Generating Leads in the Hispanic Market

According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the Hispanic population in 2009 made up almost 7% of the total U.S. population. The total population of the United States was 301 million people, of which 45 million were Hispanic. This community is a major force in the U.S. economy, and is continuing to grow each day. Any company would be wise to try and capture the attention of Hispanics, but how can they?

Values and traditions of Hispanics

First, it is important to understand the values and traditions of Hispanics. When designing and implementing a marketing plan, the content must be relevant to the consumer. Hispanic culture and tradition relishes the idea of family, festivities, siestas, and vacations. Like many previous immigrants, they are sacrificing the life they've known for a future that is uncertain. Hard work and long hours are slowly replacing past cultural and traditional values. Hispanics are working harder than ever to support their families and work toward the American dream. Any advertising geared to a Hispanic audience needs to address this battle, and applauding the people for their hard work and family values can go a long way.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 85% of the Hispanic population in the U.S. is high school graduates. They read and write in English. Additionally, 23 million Hispanics were online last year. More than 50% of this group was accessing the internet from web-enabled phones. From these facts, it is clear that any marketing plan devised for this group needs to have a five-part focus: television advertising, radio advertising, internet marketing, print ads, and a mobile effort. When it comes to language use, the campaign can be executed in English, Spanish or bilingual. It all depends on the level of acculturation of the population being targeted.

The influx of Hispanic immigrants into the United States is not slowing down. It is important to remember Hispanic populations in their respective countries. These are the people who are looking for the same "American dream" that their families in the U.S. speak of. Developing and maintaining an internet presence in these countries will establish a familiarity with your name or brand.

Strategize for success in your Hispanic marketing efforts

Once you have taken all of these factors into consideration, it is time to strategize. Hiring a Hispanic marketing consultant or a company that understands the nuances of the US Hispanic market can be of assistance. Having your Web content available in English and Spanish will maximize the likelihood of reaching the entire spectrum of US Hispanics. At the same time, using different mediums such as blogs, websites, social media, radio, and television will maximize the visibility on the internet by maximizing your search engine presence. In short, this company will have a wealth of resources to tailor to your specific marketing needs and will help you engage in a process of attaining qualified leads and turning them into real clients.

Keying in to the Hispanic market is a great decision in today's economy. Entrusting your Hispanic marketing strategy to a company who understands your audience and knows how to better reach it - in each corresponding geographical area - while maximizing your presence in the market at the same time, is a cost-effective home run!

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Reach Spanish-speaking Markets with Website Translations

For business owners, doctors, and other professionals, the importance of an interactive internet presence has become an indispensable way to attract and keep customers. As changes in market trends inevitable occur, businesses are able to easily adjust their marketing plans to successfully expand into growing market segments with websites often leading the marketing effort. One valuable emerging market trend is the growth of the Hispanic market in the United States which provides marketers with incredible insights and incentives to attract Spanish-speaking customers.

In the United States, the growing Spanish-speaking market which numbered 44.3 million US Hispanics in 2006, is expected to be as large as 60 million by next year with 55% of adult US Hispanics using the internet. Furthermore, with purchasing power projected to reach $1 trillion in 2010, businesses have a greater incentive to reach this large market segment to promote their products and services. In addition to their numbers, US Hispanics who use the internet are generally among the most educated and affluent out of the greater Hispanic population.

The challenge for businesses, especially those who generally operate locally like lawyers, doctors, and other professionals, is how to reach a large and profitable market that includes individuals who speak Spanish. With website translations, local doctors and other professionals, for example, will be able to attract clients through Spanish content that can be found easily on a search engine. The process of website translations is not nearly as daunting as it seems and can be effective in small doses. For instance, an efficient way to attract the Spanish-speaking market is to provide a landing or entry page carefully crafted in Spanish and optimized with key words that can drive website traffic and promote products and services as well. Alternatively, an FAQ page in Spanish, also optimized for web searches, can link to the landing page and provide another channel of communication and interaction with US Hispanics and a Spanish speaking audience. A good website translation will therefore serve promotional ends and will also achieve a certain degree of cultural marketing by speaking the language of a potential client.

In addition to the potential financial benefits of marketing to Spanish speakers, doctors and other professionals have the advantage of tapping into this market early enough to start work towards securing market share. Securing market share, of course, is largely dependent on ensuring that potential customers can find your website in the first place. In addition, the ensuing word of mouth effect can serve as a marketing multiplier as information is passed on to a customer’s peers who may not have access to the internet.

Clearly, the changing paradigms of marketing, largely driven by the internet, are developing into far more valuable and engaging tools like website translations to expand into Spanish-speaking markets. As a result of this ongoing sophistication in marketing, a successful business website is no longer a static collection of pictures and text but a fully interactive experience that should also engage the profitable US Hispanic market.

Please contact Hispanic Market Advisors for a free consultation on your English to Spanish website translation.

Drive Bilingual Websites with User Research

Small and medium-sized companies that have operations in Spanish speaking countries rely heavily on bilingual websites to drive local business. In order for these websites to be effective, they must be localized in order to appeal to the core demographics of each local community. Many companies make the mistake of simply translating their English website copy into Spanish and find that their sites are not well received by the communities they are attempting to reach. Extensive user research must be coupled with proper translation in order to create bilingual websites that are effective at driving local Hispanic business.

Where to Begin

Before beginning the website design process, small and medium-sized companies would be wise to perform field studies and cultural probes into the communities they wish to reach with their company message. This user research will enable the creation of bilingual websites that are able to resonate with the customs and culture of your local Hispanic audience. When small and medium-sized companies rush into site construction without the necessary understanding of the local culture to which they are attempting to appeal, they suffer the consequences of a website that falls flat and does not generate the additional business activity they had hoped to achieve.

Research is the foundation on which quality bilingual websites are built and accurate information on the various cultures to which you are marketing, will enable your business to create vibrant and relevant online content that is highly likely to increase your sales base within any given region.

User Research

Many small and medium sized companies do not have the manpower necessary to conduct the listening labs and usability tests that are necessary in order to produce relevant bilingual websites. Their overseas communication strategy must therefore include hiring a marketing team that specializes in user research among Hispanic populations. It is important that the marketing company with which you choose to do business understands the nuances of Hispanic culture. This is important because it will ensure that they are using the right marketing tests for the market within each of the local Hispanic communities to which your company would like to appeal.

Continual Learning

Communities evolve over time and it is therefore imperative that your user research continues past the creation of your website. Ongoing learning will keep your website on the cutting edge of any new trends that spring up within your target Hispanic audiences in various communities. This knowledge and understanding will in turn enable your company to keep your website relevant and appealing to your target markets. The time and money invested into the research that will make your company website relevant, will be returned to you in the form of favor with your local market and increased sales potential.

For more information, please complete this Hispanic Market Advisors contact form

Related article you might like:
Small Business Tip:How to Operate a Bilingual Site in the US

Retro-Acculturation’s Impact on Hispanic Marketing

In an important blog post about retro-acculturation it is said that “Truly Spanish dominant consumers will think in Spanish as opposed to English.” This is especially true in marketing and will not change as long as Spanish language use in the United States is able to continue growing. Marketers should take note of this phenomenon among Hispanics in the US, as this will be a very important target group when making marketing decisions. Spanish is the second largest language spoken in the US, and does not show any decline, especially when more and more Hispanics find it suitable to teach their children Spanish at an early age.

There are no tricks to marketing towards Hispanics, so the only reliable method of getting your message across about products or services is by connecting with them past language barriers. Taking the time to accurately have your marketing materials presented in a way that Hispanics can have access and understanding, allows them to take part in your marketing efforts. Many companies will be left behind on this venture when they do not take the retro-acculturation process seriously and do not make the effort to present marketing materials in Spanish.

For more information on the retro-acculturation process, please contact us here

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Sebastian Aroca