Picture it: Your business reaches the ever-increasing Houston Hispanic market, which has a massive 167% growth rate—and, additionally, is greatly loyal to brands! You’ve come to the right place.
Why, yes, that would be amazing. Well, now, reaching the Houston Hispanic market is also attainable.
Houston Hispanic customers are at the forefront of the digital industry.
📱 They lead in adopting new devices.
📳 Also, they’re power users of over-index and mobile video consumption.
And yet, despite such facts, these customers are extremely under-served, and the possibilities to reach them using digital marketing remain significantly untapped. So, what should marketers do?
Here’s a list of some effective practices to remember and research further while you develop a strategy to market to the eager Houston Hispanic audience.
- Know the Difference between Latinx and Hispanic
- Acknowledge the Regional Variations
- Consider Cultural and Generational Gaps
- Don’t Be Afraid of “Spanglish” to target the Houston Hispanic Audience
- Include Hispanic Talents
- Create Mobile-Friendly Campaigns
- Integrate Hispanic Culture to Your Online Ads
- Be Consistent
- Stay Abreast of the Cultural Diversity of the Houston Hispanic Market
Know the Difference Between Latinx and Hispanic
There are several interpretations of how the Latinx and the Hispanic community differ in the US, and especially in Texas. Let’s tackle some:
- Hispanic primarily refers to language, while Latinx refers to location. So, Hispanics are people who are of Spanish-speaking origin, including Spain. Latinx people are also Spanish speakers, but they only comprise people from Latin America.
- Latinx and Hispanics are often used interchangeably, even when they are two different things.
Therefore, not only should you know what audience you want to target, but you should learn how to reach them.
Acknowledge the Regional Variations
As per the Pew Research Center, most Hispanics in the US preferably use their country of origin to describe themselves. Additionally, more than half of the survey respondents said that they don’t have any preference for either term, Latinx or Hispanic. However, it is still crucial to localize your digital marketing efforts, since these preferences vary in different states. Moreover, they also deviate as the Hispanic population increases. For instance, California holds the highest population of Hispanic communities. Thirty percent of them prefer to be termed as Hispanic, while 17 percent prefer Latinx.
However, this preference is much more powerful in Texas, where 46 percent of Hispanic people prefer to be called Hispanic, vs. eight percent who prefer the term Latinx. Localization therefore is crucial in states with a high Hispanic population like California, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Florida, and New York. There are many dialects of Spanish variations in the US, including within the Houston Hispanic demographic. So, you might find this shocking, but Google Translate cannot match professional, human Spanish SEO Services. It just doesn’t cut it.
Consider Cultural and Generational Gaps while Customizing Marketing Strategies and Content
Hispanics, like other cultures, incorporate traditions from their nations of origin into their lifestyle in the US. However, cultural integration can differ depending on the sections of the larger Hispanic customer population.
Generationally, they can be divided into two principal groups, traditionalists and millennials:
Traditionalists
Older immigrants and a few younger ones who don’t speak fluent English are considered traditionalists. You can market to them via Spanish-speaking radio stations, TV, and Spanish-language websites. Your online marketing strategies should focus on Hispanic traditions and values. Understand the different idioms and dialects within a particular area. Don’t just stop at the homepage, radio message, or TV ad to keep your customers engaged.
Millennials
Second-generation Hispanics are the ones who are born in the United States into Hispanic families. Just like most second-generation ethnicities, they’re generally the younger ones in the family, including millennials, who’ve adopted several US customs (and English language), but still, respect, appreciate, and enjoy their language, culture, and heritage.
The market can also be divided into different categories, based on the permeation of the Hispanic and Latinx cultures:
US-Dominant (46%)
This group typically speaks English at home and consumes the majority of media in English. They are US-born and have an average age of 37. They have lived in the US for around 36 years.
Bicultural (31%)
In this case, they typically speak both Spanish and English at home, but they consume the majority of media in English. They are a combination of US-born and foreign people and have an average age of 34. They have lived in the US for about 22 years.
Hispanic-Dominant (23%)
This segment speaks mostly Spanish at home and consumes the majority of media in Spanish. Typically, they are foreign-born and have an average age of 40. Usually, they have lived in the US for around 7 years.
Houston Hispanic Population
According to the US Census bureau, 44.5% of the Houston population identifies as Hispanic or Latinx. As you can imagine, within this segment, you can find both generational groups and a healthy mix of permeation. All in all, this proves even further that this market should be targeted.
Consider Using “Spanglish” to Reach the Houston Hispanic Audience
For a Bicultural or US-Dominant audience, blend both English and Spanish into your marketing campaigns. Keep English as your primary language but include Spanish quotes, terms, phrases, etc. to truly connect with your future Houston Hispanic customers.
This is a wonderfully creative arena for marketers and advertisers, where rules have been made to be broken and even made-up words can do the trick. Language is flexible and when you blend two, the possibilities are endless. Time to think fuera de la caja!
Include Hispanic Talents
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel: an image is worth a thousand words. Develop campaigns based on Hispanic imagery and community leaders that will resonate with your target audience.
Of course, as you do, don’t forget to tell an engaging, vibrant story to convey your message. However, a word to the wise: remember to steer clear of stereotypes or singling Hispanics out, it is 2023, after all.
Create Mobile-Friendly Campaigns
This should go without saying, but it cannot be stressed enough. As stated in Google’s Consumer Survey, Hispanic people are 1.5 times more likely to purchase mobile applications and digital media compared to non-Hispanics. Therefore, you can’t miss the opportunity to reach Hispanic customers and ensure that you optimize all your digital marketing efforts and campaigns for mobile phones.
Integrate Hispanic Culture to Your Online Ads
Approximately Approximately 88% of the digital-using Hispanic population pays attention to online advertisements which include components of their culture and traditions irrespective of the ad’s language. irrespective of the ad’s language.
Be Consistent
Providing a webpage in Spanish is effective if and only your landing page is also in Spanish. The same goes for mobile orders and support – Tapping Número 2 on your phone for Spanish is useful only when there’s a Spanish-speaking representative at the other end.
Similarly, if you are looking to market to customers in Spanish, ensure to support and guide them through the entire journey. Your strategy should be comprehensive as you are building your brand in a different language and with a different target audience in mind. This is the golden rule of branding.
Stay Abreast of the Cultural Diversity within the Houston Hispanic Market
It all comes down to staying abreast of the cultural diversity within a country or a region, where several ethnicities’ language dialects are present.
Although of course nobody is expected to know every dialect and market, there’s much value and benefit in extensively researching and understanding the diverse linguistic and cultural differences, along with the spending patterns of consumers within a specific country.
The question is, how? There are many ways of doing this:
→ Create a new division within your marketing department to build your brand in Spanish (or Spanglish) from the ground up. This is a great in-house option, but it does come with its challenges. It will take a bit longer to do it right as your team settles in and the company learns what works.
→ Hire professional bilingual and bicultural marketing services that know the latest buying and Spanish marketing trends and can help you understand the differences your target audience might have. This is a foolproof and faster (and frankly, cost-effective as well) way to connect with your potential new customers.
Your Digital Strategy to Reach the Houston Hispanic Market
At Alpha Co. Marketing and Media, we take pride in employing the most experienced, creative, and savvy staff. We are proficient in the Houston-Hispanic market and thus can help you reach this powerful audience. Are you ready to reap the benefits of your online efforts by 167%? Let’s get down to business.
