This post is also available in: Spanish
Reaching Hispanos offline
Carla Briceno recently wrote an interesting article about how government agencies, public officials, and of course marketers can bridge the generation gap among young and old Latinos. While young Latinos are increasingly connecting to the internet and leaving their mark online, there is also a segment of Latinos that is not a part of this online rush. An AOL Hispanic Cybserstudy showed that while 46% of Latinos online are U.S. born and speak English at home, 23% of Latinos on the internet are Hispanic dominant — that is, they mostly speak Spanish at home and are foreign born. Yet if marketers or government agencies want to reach these Hispanics who are mostly offline, what approach should they take?
Ms. Briceno offers two tips: find out where the Hispanic dominant are online (when they do actually go on the Internet), and secondly, reach out to online intermediaries. She notes that those who want to reach both demographics should make information online available in both English and Spanish; for example, “The web page should contain a clear call to action in English and Spanish (e.g., Share this with a friend) with an accompanying Spanish language deliverable such as a printable web page or a downloadable PDF that can be printed or saved for sharing in an offline setting.” It is important to realize that not all Latinos represent a monolithic group. There is diversity within the community, and those seeking to reach Latinos need to tailor their approach accordingly. The concrete tip provided above is useful. Know what language your audience is speaking predominantly, and where they are online.
Good article!!
Thanks!