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Hispanic Marketing: The Missing Link to a Successful Business
Filed under: Business, Guest Posts, Social Media
Hispanic marketing can be risky because much of the information that helps businesses appeal to Latino consumers might be viewed as offensive, either to the consumers themselves or other individuals who might misinterpret what is intended. Due to the controversy surrounding illegal immigration in the U.S., any attempt to accommodate Hispanic clients is likely to be met with criticism. However, Hispanic marketing is crucial to businesses today.
Over 50 million people
At the time of the 2010 US Census, over 50 million people in the United States were of Hispanic origin, making the Hispanic population the nation’s largest ethnic or race minority, with over 16 percent of the total US population. This estimate does not include individuals residing in Puerto Rico or surrounding areas. Thus it is quite clear that businesses that are not taking advantage of Hispanic marketing are leaving thousands of dollars in potential clients on the table. Conversely, any business whose Hispanic marketing tactics are not up to par with competition may also be losing out. This is why it is so vital for companies to understand and utilize a solid Latino marketing strategy.
While many Hispanic consumers are fluent in English, studies have found that most prefer to use Spanish in their households. Moreover, the Hispanic population is more likely to respond to online advertising, according to research from Terra.com, a Spanish Internet multinational company with headquarters in Spain. In fact, 37 percent of Hispanic consumers, compared to just 30 percent of non-Hispanics responded to targeted ads, 17 percent sought customer support for products or services, compared to 7 percent of non-Hispanics, and 26 percent posted ratings or reviews of products and services, compared to only 16 percent of non-Hispanic consumers. These findings are further proof of the absolute value of Hispanic marketing to businesses everywhere.
Still, recognizing the need for diverse marketing and knowing how to accomplish it are two totally independent issues. So how can businesses tailor their websites to help them tap into the extremely valuable Hispanic demographic?
Be Professional
Many of the marketing strategies that were used to target Hispanic consumers relied on generalizations and assumptions which are now outdated or in some cases, utterly insulting to the modern Hispanic population. Organizations can maintain relevance and reach out to the Latino market by becoming more accommodating Spanish speaking customers. This starts with breaking through language barriers.
Translating website content to be more appealing to Hispanic consumers is a crucial element to effective marketing. However, it is vital to ensure this is done right. Though it will cost a little more, organizations should enlist a professional translator, instead of relying on a free service, to prevent errors and subsequent miscommunication. One of the simplest, most economical ways to approach translation of a company’s website is by beginning with the translation of a few key pages. By translating a comparatively small portion of the site’s content, businesses can monitor their performance and determine if it is worthwhile to complete the translation or if more advertising or other tactics should be employed to increase awareness first.
Social Media Importance
Another highly effective Hispanic marketing technique that many companies ignore is social media. Although some might scoff at social media, these widely used networks offer some of the best publicity available. Not only do these networks provide visibility to countless members who log in to their sites each day, but they also allow companies to establish separate feeds for English and Spanish – or any other language they might wish. With social media marketing, the customer base is already available. Businesses simply follow simple steps to start their account, choose the advertising options they want to utilize, pay any associated fees, and let the site work for them. Social media is a great way to entice Hispanic consumers. Companies can increase awareness of their brand and its appeal to the Hispanic market, as well as enticing new and return customers by offering promotions.
Additionally, businesses must ensure that they are accommodating Hispanic consumers on numerous platforms. More and more consumers are relying on smaller, more portable devices for their web needs. This means any Latino marketing techniques that are used must work well on smaller screens such as netbooks, tablets and smartphones. Otherwise consumers are likely to move on to a competitor for products and services.
Regardless of how a company chooses to make their site more user friendly to Hispanic consumers, it is important to advertise the changes. Publicity is the key to any great marketing strategy. Contact Spanish-language media companies and consider writing a press release or launching an advertising campaign via local radio or television or through online target ads. Although it may take some time to see noticeable results, a bilingual website and targeted Hispanic marketed strategy will offer a better experience to existing Spanish-speaking clients, as well as drawing in new ones.
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Image credit: Freedigitalphotos.net, AchieveMarketing, Bernhard Benke
Posted on: September 7, 2012
