Hispanic marketing has become an industry segmented from traditional marketing. When communicating with US Hispanics online, brands must take into consideration more than just the news, holidays and trends in the United States. Understanding the rich, colorful culture and way of life that exists inside the homes of this bicultural, bilingual population as well as the way of life that exists in their countries of origin is key to assuring that messages resonate with this audience. When brands acknowledge and understand the unique culture and values of US Hispanics, it will be much easier for them to reach this population and generate brand loyalty.
Google recently published comprehensive research on Hispanics in the US – who make up 17.6% of the country’s total population. In general, they are young, engaged and spending a lot of time on social media. When looking at social media usage and engagement, Hispanics in the US over-index in comparison to their non-Hispanic counterparts, especially when the content includes video. The research also showed that half of US Hispanics who viewed videos on their smartphones searched for content that was relevant to their Hispanic culture.
How They’re Using Different Social Platforms
Almost half of the US Hispanic population is considered a Millennial, and these Hispanic Millennials are 66% more likely to connect via mobile than non-Hispanics and are nearly twice as likely to own a tablet. Social media is always at their fingertips. They tend to have a good portion of their family abroad and use social media, Facebook especially, to keep in touch and up to date on the lives of their loved ones around the globe. The Pew Research Center reports that 73% of Hispanics use Facebook, compared to just 67-71% of non-Hispanics in the US. Rather than turning to online reviews to inform purchase decisions, Hispanics are much more likely to use Facebook to consult with both friends and family regarding items or services before committing to a purchase. 34% of Hispanics are active Instagram users while the national average amongst all races and ethnicities for Instagram use is at just 26%. One in four US Hispanics regularly use Twitter as well, which is just above the national average.
Video + Culture = Engagement
Video is key in reaching Hispanics. 75% of Hispanics go to YouTube before anywhere else when searching for information on a product or service. Additionally, after watching YouTube videos on a smartphone, “83% of viewers will either read or post a comment, watch a recommended video or like or rate the video,” reports Google. They are also much more likely to watch and interact with ads that focus on aspects of Hispanic culture.
The digital network leading the way in terms of Hispanic video production is currently Mitú. Mitú connects thousands of Hispanic content creators with viewers around the country and world that are starving for culturally relevant content that’s reflective of their lives. The company describes itself as being “unapologetically Latino with universal appeal.”
Bilingual vs. Monolingual
When marketing to US Hispanics on any social media platform, having some actual Spanish language skills won’t hurt the cause either. Hispanics identify with being bilingual, and the use of both languages can engage them in more powerful ways than any monolingual marketer could ever imagine. Creating and moving content in both languages will captivate Hispanics. Bilingualism is empowering and empowered customers are loyal customers.
Brittany Magnin is the Founder of Lindigua, a digital agency that provides strategic bilingual and bicultural solutions to help businesses understand, target and communicate with US Hispanics online. Lindigua coaches marketing teams on Hispanic culture and online trends from inception through execution. They can develop your Hispanic brand voice and growth strategy through website translation, content creation and social media management in Spanish. They also provide translation and localization services for apps and web platforms.
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