Social media is a crowded place — an endless traffic jam of personal posts, videos, news stories and advertisements. Businesses understand the importance of being on social media to grow their customer base, but where many companies are lacking is in the “how to.” Simply being present on all of the major platforms like Facebook, YouTube and Instagram is a start, but the challenge lies in standing out among the noise to make sure your brand is the one that’s heard. And the same holds true when targeting the U.S. Hispanic market; you have to incorporate a strategy specific to their cultural needs if you’re going to reach your engagement goals.
So what can marketers do to appeal to Hispanics online in the face of all the competing content vying for their attention? More so than the rate you post, more so than the type of message and more so than the work or creativity you put into it, the number one way to stand out to the Hispanic market is to make sure to incorporate Spanish. The Spanish language is the most important cultural connector when it comes to media consumption for Hispanics in the United States. And because the vast majority of brands are not integrating Spanish in the content they’re presenting online, Hispanics will often stop in their tracks when they come across companies that do.
This is true even of U.S. born and English-speaking dominant Hispanics, which at this point, are outpacing Hispanics entering the country through immigration. This group still feels a very special connection to their culture and prefers to access it through Spanish language. Properly incorporating Spanish in your ad campaign will connect Hispanics emotionally to your message by reminding them of their heritage, background, culture, family and sense of belonging to their community. Having Spanish or bilingual content in your messaging is the most common denominator in appealing to Hispanics online, regardless of their country of origin.
Most Hispanics use Spanish language in their everyday life even if they are English-speaking dominant, as 75% of Hispanic households in the United States report using Spanish on a daily basis to some degree. Seventy-three percent of Hispanics in the U.S. consider it an important means to keeping cultural traditions with their younger and future generations alive. The key point to remember is that your messaging doesn’t have to be entirely in Spanish. Even if you use a combination, you will attract more attention from Hispanics and demonstrate that you’re making an effort to speak to them directly. How you use language is your most important daily social engagement and interaction tool. If you’re trying to reach more Hispanics online, be sure to partner with an agency that specializes on marketing to Hispanics so that you can maximize this incredibly powerful instrument.
