More than one third of the population in Costa Rica went online and made use of various social media platforms during 2011, according to figures compiled by Social Bakers, a site dedicated to the statistical study of Internet social media usage. Facebook was the social network of choice among Ticos, followed by the short messaging and microblogging network Twitter. Other networks which had attracted considerable numbers of Tico users in the past, like MySpace, Hi5 and Tagged, have lost market share to Facebook.

Online social networking seems tailor-made for Costa Rican society due to the affinity of Ticos to engage each other socially. Many decades before social media caused a big splash on the Internet, Ticos had adopted traditional media outlets such as newspapers and radio for their social communication needs. Respected media institutions such as Radio Reloj delivered more than just news and entertainment. Ticos tuned in to Radio Reloj to be informed about the time of day, to be educated and to catch a greeting or important message sent in by relatives living in remote rural areas. Newspapers such as the venerable La Nación served a similar purpose, although Radio Reloj had the advantage of delivering information in real-time. Both media outlets now have a solid social media presence.

Twitter Innovation

Ticos not only participated in social media during 2011, they also innovated. Twitter trending site Costa.Rica.cr kept an accurate finger on the pulse of social media items. For example, what did Ticos discuss the most on December 26th? Why, the annual Tope (equestrian parade), of course.

Twitter is the undisputed social media champion when it comes to real-time social discourse, and it would capture a greater market share if it enjoyed full SMS functionality. In many countries around the world, Twitter users are able to receive updates and send Tweets via text messages thanks to Twitter Short Codes. There’s no Twitter SMS short or long code for Costa Rica. Many Tico users hoped that the easing of the telephony regulation by ICE this year would pave the way for Twitter SMS functionality, but that has yet to happen. Neither Movistar nor Claro have come through with a short code.

To get around the lack of a Twitter SMS code, a couple of Ticos have reached into the proverbial bag of trick to make it happen. Sending a Tweet via text messaging in Costa Rica is possible thanks to these handy instructions kindly provided by Costa.Rica.cr. Receiving Twitter updates via SMS is possible thanks to Twittico, a neat service which enables Twitter users full-blown SMS functionality for as little as $5. Since Costa Rica has the cheapest SMS rates in Latin America, a service like Twittico is very advantageous, as it empowers Twitter users who don’t own smartphones or don’t have access to 3G or Wi-Fi networks. There are other plans to squeeze more juice out of SMS in the form of electronic wallets.

While the Twitter emphasis is on keeping users informed and connected in real-time, a Tico startup firm wants to keep Twitter users amused by playing with reality. Tweet Land is a groundbreaking game that uses real-time information flying around on Twitter to animate a virtual game world. Anyone who’s ever been interested in watching a Twitter stream unfold will be fascinated by what Néstor Villalobos and his partners in San José have created. The Tweet Land creators are currently seeking crowdfunding on Kickstarter.

Facebook Power

Social media marketers and the brands they represent chose Facebook as their 2011 battleground. Fast food and mobile communications were the most prominently marketed enterprises, with McDonald’s leaving Burger King in the dust in terms of Facebook followers. ICE made sure that its Kölbi brand was well-entrenched on Facebook before the arrival of its competitors Claro and Movistar, but according to a report by El Financiero, Kölbi has shown more social media resilience. While Movistar has garnered more “Likes” on Facebook, followers of Kölbi and Claro are clearly better at engaging their customers online.

Other brands that proved their social networking gumption on Facebook in 2011 include Totto and Teletica.

Getting Around

Now that iPhones and GPS-enabled Android devices are becoming common in Costa Rica, more people are appreciating the sheer usefulness of Waze, a free navigation and geolocation app that seems to have been designed especially with Ticos in mind. Waze is a unique mobile app in the sense that it combines a proprietary map with the power of social integration. In a country where street addresses are virtually non-existent, and where people still rely on old landmarks that are no longer around, Waze is a breath of fresh air.

Members of the Waze community in Costa Rica have been very active in 2011. Waze is as useful as it is fun thanks to the occasional games and contests featured on their Facebook page. As more people get involved in using this app, getting lost in Costa Rica will become less of a problem.

Social News

An important aspect of social media is that it offers a unique glimpse into how information is shaping society. Ticos are less interested in getting old-fashioned news broadcasts; they are increasingly turning to social networks for their news. According to Google Insights for search, when Ticos searched for news in 2011, they used search terms such as Costa Rica, noticias, Facebook, YouTube, and La Nación, but when it came to international news they showed their concern for the Japanese people after the devastating earthquakes in 2011. Real Madrid and Barcelona dominated the international sports news.

The breakout searches of the year showed that Ticos had a lot of faith in their national football team to achieve success at Copa América 2011 in Argentina. Diario Extra is paying more attention to its social media presence, and it seems to be paying off. The arrival of the iPhone in Costa Rica was celebrated on various social networks, and many Ticos paid close attention to Johanna Solano as she became one of the favorite contestants at the 2011 Miss Universe pageant.

Influential Blogs

Most social media updates serve to point readers towards other content on the web, particularly blogs. Respected journalist Amelia Rueda, for example, makes clever use of social media to direct her followers to her blogs and radio shows. Blogs are extremely important for Ticos; they are used for self-expression, opinion, amusing irreverence, journalism, and whistle blowing.

Influential blogs in Costa Rica have been lauded for their journalistic purpose. Blogger Cristian Cambronero received a national journalism award in 2009, but one of the most consistently mentioned Tico blogs continues to be “El Infierno en Costa Rica” (Hell in Costa Rica), published anonymously by El Chamuko. This is a blog that’s often referenced by mainstream media outlets such as La Nación. El Chamuko’s specialty is in whistle blowing of matters that transcend the public interest, such as corruption and government incompetence.

El Chamuko owes a lot of its popularity to social interaction. Many of the posts originate thanks to anonymous contributions by sharp readers. El Infierno resides on TicoBlogger, a premier online platform for free expression in Costa Rica. TicoBlogger encourages budding writers in Costa Rica to publish their writings on a common network which not only advocates Tico interests, but also distributes content across social media channels. Thanks to the popularity of El Infierno, TicoBlogger has managed to attract other blogs which are similar in scope.

Jobs in Social Media

If you are eager to contribute your Social Media skills to businesses searching for Social Media professionals in Costa Rica, consider browsing Opcionempleo.co.cr for available careers. There are quite a few on there and other surroundings countries of Latin America.