Five Things Buzzfeed Español Can Do Right Now If It Wants to Authentically Connect with Spanish Speakers

There is a part of us that really wants Buzzfeed Español to do really well, since we really believe that the online world would benefit from more humorous online content in Spanish.

But for some reason, the page is still a massive translation effort of the original Buzzfeed. Something is not clicking and who knows where it will go, but here are five things Buzzfeed Español can do right now to make more people pay attention to it and have it become a go-to destination for Spanish speakers, as well as bilingual ones:

More original content in Spanish.

Case in point, a very cool piece about Guatemala, which from the looks of it got written originally in Spanish. Only problem is that a piece like this gets lost in what we think Buzzfeed Español should avoid doing, which is…

Stop featuring and producing so much translated content from the main Buzzfeed site.

There is just something clunky and culturally distant from a story called, “19 ocasiones en que las expectativas no coincidieron con la realidad en 2013” or “27 momentos en el 2013 en los que la familia de Neil Patrick Harris fue más linda que la tuya”. And so on and so on. A review of the current Buzzfeed Español lists about 20 stories, and only two, the Guatemala one and a piece about Uruguay by another contributor, feature anything remotely Latin American. And while you are at it, stop translating and start adapting content instead. It will read better in Spanish.

Which leads us to this:

What kind of site are you?

Are you a site for Spanish speakers only? A Latin American site? A site for Spanish speakers living in the United States who actually read and are big fans of the original Buzzfeed? It seems like once the page figures that out, then all would be good, but right now, it is just a hodge-podge of stuff, with the hope that something sticks. Our advice? Just do more of this and this and this, too. All those Facebook posts you shared got some actual engagement, unlike the vast majority of your translated pieces, which get very little (if any) Facebook engagement. It is clear to us why.

Reach out to your audience.

The online world, when it comes to U.S. Latinos, Spanish speakers, bilingual speakers and bicultural individuals, is unique and to be honest with you, a bit picky and at times, harsh. We rarely see the brand interact with anyone and we have yet to get a link from anyone in our community to check Buzzfeed Español’s content. It’s usually us who are doing the checking, and we think the site should do more, much more. Seriously, a translated post about Snapchat doesn’t cut it. But maybe other topics would. Like this one and this one or even this one. This is a Spanish-language site and everything about the Spanish-speaking world should be front and center. And seriously, don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Find your DNA.

Buzzfeed became Buzzfeed because of its NYC type feel and vibe. Right now, Buzzfeed Español feels like a lost cousin still looking for a voice. What is that voice? We think it’s Buzzfeed, but a Buzzfeed that explores that silliness that is the Latin American internet and mass media. Hell, Buzzfeed Español right now could produce “Las 25 expresiones más dramáticas en las telenovelas” or “33 estrellas mexicanas que no tienen ni puta idea de los problemas en su país” and it would be cool.

And you can always just play this 24/7 on your site:

Qué difícil es hablar el español from Expanish Argentina on Vimeo.

Here’s why: Spanish speakers are not a secondary market. Stop treating Spanish as if it is a second language, too. Create more and translate less. Much less.

A ver, Buzzfeed, ¿quieren cambiar y refinar su visión? Ojalá que sí.

Saludos cordiales,

Los Rebeldes