During a session at last year Hispanicize event in Miami, Sebastian Aroca
(@HispanicMarkets), Owner of Hispanic Market Advisors®, along with other experts in Spanish SEO/SEM, PPC, and social media, outlined some strategies and tactics for optimizing Spanish websites for the Latino market that is Spanish-preferred.
In this case study below, you’ll be able to see how some of those strategies and tactics were applied
to the site www.fitzgeraldlawcompany.com/espanol/ for the Boston
Immigration Attorney, and what lessons we can learn from the study. [Check Hispanicize 2014 Dates]
Mobile marketing can be a very powerful tool in order to reach Hispanic customers. SMS marketing can send instant messages to a wide variety of Hispanic consumers. Small and medium business owners can easily create distribution groups, import customer contact lists, and build a SMS ready list that will enable them to keep customers informed of new products, services, discounts, or promotional information via text messages.
Mobile Marketing for the Hispanic Market
More info: http://www.hispanicmarketadvisors.com/mobile-marketing-to-latinos
Being cognizant of the unique characteristics of the Hispanic market will make the process of marketing to that demographic more efficient, economical and effective. There are seven keys to unlocking the inherent value in this rapidly-expanding market.
First: Overcome the language barrier
The first and most obvious key is to overcome the language barrier. However, it takes more than just one salesperson who speaks Spanish as a second language and a sign that reads "se habla Español."The obvious language barrier is also indicative of a cultural barrier. By hiring first- or second-generation Hispanic immigrants for both customer service and staff positions, you will make it easier for Hispanic households to do business with you. You will also be able to benefit from their cultural knowledge and experience to provide feedback in developing marketing materials, selecting media and planning special events.
Second: Recognize the strength of family values in the Hispanic market
The next set of keys is to recognize the strength of family values in the Hispanic market. Brand loyalty may span several generations, and Grandmother may be a powerful influence to enlist or overcome. However, unlike many other demographics, the Hispanic household is often patriarchal, with the husband making the final decision, especially on big-ticket items.
Third: Consider to start building brand awareness with the children
In many first-generation immigrant families, the parents speak little or no English and their English-speaking children may play a stronger role in the buying process. You may find that it is easiest to start building brand awareness with the children and younger family members.
Fourth: Direct mail marketing still highly effective in the Hispanic market
While direct mail marketing is less effective than it used to be in mainstream markets, statistics show that it is still highly effective in the Hispanic market. This is because these families view it as an educational opportunity to learn more about the products or services being offered.
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Fifth: Include Spanish radio in your Latino marketing efforts
Spanish radio is a cost-efficient and effective way to reach Hispanic households. Market studies indicate that it is even more effective than Spanish television, especially when the radio personalities endorse the product or service being offered.
Sixth: Use sports celebrities to raise brand awareness
Local Spanish sports heroes are also excellent spokespersons and very effective at raising brand awareness. Even amateur players, if well-known within the community, can be very influential.
Seventh: Offer creative options for those with no sufficient credit to qualify for financing
When selling big-ticket items, credit may be an issue. While most Hispanic immigrants prove to be excellent credit risks, they may not have established sufficient credit to qualify for financing with some lenders. By being aware of your lenders' loan criteria and of the fact that there is big difference between "insufficient or no credit" and "bad credit", and by helping to establish financing options that will take those factors into consideration without exploiting your Hispanic customers, you can avoid losing sales to credit denials.
By using these seven keys, your business can tap into Hispanic consumers and enjoy the growing loyalty of your customers and their friends and families for years to come.
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Hispanics now surpass African-Americans as the second-largest race/ethnic group. Because their families are larger and food is an important part of their life, Hispanics purchase and consume more food products. When developing a marketing strategy, this large target market has many cultural marketing categories to consider.
Culture and the Hispanic Market
When translating marketing material for Hispanic customers, the Hispanic-market region of origin is an important consideration. Many Hispanic customers originate from Cuba, Caribbean or Mexico, as well as other regions such a South America and Spain. Each Hispanic cultural category makes food-purchasing choices and prepares food differently. For example, Tortillas prepared in Mexican culture prefer corn passing through a lime bath whereas South American Hispanics from Venezuela prefer pre-cooked corn for Tortillas.
Every market has cultural differences, and food-purchasing decisions are sensitive to these differences. Various Hispanic customers prefer different versions of ethnic food and at times prefer the same food prepared somewhat differently. People are sensitive to their culture as is the Hispanic target market. There are dispersed variations of the Hispanic-culture communities throughout marketing regions, and the members of these communities are making purchasing decisions by differences in culture.
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Marketing professionals should keep in mind the Hispanic category targeted before making product and promotional decisions. When marketing to the Hispanic community, remember that not every Hispanic community may interpret a translated English version of a product in the same way. Customs and languages are different in the Hispanic market just as in any target market.
Hispanic Sampling and Brand Attitude
It is important that a brand elicits excitement from the consumer. California launched a marketing campaign a few years ago to promote product awareness to change Hispanic attitudes about purchasing milk. Traditionally, the female family member passes on cultural food ideals to the next generation; therefore, the milk campaign in California targeted Hispanic mothers and grandmothers.
It is important that a brand elicit excitement from the consumer. The milk marketing campaign targeting Hispanic mothers and grandmothers is an example of changing attitudes and creating excitement for a brand. Before the campaign, Hispanic women did not purchase milk, and the attitudes toward milk had to change to generate a purchasing reaction.
Hispanics value samples and coupons more than the remaining population. Samples introduce products and services to new target customers. Hispanic response levels to samples and coupons are always higher, especially when brand excitement plays on various cultural differences such as family values or the pursuit of the good life.
The recession has all target markets keeping a closer watch on money. Similar to other markets, the Hispanic market appreciates coupons and samples to reduce increased costs. Data shows that 83% of buying decisions are now made at home, and coupon use has increased to 19%; this data includes information from the Hispanic and non-Hispanic markets. The reported data describes the recession as having a strong impact on consumer purchasing decisions.
Walmart Employee: "Hello 'dis Walmarts, how can I help you?" Suzanne: " I would like to order a cake for a going away party this week." Walmart Employee: "What you want on the cake?" Suzanne: "Best Wishes Suzanne" and underneath that "We will miss you".
(Source: email from a friend)
I could not stop laughing when I read that dialog and saw the picture! :)
Have you heard about the phrase "Lost in Translation"? Well, if this "lost in translation" occurs between people who are communicating with each other using the same language (in this case English), just pause for a second and imagine all that may get "lost in translation" in a message when there's an actual translation from one language to another (for instance, from English to Spanish or vice versa)!
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How many times or cases have we seen or heard when the translation does not properly address the target market? To remedy this situation, when translating your English website to Spanish, choose a partner that has expertise on that business. Otherwise, the added sales and profits from a Spanish language website could be lost.
Having your English website translated to Spanish requires the consideration of colloquial phrases and grammatical interpretation that is unique to an area. Many machine translation services will produce a generic result that gives the basic idea but misses the finer points. By using a language translation website that provides personalized service with individuals who look at each word and phrase, the smaller details are considered and the translation is focused on the targeted market. Spanish idiomatic expressions are not consistent across Latin America. Sometimes a small misinterpreted phrase or message can cause a potential customer to reconsider completing a business transaction.
So remember, as a small business owner who gains sales through the Internet, a good question to ask is whether translating your English website to Spanish will increase your sales potential. Most likely the answer will be yes particularly if the services offered by a reliable language translation website are employed.
Since the dawn of the digital age, people have been drawn to the immediate virtual interconnection of the internet, its functions and its products. Millions of people use the internet not only as a source of news, opinion, and entertainment, but specifically as a route to maintain friendships, relationships, and communities, which otherwise would be impossible due to long distances or other complications. In particular, the advent of the social networking website has led to the domination of interpersonal relationships by the intangible presented on the screen. What is the relationship between the US Hispanic population, and popular (or unpopular) social networking sites, how do they consume online information, and how will their participation in these sites likely continue?
First, a distinction must be made between English speaking Hispanics, and non-English speaking Hispanics. Though the majority of Spanish speaking nations have a balance of English and Spanish linguistic ability present in (especially) the youth culture, this duality is not without exception. Many English speaking Hispanics are of second generation immigrants to the United states, or perhaps those of a higher educational range. Most Latinos in the United States who cannot speak English are older, and subsequently less likely to adapt to new technologies.
The Florida State University Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication recently did a study on ethnic and cultural influence on social media participation, and found that of a group of 2500 test subjects, each divided into five groups of English Preferring Hispanics, Non-English Speaking Preferring Hispanics, Non-Hispanic Whites, African Americans, and Asians, 36% of the English Preferring Hispanics reported visiting a social networking cite 2-3 times a month; this was the highest percentage featured out of all the ethnic subdivisions. Also, 46% of English Preferring Hispanics reported visiting Facebook or Myspace "regularly", again the highest percentage of the groups.
These sites, Facebook and MySpace, along with Twitter, are the three largest social networking sites on the internet. Social networking sites, according to Time Magazine and Hitwise.com rank no. 1 in popularity of internet access in groups 18-24 years olds, with search engines coming in second, and then web-based email access and subsequently adult entertainment. Social networking sites are being accessed often by Hispanics in the United States and abroad, but why?
First, Hispanic culture, specifically native to South America, has a long history of community based organization. The individual is less important than the whole in Hispanic tradition, which has traveled through time and geography to hold true to Latinos in the United States today. Also, more Hispanics in the United States are younger than their non-Hispanic counterparts. According to the United States Census Bureau, the median age of the Hispanic population in the United States was 27.7 years in 2008. The median age for the general population, including all ethnic and cultural minorities as well as Whites, was 36.8 years old in 2008. This leads to the inference that there are more young Hispanics in the United States, and so more Hispanics may be able and/or willing to acclimatize to new technologies such as social networking sites. In addition, it is widely viewed that Hispanic cultures reinforce emotional rather than rational behavior, and thus are likely to participate in relationship building more easily than non-Hispanics.
Planning on releasing presentation in Spring 2011 using the 2010 Census
I, Sebastian Aroca, recently asked the Ethnicity and Ancestry Branch Chief Roberto Ramirez, if the branch was going to put together another “Hispanic in the United States” presentation for this upcoming U.S. Census Bureau and if the answer was yes, when do they suspect the PP to be created/released.
Chief Roberto Ramirez responded that his branch is certainly planning to update the PP using the 2010 Census. This is great news!
He also said that the PPT will be out sometime in spring of 2011 for it takes about 6 months to process all the data from the census. Wow, I didn’t know it takes that long!
For more information about the Ethnicity and Ancestry Branch, you can contact the branch Chief Roberto Ramirez (roberto.r.ramirez@census.gov) or call the branch at 301.763.2403.
Latinos have become a large ethnic group in the United States. In fact, according to the last U.S. Census Bureau, there are now over 45 million Latinos in the U.S. with the numbers getting larger every year. The implications of this Latino population explosion are that American business owners must think of ways to sell their products to Latinos in the U.S. since the numbers of Latino consumers are growing each year. However, marketing products to Latinos is not as easy as it might seem. One reason that it is not easy is the language barrier. Many Latinos' first language is Spanish and not English. Thus, marketing ads that are in English which rely on understanding of English word usage and American humor may not be comprehensible to a Latino audience. There are other potential problems that are due to differences between Latino culture and mainstream American culture.
In order to sell products to Latinos or develop a successful social media strategy with a Hispanic audience, it is necessary to become more familiar with Latino culture and become more familiar with the wants and needs of Latinos in the U.S. There must be efforts made to read books and magazines that describe Latino culture and interests. In addition to that, there must be efforts to go to social networking sites and communicate with Latinos in order to find out what they are interested in and what they want. There must be efforts to understand the cultural motivations that are motivating your Hispanic audience in general and there must be efforts to understand the cultural motivations that specifically motivate your Hispanic audience towards social media.
For example, you must answer questions such as the following. What social networking sites are Latinos interested in predominantly? Are there any social networking sites that are totally in Spanish where large numbers of Latinos go in order to converse with each other? Are Latinos keeping in constant contact with their relatives who do not live in the U.S.? Are Latinos resentful because of having to speak English? Do they prefer to speak Spanish during times when they are not working at jobs which require English language? What social media strategies would make the most sense given what is known about Hispanic culture? You must ask these questions and many other questions in order to find out what is going on in the hearts and minds of your Hispanic audience.
Research, Plan and then, Strategize
Once you understand what is going on in the hearts and minds of your prospective Latino customers, then you will likely have a better chance at being successful when you join their conversations at social networking sites. In other words, starting conversations, engaging their interest and maintaining their interest takes careful research, planning and a sufficiently strategic approach. It is not something that can be done overnight. Establishing a successful social media strategy with a Hispanic audience requires a lot of learning and a lot of effort on the part of American businesses. But the efforts will be worth it for your business.
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.
It seems that U.S. marketers have finally discovered the Hispanic market. Not that it hasn’t been here for some time; it has. And not that it isn’t of substantial size; it is. So what has suddenly woken Madison Avenue to the potential in this market? A number of things.
First, consider the size of the Hispanic market—35.3 million people. Second, consider the growth rate—58 percent in the past decade (four times that of the overall population). Third, throw in the estimated $400 billion in buying power, which “seems impervious to the Nasdaq’s swoons” according to Marci McDonald of U.S. News & World Report. The end result is an extremely attractive market. And, unlike the case in the past, this market has finally attracted the attention of some big time marketers.
CBS has noticed. Hoping that the Hispanic market will help reverse the downward trend in the size of its soap opera audience, the network has introduced a Spanish simulcast of The Bold and the Beautiful titled Belleza y Poder (“Beauty and Power”). Liz Claiborne Cosmetics introduced its new perfume, Mambo, with a $20 million campaign targeting Latinos (among others), and the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) has more specifically targeted the over-50 Hispanic market with a $3 million campaign. Among the other firms now increasing their efforts in this market are MasterCard International, Reader’s Digest, and Tillamook Cheese.
Even though there has been a significant increase in spending in the Hispanic market, Spanish-language and bilingual campaigns still account for only about one percent of the $200 billion advertisers spend yearly on broadcast media(another $250 million goes to magazines and newspapers). While some companies already spend heavily to attract this segment (e.g., Sears and AT&T has targeted this market for over 10 years), most have simply ignored the segment—until now. The fact that young Hispanics has become the largest ethnic youth population in the United States has made more marketers take notice.
Refining Hispanic Market Segmentation through Cluster Analysis
Reaching this segment may not be as easy as it seems, however. Roberto Ramos, president of the Ruido Group, a Hispanic-youth-focused communication agency in New York, notes: “One of the biggest misconceptions about Hispanic youth is that they are a homogeneous group. Puerto Ricans, Colombians and Cubans are not all the same. What works to attract one group may not work for another.” Erasmo Arteaga, a Sears store manager in West Covina, California, adds: “People think Hispanic means one thing… But it’s different from Miami to Southern California. And here in California, it’s not just Mexicans; it’s Guatemalans, Salvadorans, and other people from Central America.” Arteaga notes that two Hispanic-designated stores in Los Angeles only 20 miles apart reflect very different buying motives. While this segment is certainly a challenging market, there is no doubt among many marketers that Hispanics are worth the effort.
With the segment’s strong growth rates in population and in spending power, you can be sure that many more will join in. The question is, will they take the time and effort required to understand the diversity of this market, or will they simply attempt to reach Hispanics through the appeals and media they employ for other ethnic groups. One thing is sure: If they pursue the latter strategy, they won’t be in the Hispanic market for very long.
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.
It is probably fair to say that many marketers have long since been unsure how to treat the US Hispanic market. It is a large market worth approximately one trillion dollars a year (Nielsen Media Research) is worth reaching, but the fact that there has yet to be a consensus on how to address that market is and therein lies the problem: Is it a completely separate market with its with own unique interests and purchasing needs? Or is it to be treated as an extension of the existing Latin American market? Keep in mind that the Latin American market is itself actually a diverse hodgepodge of cultures and peoples with varying consumption habits.
Let’s start coming to an intelligent and informed answer by taking a look at who actually constitutes the US Hispanic market. Contrary to popular believe this segment isn’t exclusively, or even dominated by, illiterate illegal immigrants. That doesn’t mean that such people don’t exist, but they’re certainly a very minor slice of this rapidly evolving market at this particular point in time. In fact, a 2005 study showed the median US Hispanic household income to be nearly $35,000, lagging only $13,000 a year behind the national average.
Today Latin-American immigrants in the US can be found working in virtually every city, in every occupation and in every socioeconomic stratum. Thinking about them only as low income families probably won’t yield the best marketing results, and may actually offend some middle and upper class Hispanics who might view advertisements with a sharp eye looking for any form of stereotyping. This is decidedly different than the Latin American market(s) where most countries have a very sharp delineation between classes and don’t have much reason to look for stereotyping as a general rule.
Another common misconception is that the US Hispanic market isn’t internet savvy. A 2004 study by eMarketer concluded that Latin-Americans would comprise 8.4% of all US web surfers by 2007. The combination of affordable computers and inexpensive internet access available in virtually every city and town in America makes is hard to understand why any marketer wouldn’t believe that a group would be online based solely upon their ethnicity. Failing to realize this fact alone can cause a company to appear less Hispanic-friendly. Again, this is a sharp contrast to most Latin American markets where Internet usage and computers aren’t nearly as prevalent as they are in the United States.
Don’t get the impression that there is nothing to take away from lessons learned in the Latin American market when it comes to the addressing needs and wants of Latin-Americans. For example, the vast bulk of the current US Hispanic market still shows a strong focus on family values and tradition. These are consistent with those of the Latin American market on the whole, and parallels between the two may prove useful during brainstorming sessions. Don’t, however, assume that what is a good advertisement or campaign for one market will automatically work for both.
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.
