More and more, marketers are recognizing the growing buying power of Hispanics in the US. Instead of considering whether or not they should connect with Hispanics, they are now exploring how to best reach this important demographic.
Hispanics over-index in both mobile usage and social network presence when compared to non-Hispanics, emphasizing the importance of developing custom strategies tailored to the unique habits and behaviors of this group. We’ve recently seen considerable emphasis on Hispanic advertising, especially in the social media space. As social takes more of a center stage — and mobile usage soars — successful and well-targeted content becomes a need-to-have for marketers (not a nice-to-have).
Given that Facebook is the most popular platform among social networks worldwide, we’ve outlined some best practices for brands aiming to reach Hispanics in that arena.
Be inclusive of all Hispanics. The Hispanic community in the US is made up of individuals with roots from all over Latin America. Although a good portion of this community may largely be made up of prominent subsets from specific countries, it is still important for marketers to create content that speaks to the diverse community whenever possible.
When creating Spanish copy for first-generation Hispanics (born outside of the US), make sure that the language used is as standard as possible, and refrain from using country-specific slang. For example, instead of using “que buena pinta”— which is slang for “what a great look/appearance”— use “que bien se ve” or another language-agnostic phrase.
Be mindful of your audience. Aside from hailing from a range of countries, the US Hispanic audience also differs in language preference — which is largely determined by their level of acculturation. First-generation Hispanics prefer Spanish whereas second- and third-generation Hispanics prefer a combination of Spanish and English. As you might expect, English becomes more dominant in more acculturated populations.
If your brand caters to mostly second-generation Hispanics (children of parents born outside of the US), it is important to recognize that creating content only in Spanish will not be as successful. Long gone are the days when Spanish-only copy was considered appropriate for all Hispanics; the second- and third-generation Hispanic audiences together are more abundant than the first, and they interact in both English and Spanish. An example of a brand that successfully creates “Spanglish” content for mainly first- and second-generation Hispanics is Bud Light Latino.
Take 360i client Comida Kraft, the Hispanic arm of Kraft Foods, for example. Taking advantage of the great amount of UGC the page organically received per day, Comida Kraft has initiated an ongoing UGC campaign that was a mixture of “Fan of the Month” and user-generated voting called “Chef del Mes” (Chef of the Month). Each month, the brand asks the community to cast votes for their favorite user-generated picture, and the owner of the picture with the most votes is then crowned “Chef of the Month.” The campaign has helped Comida Kraft to both strengthen the bonds among fans and their community, and inspire fans to upload even more content on behalf of the brand.
Apply cultural context if there is an opportunity. Content should focus not only on the correct use of language; it should also account for Hispanics’ strong connection to their heritage. Marketers will want to create content that is culturally relevant and specific to this audience. A good example is Mi Pepsi’s (Pepsi’s Hispanic page) strong mention and leveraging of Hispanic specific artists and music. Remember that culture is more than just language.
Cover photo via Comida Kraft
