When you start marketing to a new audience elsewhere in the world there has to be some understanding of the language to some degree. For truly impactful marketing though, other factors and nuances of the Spanish culture have to be considered and acknowledged too. Failing to do this can be detrimental to your campaign, and may even damage future marketing attempts.
To help start marketing to a Spanish speaking audience, here’s a brief guide to getting it right, for the best possible outcome to your campaign:
Why Translation Alone Is Not Enough
Around 580 million people in the world speak Spanish across 22 different countries. Many individuals also choose to learn Spanish because it is so widely spoken across the world.
With that in mind, your first thought to achieve successful marketing might well be to simply employ professional translation, and you’re all set.
Unfortunately, that is not the case. Just like with English and American voice overs, Spanish has all kinds of dialects across different parts of Spain, and across the world. One of the biggest mistakes made by marketers is not acknowledging the difference between Hispanics and Latino. The definitions of the two are disputed, but many suggest that they are defined with Hispanic meaning a language spoken by a person who has Spanish-speaking ancestry or origin. Latino is then defined as being Spanish speakers from Latin America only.
With these differences in mind, it is clear that good translation alone is not enough. It is so important to know who your Spanish audience is, and how you want or should refer to them.
Regional Preference
Studies say that there are huge variances in how Spanish speakers refer to themselves. Getting this wrong could alienate you from your market.
For example, in California, Hispanic people have around a 10% higher preference for being referred to as Hispanic, rather than Latino. In Texas, though, this preference is much bigger, at about 40% more preferring to be called Hispanic over Latino. This is a really good example of how localization to your marketing is so important when it comes to a Spanish-speaking audience.
Age Differences
There is a big difference in the preferences of different Spanish speakers depending on their age. Older Spanish speakers are unlikely to speak a lot if any English and may hold traditional cultural values relating to food, family, and lifestyle. Millennials, however, understand their culture, but also embrace more modern customs.
Behaviour Differences
According to studies, there are differences in the type of marketing preferred by Spanish speakers. 88% prefer some online adverts that show a connection with their cultures. 66% of Hispanic people in Spain pay attention to ads, more than 20% more than the general population.
Hispanic people may also use their mobile phones for an hour longer than non-Hispanic people, and they are more likely to buy from their mobile devices rather than computers too.
These valuable insights are hugely important when you plan a campaign that should actively engage with a Spanish-speaking audience.
Professional Advice Is Key
The brief guide above is a small insight into marketing to a Spanish-speaking audience. Realistically, if you truly want to make a positive impact on the Spanish-speaking customers you’re targeting, you need to take the time and energy to fully understand who you are marketing to. Which dialect of Spanish do they speak? How old are they? How do they prefer to engage with marketing? Which brands are they currently faithful to? Utilizing professional translation services, professional voice over services, native Spanish-speaking marketers and other useful resources will help you create a strong, successful, and impactful campaign tailor-made for your target audience.