Hispanics Are Online: You’re Just Not Talking To Them

Many businesses are missing the Hispanic population and their growing purchasing power—nearly $1.7 trillion at last count. Here's how your marketing communications and content strategy may be skipping right over the Hispanic population and how to fix it.

If You Still Think Hispanics Aren't Online, You're Wrong

When the digital era kicked off, Hispanics were indeed a bit late to the game. They weren't early-adopters of wireless devices. They did not have the first Gmail accounts. And, as a percentage, they did not spend as much time online as other demographics. This early snapshot is a broken perception (bias) that many marketers continue to have in 2018.

But it’s woefully inaccurate, dangerously biased, and is likely costing you qualified buyers that just don’t know about your brand, product, or service.

Hispanics Browse on Their Mobile Devices More Than the Average User 

"While Hispanics own smartphones in similar proportions to the rest of the population, they spend, on average, two hours more per week on their mobile devices. They also tend to watch more videos online on their smartphones and are avid watchers (and subscribers) of streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu." (Source)

?? Two more hours a week.

?? Eight more hours a month.

?? Over one hundred more hours a year.

That's a lot of content and a lot of opportunity for the savvy advertiser. When pushing a mobile campaign, app development, or device-specific ad, consider the Hispanic audience. Or, simply let your competitors tap into a market ready to buy and apt to grab their phone when looking up a new product or service. 

Hispanics are Great Brand Promoters If You Give Them the Chance

Most of us get a bit lazy when using a brand's hashtag or tagging a brand when communicating with another follower or friend. We simply don't use the hashtag, don't tag the brand, or take our conversation off social. Hispanics are different.

“Nearly 50% of Hispanic shoppers reported they had either discussed a brand online with others or used a brand’s hashtag in social messaging compared to 17% of non-Hispanic shoppers.” (Source)

That gap is crucial when you consider how to tell the world about a last-minute sale, or to start a cause. Almost one out of two Hispanics are willing to talk about your brand in a way that creates brand awareness, value, and reach. But are you willing to target them?

One thing is certain about branding and advertising in 2018—brands must be relevant in order to be valuable.

Like many unique demographics, Hispanics are, well, unique. If you understand these nuances, you can turn more prospects into customers. Consider adjusting your campaigns specific to Hispanic audiences. Leverage their distinct online preferences when launching a new product. And consider how you could further segment your marketing to capture a growing purchasing power.

If you ignore these nuances or simply treat Hispanics like every other audience, you’ll forgo revenue, brand loyalty, and profitability. You’ll miss crucial social engagement, mobile traffic, and brand promoters.

The data is out there. Will you use it?