Businesses and marketers in the United States are taking notice, as Hispanics continue to be the fastest growing segment of the population. Knowing that this opportunity exists is great but learning how to seize it is what will determine your company’s success. What good is being aware that droves of potential customers are out there if you don’t know how to find them? Whether you’re looking to get better results in the Hispanic market or still in the discovery stage to determine if pursuing this segment is right for your business, it’s important to understand the route to getting there.
It’s no surprise that the Internet and more specifically – social media – plays an enormous role in reaching prospective Hispanic customers. But what may in fact be surprising is how enormous of a role that the internet is playing. Hispanics in the United States spend more time online than any other segment of the population. According to Nielsen, 52% of Hispanics 18-years-old or older spend at least one hour online per day versus 38% of non-Hispanic whites. Even more significantly, 24% of Hispanics 18-years-old or older spend at least three hours per day online in comparison to just 13% of non-Hispanic whites.
If your company is marketing online and not creating specific messaging for Hispanics, you’re drastically deflating your ROI. Not only are Hispanics outpacing the rest of the population online, but they are five times more likely to share content that they consume within their social groups and families than non-Hispanics whites. Hispanics are naturally more inclined to promote your brand and serve as a sort of micro-influencer for you than any other segment, with Facebook, YouTube and Instagram being their favorite spots to converse. To fully engage Hispanics your brand needs to market in these channels in the most appropriate and effective manner.
Your company cannot simply replicate what it’s doing for the general market and just translate those campaigns into Spanish. You have to be much more strategic and make sure that you’re in tune with what appeals to this unique segment. Hispanics more than any other market positively respond to content that is dedicated and relevant to their culture. This is true even if they are U.S. born and English-speaking dominant. To make germane content for Hispanics relies on special attention to specific language, traditions and values. It is absolutely critical to partner with an agency that fully grasps these distinctions to create the most appropriate messaging for your company.
