Hispanic Web Marketing - An Emerging Strategy

Major marketers in the United States have recognized the importance of the Hispanic Market since the early 1990's. Back then, only Fortune 500 companies with multi-million dollar marketing budgets started targeting this promising vertical segment through Hispanic TV, radio, and print advertising. Although still in its infancy, Hispanic marketing proved to be a crucial facet of many campaigns as marketers realized that Hispanics consume a disproportionate amount of certain products and services in relation to their discretionary income. This is especially true for industries that provide a connection to friends and family back home- such as telecommunications, wire-transfer services, and travel related services.

Back then I was part of a newly developed Hispanic Marketing Team at AT&T. AT&T had realized that targeting this emerging vertical would mean access to customers who spend almost twice as much as the general market on traditional long distance. Although AT&T had been somewhat successful in reaching this market through traditional media, it had not made any significant inroads in reaching Hispanics through direct marketing.

My challenge at AT&T was to develop new and innovative strategies to reach Hispanics in order to curb the attrition that was occurring as a result of major competitors' aggressive efforts in this market. One of the most valuable lessons that I learned was that in order to acquire and retain these valuable customers, you need to present them with culturally relevant information in their own language. It was not enough to translate materials that were designed with the needs and interests of the general market in mind. This revelation proved to be a very profitable one! Once we started developing culturally relevant copy in Spanish targeted at these specific segments, we managed to stem the attrition from the competitors and our direct mail response rates went through the roof. Hispanics were not used to receiving mail in Spanish that had them specifically in mind. It was not unusual to have response rates of 5% to 10% when traditional general market response rates were only 1% to 2%.

Although much has changed in this market over the last ten years- with the advent of the internet as a new medium to reach this segment- many things remain the same. Hispanics still want and need Hispanic-relevant content and copy in order to make informed purchase decisions. The internet hosts a wealth of opportunities to access cultural markets in the same way that the direct marketing of the early nineties did. But a strong internet marketing presence poses one major advantage over the old strategies: it provides your company with unlimited access to the potential customers you're looking for, as well as the ones who are looking for you.

Many companies are NOT yet jumping on the band-wagon with Hispanic relevant internet content because they perceive the Hispanic Market as being unreachable through this medium or not technologically savvy. This couldn't be farther from the truth and recent studies have proven it. In March 2004, a study by AOL revealed that 14 million plus Hispanics in the United States are using the internet. Moreover, about 20% of that number had just connected to the internet in the six months prior to the study! When the Study surveyed Hispanics who were not yet online they found that over 50% of them expected to have an online connection within the next couple of years. These numbers are staggering. The Hispanic Market is surfing the web in increasing numbers, and only companies that cater to their specific internet habits will reap the benefits of this lucrative segment.

So how can YOUR business capitalize on this phenomenon?

Above all, you have to know your market. This means understanding who your potential customers are and how they use the internet. The Hispanic market spans over a huge demographic. In order to attract traffic and custom-tailor your content, you have to be familiar with your target market's countries of origin, language preference, income level, and a number of other varying factors that may pertain specifically to your product or service. If you aren't an expert in this field, make sure that you perform very thorough research, or hire the services of a professional web marketing firm that specializes in the Hispanic market.

Don't waste your efforts or risk your reputation- you will only attract customers from a particular segment if your message rings true to them. Go for the "low hanging fruit." The Hispanic market has reached critical mass and is there for the taking for those companies that are smart enough to realize it. If you do it right - you will reap the benefits.

Rick Caraballo is the author of this article and the CEO of Avance Web Marketing- http://www.avancewebmarketing.com, a South Florida Web Marketing Firm. An expert in Hispanic Marketing and E-Business Services, Rick has over 20 years of marketing and business experience, including VP of Marketing and Business Development for an internet company, as well as executive marketing positions at companies such as AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and First Data. Rick has an MBA in Marketing from Baruch College in NY.

---

Google News Updated : Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:45:55 GMT McCain Co-Chairman, Under Fire, Steps Aside - New York Times ABC News McCain Co-Chairman, Under Fire, Steps Aside New York Times - 9 hours ago Carolyn Kaster/AP At a town-hall-style meeting Friday on energy, John McCain found himself questioned instead on his wartime positions. McCain Takes on the 'Cable Monster' and an 'Extreme' Obama Washington Post Gramm Out as McCain Co-Chair; Obama Reacts FOXNews The Associated Press - Dallas Morning News - Reuters - Boston Globe all 947 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 19 Jul 2008 14:45:59 GMT Growth ahead for more diversified game industry - Reuters Telegraph.co.uk Growth ahead for more diversified game industry Reuters - Jul 18, 2008 By Kiyoshi Takenaka - Analysis LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The video game industry looks set for at least another year or two of strong growth, driven by geographical expansion, a strong hardware lineup and growing pool of casual gamers, ... Nintendo Wii Tops for Console Sales in June DailyTech Sony's press conference at E3 was a dazzling hi-tech showcase BBC News Shacknews - X-bit Labs - New York Times - Wired News all 1,145 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:07:32 GMT Aybar's triple caps Halos' rally over Sox - MLB.com Canoe.ca Aybar's triple caps Halos' rally over Sox MLB.com - 1 hour ago By Rhett Bollinger / MLB.com ANAHEIM -- Pinch-hitter Erick Aybar hit a three-run triple in the seventh inning, Vladimir Guerrero blasted a solo home run and left-hander Joe Saunders pitched 6 2/3 strong innings to lift the Angels to a 4-2 win over the ... Aybar's three-run triple sends streaking Halos over BoSox Sports Network Aybar's bases-clearing triple sparks Angels The Associated Press Rotoworld.com - Press-Enterprise - Boston Globe - United Press International all 506 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 19 Jul 2008 22:52:04 GMT US banks ask SEC to expand stock trade protection - Reuters Wall Street Journal US banks ask SEC to expand stock trade protection Reuters - 7 hours ago By John Poirier WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An emergency move by US securities regulators this week aimed at curbing manipulative short-selling in some major financial firms should be expanded to all publicly traded banks, or it could erode confidence in ... SEC Short-Sale Rule Gets Negative Reviews Wall Street Journal SEC Spares Market Makers From `Naked-Short' Sales Ban (Update1) Bloomberg Forbes - MarketWatch - Taipei Times - New York Times all 582 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 19 Jul 2008 17:02:49 GMT Venture Funding Drops for Youngest Companies As Older Ones Suck Up ... - New York Times Boston Globe Venture Funding Drops for Youngest Companies As Older Ones Suck Up ... New York Times - 1 hour ago By Abha Bhattarai In an ominous sign for Silicon Valley’s entrepreneurial machine, venture capital firms are cutting back on their investments in companies at their earliest stage of development and being forced to provide extra funding for later-stage ... VC Deals In Charts (Q2 2008)?Exits? We Don't Need No Stinkin' Exits? Washington Post Venture investments in state total $77.6 million so far in '08 Detroit Free Press CNET News - The Associated Press - MarketWatch - RTT News all 195 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 19 Jul 2008 22:54:52 GMT What's the best Oscar strategy for Heath Ledger in 'The Dark Knight'? - Los Angeles Times Times Online What's the best Oscar strategy for Heath Ledger in 'The Dark Knight'? Los Angeles Times - 1 hour ago That's a tricky Oscar question. On one hand you might think Heath Ledger should go supporting because, technically speaking, "The Dark Knight" is a film about Batman. Heath is where the heart is The Observer 'Dark Knight' sets box office record with $66.4M The Associated Press YourHub.com - New York Daily News - Chicago Tribune - OpEdNews all 3,291 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 19 Jul 2008 23:18:18 GMT Panel Finds Misconduct By Fusion Researcher - Washington Post Los Angeles Times Panel Finds Misconduct By Fusion Researcher Washington Post - 18 hours ago INDIANAPOLIS -- A Purdue University panel has found two instances of misconduct by a researcher who says he produced nuclear fusion in tabletop experiments. Purdue physicist found guilty of misconduct Los Angeles Times Details of what Purdue's investigation found Journal and Courier Chicago Tribune - RedOrbit - Newsweek all 157 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 19 Jul 2008 05:47:31 GMT Rss Feed Reader Increase Search Engine Traffic

PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts, Websites, and more...

Adsense websites

I Too Was An Internet Marketing Junkie!

I spent every waking hour at my computer, looking for... Read More

Your First Web Site

And you are so proud of it. You have no... Read More

The Free Viral Marketing Technique You Cant Afford to Pass Up

Have you ever seen the movie "Pay it Forward"? This... Read More

What The Internet Marketing Gurus Are Doing That You Are Not

Do you want to join the well known gurus like... Read More

Sex and the Gods of Internet Marketing

Whenever I mention my occupation to a non-wired person, it... Read More

The New Marketing Landscape

Many of us in the marketing services and/or agency business... Read More

I Finally Figured It Out - The Largest Stumbling-Block To Online Success

We're going to talk about one of those issues that... Read More

Profiting from Articles - A Step-by-step Guide

"Content is King" - that's a given, there's no debate.... Read More

Internet Marketing Online: 10 Breakthrough Secrets To Heat Up Your Sales

If you desire to heat up your sales online, then... Read More

Planning Your Way to Success

Whether you are a small company or a larger corporation... Read More

Internet Marketing Strategy: Online Joint Venture Ideas To Increase Your Business

A joint venture is when two or more businesses join... Read More

Personality Profiling Your Prospects for Internet Marketing, E Commerce, and Ebay Ads

Do you want me to tell you the truth or... Read More

Seven Steps to Starting Your Internet Business

There is no reason to be afraid of creating an... Read More

A Powerful Selling Tool on the Net - 3 Factors To Apply

The Internet is a powerful selling tool. Never before has... Read More

Make Money With A Business Opportunity Online

There are so many business opportunities these days that promise... Read More

George Bushs Secret To Successful Internet Marketing

Former U.S. president, George Bush Senior told the following story... Read More

Web Success Secret - Overdeliver

A few days back I got an email telling me... Read More

20 Amazing Ways To Jump Start Your Sales

1. Find a strategic business partner. Look for ones that... Read More

The 9 WORST Internet Marketing Mistakes

Have you ever wondered how can you possibly figure out... Read More

Shopping Search Engines, The Benefits and Explanations

The Shopping Search Engines are a new breed on the... Read More

Motivating Shoppers with Online Coupons (Part 1 of 2)

Online shopping continues to grow at leaps and bounds. Depending... Read More

Surfing, Searching, & Networking 101

Everyone knows the internet can be very useful for finding... Read More

A Day in the Life of an Internet Marketer

I have been working on the Internet since 1998 and... Read More

The Right Way to Use Other People?s Articles on Your Website

Article Marketing Creates a Steady Flow of Fresh ContentArticle writers,... Read More

Multiple Internet Profit Streams

Have you been searching without success for a way to... Read More