinos in their preferred day-to-day conversation tools becomes a natural and new commerce path brands should not overlook.
While in-app conversational commerce can be achieved through many platforms, WhatsApp is king when trying to reach the Latino market. Business catalogs and broadcast channels become a powerful duo to develop deeper trust through bilingual customer service and personal follow-ups.
3. SOCIAL MEDIA IS THE NEW GOOGLE
Before making a purchase decision, users need some research — product reviews, services, etc. — and the place to do that is not Google anymore. It’s social media.
For Gen Z Latinos, social media is the search engine of choice. We began seeing this change in behavior a few years ago, and today social media is the #1 content discovery engine, according to LatiNation Media.
The younger generations primarily search on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram when searching for services, product reviews, and news.
Optimizing your content with SEO for social media (not just for Google) is essential this year. Positioning your content in the result searches of any social media platform will depend on using diverse tactics such as keyword-driven captions, VO and text on-screen, less hashtags, and more.
As Google searches drop overall, those made on social media are increasing: YouTube (24%), TikTok (16.7%), and Instagram (20.9%). These are all channels where Latinos over–index.
4. YOUR ALGORITHM: PEOPLE NOW CONTROL THEIR FEEDS
With so much content available in the search bar, people started craving having more control over what they see, and this message reached Instagram loud and clear.
That’s why the platform recently rolled out its newest update: Your Algorithm, a new feature where users can manually add or remove topics that directly affect their algorithm impacting their Reels feed.
While this feature is currently available for English speakers only, its expansion into other languages will be critical.
What does it mean for your campaign? Your content must earn its place in a user’s feed by being relevant and culturally resonant while using the right keywords.
5. SOCIAL MEDIA IS THE NEW TV
The broad demos we normally encounter in traditional TV are now replaced by the cultural precision from social media: young, bilingual, multicultural… you name it.
These hyper-targeting capabilities have expanded streaming power. With Latino audiences accounting for 55.8% of streaming time on platforms like YouTube, the reality is that social is replacing TV becoming the main screen for watching, sharing, and connecting.
Serialized content mirrors our telenovela culture, and content creators have the power to become trusted voices, delivering not just impressions, but cultural alignment.
What does your brand need to leverage the power of social media as the new TV? Relatable content, long-term partnership with creators (yes, even the smaller ones) cultural understanding, and more. Remember, social is not a tactic, it’s the primary Latino growth engine.
If you’re curious to learn about how to leverage these trends for your 2026 campaigns, let’s connect. Together, we’ll find the best way to authentically make your campaign shine within the Latino audience.
