Finding the Hispanic American Online

This column is the second in a series providing insights into various demographic groups. The first column, focusing on women's online behavior, can be found here.

Within a few generations, the U.S. Hispanic population will be as large as Mexico’s. By 2010, their purchasing power will reach nearly $1 trillion. Nearly 20 million U.S. Hispanics are online now. If you don’t figure out how to market to Hispanics over the next few years, you may not have a career in marketing. But how do you reach them? 

Hint: Think regional.  And yes, speak Spanish – not just online, but offline.

The Hispanic markets are clustered regionally among 15 states, especially California, Texas, Florida, and New York. According to eMarketer, “This points to the importance of regional marketing, both offline and online. That might include growing areas such as local paid search, which is expected to increase considerably over the next three years.”

How seriously do marketers address these segments? We see growth in the number of Hispanic-focused media, online and traditional. The amount of Hispanic oriented creative, in English and Spanish, is surging. Leading advertisers to these markets include Verizon, Ford Motor, General Motors, and Sprint.

Pfizer exemplifies how to market to Hispanics. Pfizer has reached out to the Hispanic community by building an image as trusted adviser, a particularly relevant need given that Hispanics visit disease association sites more than any other kind aside from film or music sites. Its sanalarana.com provides educational information for topics on which Hispanics tend to overindex, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Pfizer also offers colesterol.com to specifically address the issue of high cholesterol, with sections devoted to a cholesterol-specific glossary of terms, preventive tips, and optimal LHL/HDL readings. Additionally, sanalarana.com is coordinated with television advertising and direct marketing literature that Pfizer makes available in medical centers.

How can youapply the accumulated understanding of the Hispanic markets in targeting these crucially important, fast-growing segments?  Here are a few suggestions:

·        Provide Spanish-speaking options on your Website, and be consistent with offline efforts. Like everyone else, Hispanics cross channels to purchase goods and services. So make sure your contactcenter can answer questions in Spanish when a consumer has questions about something he saw on your Spanish-language site.

·        Understand that Hispanics go back and forth between English- and Spanish-language sites. These behaviors extend your opportunities to target them.

·        Remember that Hispanic Americans are not a monolithic group. Be mindful about the subtle differences in dialects among different subsets, always use a fluent translator, and aim for the greatest commonalities to reach the greatest number.

·        Use the Internet to build your brands among Hispanic audiences. In a national survey of Hispanics conducted this year for AOL Latino, 68% of respondents agreed that the Internet is the best source of information for making a final brand decision, compared with 51% in a similar AOL study two years ago. And 72% of online Hispanics use the Internet to compare product prices, compared with 59% in 2004.

·        Do more than translate. Consider cultural differences in how Hispanics will react to imagery and other online design elements. Knowing the importance of a close-knit family relationship to most Hispanics, for example, you should consider implementing family-related imagery whenever appropriate.

·        Understand the impact of English-language acculturation in Hispanics' online media choices and behaviors. The AOL Latino study found that Hispanics with high levels of English-language acculturation are more likely to visit Websites in areas such as finance, entertainment, and nutrition, while unacculturated Hispanics spend more time with sites offering news from Latin America.

·        Bear in mind that Hispanics are active social networkers. According to the AOL Latino study, 68% use instant messaging, 63% share photos online, 52% read or post blogs, and 43% visit social networking sites.

·        Consider a Spanish search engine marketing program, but pay close attention. Many advertisers bid on Spanish keywords but use English advertising copy. Some just plug a Spanish keyword into an English ad copy template. Any advertiser taking the trouble to implement a Spanish search program should take the time to do it right.

Continue to learn about Hispanic audiences. As we learn more, our techniques become more refined. EMarketer senior analyst David Hallerman notes, “As more and more Hispanic consumers go online, marketers using Internet advertising can better target them and measure their actions, compared with what is allowed by traditional ad media. In fact, a great way to start marketing to Hispanics online, going beyond the obvious demographic targeting is to use paid search – since it allows you to reach Hispanics who are already expressing an interest in your product or service category.”

There is no better time than now to start the search.

Dave Friedman is president of the central region for Avenue A | Razorfish, a Seattle-based online services provider. Contact him at Dave.Friedman@avenuea-razorfish.com.