Affiliates are constantly searching for the next big thing to test and capitalize on. And one market that often goes overlooked is the Spanish-speaking market that lives in the USA, also known as the Latin community. Despite its immense potential, many marketers fail to recognize the untapped opportunities that lie within this demographic.
In this article, we will explore the reasons why the USA Spanish-speaking market is a goldmine for affiliate marketers, and how some successful marketers are already reaping the benefits of targeting this audience, especially with lead generation and pay per call campaigns.
The untapped potential of the Spanish-speaking market
The Spanish-speaking market in the United States is a rapidly growing segment, with significant purchasing power that continues to increase year after year. As of 2022, the Hispanic population in the U.S. reached approximately 63.6 million, accounting for nearly 20% of the total population, and this number is projected to grow substantially in the coming years. By 2060, the Hispanic population is expected to nearly double, reaching around 111.2 million, which would represent about 27.5% of the U.S. population .
This growth presents a massive opportunity for businesses and marketers to tap into this lucrative market. The annual buying power of U.S. Hispanics is anticipated to exceed $2.5 trillion, reflecting a growth rate that is double that of non-Hispanics . Moreover, the economic contributions of the Hispanic community are significant, with their collective impact on the U.S. GDP estimated at around $3.2 trillion, positioning it among the largest economies globally .
One of the key advantages for affiliate marketers is the relatively lower competition compared to the broader market. While there are fewer distribution channels specifically targeting Spanish-speaking audiences, this reduced competition can lead to better returns on investment for those willing to invest in this demographic.
The advantages of targeting the Spanish-speaking market
1. Less Competition
One of the primary advantages of targeting Spanish-speaking audiences is the reduced competition compared to the English-speaking market. Many businesses are yet to recognize the full potential of this demographic, resulting in fewer competitors vying for their attention. This lower level of competition can lead to lower costs for advertising and media buying, as well as a higher likelihood of your message standing out in a less crowded market.
2. Higher conversion rates
Marketers who have run campaigns targeting Spanish speakers have consistently reported higher conversion rates compared to their English campaigns. This can be attributed to several factors, including the appreciation Spanish-speaking consumers have for brands that make an effort to communicate with them in their native language. By demonstrating a genuine interest in connecting with this audience, marketers can foster a stronger sense of loyalty and trust, leading to higher conversion rates.
3. Strong referral culture
The Spanish-speaking community is known for its strong referral culture, which stems from the importance placed on family, friends, and community ties. When a Spanish-speaking customer has a positive experience with a product or service, they are more likely to share that experience with their loved ones. This word-of-mouth marketing can lead to a snowball effect, with one satisfied customer bringing in multiple new customers through referrals. By tapping into this referral culture, marketers can significantly expand their reach and grow their customer base organically.
4. Growing market with increasing purchasing power
The Hispanic population in the United States is not only large but also rapidly growing. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Hispanic population is projected to reach 111.2 million by 2060, making up 28% of the total U.S. population. Moreover, the purchasing power of this demographic is on the rise, with a 48% increase expected between 2010 and 2020. As the Hispanic market continues to grow and gain economic influence, businesses that establish a strong presence within this community will be well-positioned for long-term success.
Strategies for running successful Spanish campaigns
1. Build a bilingual team
To effectively target Spanish-speaking audiences, it is essential to have a media buying team that is fluent in both English and Spanish. This includes not only your sales and customer service representatives but also your content creators, ad copywriters, and social media managers. Having a bilingual team ensures that your messaging is culturally appropriate, grammatically correct, and resonates with your target audience. It also allows for seamless communication with Spanish-speaking customers, fostering a sense of trust and understanding.
2. Focus on relevant verticals
Certain verticals have proven to be particularly successful when targeting Spanish-speaking consumers. These include:
- Insurance
- Credit card debt relief
- Credit repair
- Internet and TV services
- Financial services
- Education
- Healthcare
By focusing your efforts on these industries, you can capitalize on the higher ROI potential and tap into the specific needs and interests of the Spanish-speaking market. Understanding the unique challenges and aspirations of this demographic within these industries will allow you to craft more compelling and effective campaigns.
3. Develop culturally relevant content
When creating content for your Spanish campaigns, it is crucial to ensure that it is culturally relevant and resonates with your target audience. This goes beyond simply translating your English content into Spanish. Take the time to understand the unique cultural values, traditions, and preferences of the Spanish-speaking community and incorporate these elements into your messaging.
For example, family is a central theme in Hispanic culture, so highlighting how your product or service benefits the entire family can be a powerful way to connect with this audience.
Side note: If you have been following affiliate marketing Twitter, recently there was a viral post made by Dan Da Silva about targeting niche ethnic groups in the USA when running affiliate campaigns.
Here is the link: https://x.com/dasilvashadow/status/1810213867089187101
4. Take advantage of the strong referral culture within the Spanish-speaking community
Given the strong referral culture within the Spanish-speaking community, it is essential to capitalize on this opportunity. Consider partnering with influential members of the Spanish-speaking community, such as local business owners, community leaders, or social media influencers.
These individuals can act as brand advocates, spreading the word about your products or services to their networks and lending credibility to your brand.
Success stories from the trenches
To truly understand the potential of the Spanish-speaking market, let's take a look at some real-life examples of affiliate marketers who have successfully targeted this audience.
Q and A with Carlos Corona, the founder of Unik Media Group
Carlos Corona, the founder of Unik Media Group
Q: For those who may not be familiar with your story, can you give us a brief introduction to who you are and how you got started in the world of entrepreneurship and affiliate marketing?
A: Absolutely! My name is Carlos Corona, and I'm the founder of Unik, a multifaceted company that includes a lead generation network, an agency, a software division, and an insurance company. But my journey started long before Unik was even a thought in my mind.
I was born and raised in Cuba, and I came to the United States when I was just a kid with only 50 cents in my pocket. Coming from a communist country, I had never seen the kind of opportunities that existed in the U.S., and it was a real eye-opener for me.
From a very young age, I knew I wanted to make something of myself. I was determined to work hard and seize every opportunity that came my way. I started out doing odd jobs, just hustling and trying to make ends meet. But I always had this entrepreneurial spirit, this drive to create something of my own.
I got into affiliate marketing almost by accident. I was working on some campaigns, trying to generate leads for various offers, and I just kind of fell in love with the process. I loved the idea of being able to create something out of nothing, to use my skills and my creativity to drive results.
But I quickly realized that just being an affiliate wasn't enough for me. I wanted to build something bigger, something that could make a real impact. That's when I started thinking about how I could create a more sustainable business model.
I started Unik as a one-man show, just like my friend Phil Smith who had made the Inc. 5000 list four times as a solo entrepreneur. But I soon realized that if I wanted to scale the business and really make a difference, I needed to bring on a team and start building out different divisions.
So, that's what I did. I brought on my partner, Clayton, and we started hiring and training people to handle different aspects of the business. We launched our software division with Unik 360 and Call Dynamics, we built out our agency to help clients optimize their campaigns, and we even started our own insurance company.
It's been an incredible journey so far, with a lot of challenges and a lot of triumphs along the way. But through it all, I've stayed true to those core values that I developed as a young immigrant in the U.S. - hard work, resourcefulness, and a relentless drive to succeed.
So, that's my story in a nutshell. I'm just a kid from Cuba who came to this country with nothing and built something I'm truly proud of. And I'm excited to see where the journey takes me next.
Q: Let's dive into the topic of Spanish affiliate marketing campaigns, in which you are well known for. Why are the Hispanic market and Spanish language campaigns often overlooked in the lead generation industry?
A: You know, it's funny because the Hispanic market and Spanish language campaigns are often overlooked, but there's a huge opportunity there. The competition and distribution are lower compared to the English-speaking market, but that's what makes it so attractive. Every time I've run a campaign in Spanish, it's been a success. The conversion rates are higher, and the media costs are lower because there's less competition. This means the ROI for Spanish language campaigns is just incredible.
Q: What are some key advantages of targeting the Hispanic market with lead generation campaigns?
A: Okay, so in addition to the higher conversion rates and lower media costs, the Hispanic market has this amazing referral factor that can really boost your lead generation campaigns. When I work with Hispanic clients, they're way more likely to refer their friends and family members who might also benefit from the service. It creates this snowball effect that can seriously increase the number of leads and sales you get from a single client.
Like, when I'm enrolling a Hispanic client in a credit card debt reduction program, they might mention that their spouse or friend is also dealing with debt and ask if they can be added to the program too. This willingness to refer others can start a chain reaction of new leads and sales. It's a game-changer.
Q: What verticals have been particularly successful for Unik when targeting the Hispanic market?
A: At Unik, we've had a lot of success in several verticals when we target the Hispanic market with Spanish language campaigns. We've done really well with Affordable Care Act (ACA) or Obamacare insurance, Medicare, credit card debt reduction, credit repair, and internet and TV services.
We run campaigns in both English and Spanish, but I've got to tell you, the ROI for our Spanish language campaigns is way higher across all these verticals. It's just a market that more people should be paying attention to.
Q and A with Karly Beachler, the CEO of Bloom Calls
Karly Beachler
Q: Karly, let's talk about the US Spanish-speaking market. Can you share what you are seeing in these markets, particularly in the lead gen and pay per call space?
A: The Spanish-speaking community in the United States is very underserved. They're very rarely directly marketed to. Think about cable in the '90s - we had like 60 channels that were all English and news, and then just a couple of Spanish-language channels.
Because of this, the Spanish-speaking audience is very receptive to marketing that speaks directly to them, instead of just a general audience. The lifetime value is better, the conversion rate is better, and overall it just works.
Q: Which verticals are currently working well with the Spanish-speaking market?
A: Absolutely. Right now, things are very interesting with ACA, but Medicare is always hot. It's always going to pop, especially in the Spanish market. I think I'm most well-known in this industry for specifically Spanish debt, and it's still popping, it's still shucking and driving. We're doing really well there.
We've done a lot of Spanish solar in the past, but Spanish solar is hard to really scale because solar is very zip code-specific and fragmented. Home Services in general are another area I'm excited about, particularly with these new nationwide campaigns we're running, especially in Spanish.
Spanish Auto is also going to be very, very big, especially with the changes in the auto space and the direct buyers having more appetite now. I'm really excited to grow those things with us.
Q: In your experience running call centers, what have you noticed about the performance of Spanish-speaking leads compared to English-speaking leads?
A: In every call center I've run, whether it was for debt consolidation, solar, home warranty, or any other vertical, anytime there was someone who spoke Spanish, they converted at least double - twice as good as a non-Spanish speaker.
However, what I found would often happen, especially in solar, is that you might get someone who speaks Spanish that would set the appointment, but then they'd send someone who speaks English to the actual appointment, and they would lose all credibility.
It has to be a cohesive consumer flow, especially if it's something like a person showing up at their door to fix their AC or HVAC, or to pull something out of their drain. They have to be speaking the language that the consumer wants to be spoken to.
Q: You've mentioned the importance of having a cohesive message from the initial ad all the way through the consumer journey. Can you share more about why this is so critical, particularly in the Spanish-speaking market?
A: With the Hispanic community, there's a real issue with trust. I have an aunt who's Venezuelan, and despite being very educated and sharp, she's been ripped off so many times by contractors.
That's one thing you've got to be very careful with when targeting the Hispanic audience - you need to make sure that what you're saying in the ads is cohesive all the way through to the end of the consumer journey.
So those little nuances and tweaks to the messaging and experience are what will really make or break a pay-per-call campaign with the Hispanic market. You have to look at it from their perspective and make sure it's fully cohesive, or else you'll end up with a lot of heartburn from the end buyers who are paying the bills.
It's those little tweaks that need to be made that will really set a pay-per-call campaign up to either fail or succeed.
Conclusion
The Spanish-speaking market in the United States presents a significant opportunity for businesses and marketers looking to expand their reach and drive growth. By understanding the unique characteristics and preferences of this demographic, developing culturally relevant content, and implementing targeted strategies, marketers can tap into the vast potential of the Spanish-speaking market and achieve remarkable success.
To maximize the impact of your Spanish campaigns, build a bilingual team, focus on relevant industries, leverage the power of referrals, invest in targeted media buying, prioritize mobile optimization, and continuously test and optimize your efforts.
As the Hispanic population in the United States continues to grow and gain economic influence, businesses that establish a strong presence within this community will be well-positioned for long-term success. By embracing the opportunities presented by the Spanish-speaking market and developing authentic connections with this audience, marketers can unlock new avenues for growth and drive meaningful results for their brands.
