More than Words: How to Connect with U.S. Hispanics through Authentic and Meaningful Content

By Alberto Navas – SHRM-CP, MBA

I love language, I love culture, and I am fascinated by what happens when the two meet. News of the emerging dialect in South Florida resonated with me for two reasons. First, I learned English in Miami and have lived there twice. Second, the article shows how languages and cultures influence each other.

An important question follows from the combination of language and culture: How to create content that reflects and connects with a given culture (U.S. Hispanics in this case) in a meaningful way? Rather than looking for a single formula, it is better to craft and approach leveraging these best practices:

Understand the language: Notice I didn’t say “speak”, “read”, or “write”, although these are important. To connect successfully and in a meaningful way with this diverse audience, gain its respect, and differentiate yourself from the competition, it is not enough to just hablar español. Understanding a language refers to knowing its nuances, how it is evolving, and its regional differences.

This is particularly important in the case of Hispanics in the United States whose backgrounds are representative of Mexico, Puerto Rico, El Salvador and many other countries. While there are common threads among these, there are also differences that can make or break any communication. Terms that mean one thing in a certain country, can be an insult, or just have a different meaning, in another; or some words may not even be used by one group, whereas they may be common among others.

Develop an audience-specific approach to content: Demographics, psychographics. When developing content for U.S. Hispanics, these marketing essentials are just the beginning for informing your work. The nuances of your audience’s culture play a major role in content development.

Such nuances can be as simple as age and national origin or background, or more complex such as immigrant generation, platform preference, and even differentiating between your content’s target audience and consumer. For example, if your audience is older generation Hispanics who are less acculturated, the first consumers of your content may be their children who act as culture intermediaries, and are more acculturated.

Lead with respect: Respecting your audience’s culture is – or should be – a given. Unfortunately, oftentimes brands fall for the ease and expediency of stereotypes that arise from seeing a culture in overly broad strokes.

Respect comes in many forms, and a little cultural understanding goes a long way. A commitment to the community and authentic content with follow-through are essential signs of respect. Such a commitment is not just transactional, rather, it is a long term effort that leads to a sustained relationship and eventually earning the respect of consumers.

Staff appropriately: When applying your resources to your content development efforts, it is wise to look beyond basic skills, such as writing experience or languages spoken. The optimal content team should be in tune with the nuances of your audience. Look at your team holistically – professional skills, community involvement, cultural representation, platform expertise, and any other factors relevant to your needs.

Connecting with U.S. Hispanics transcends language proficiency and even translation from general market messaging. It requires a nuanced understanding of this diverse population, a deep dive into its culture, and building bridges to the community. The upfront investment may require more effort, but the reward of customer loyalty is well worth it.

About the author: Alberto Navas has been developing bilingual (English/Spanish) content for the U.S. Hispanic market for 20+ years, in multiple capacities ranging from Content Director and Copywriter, to Editor and Translator/Interpreter. He is part if The Collab Hub network of collaborators.

The Collab Hub is a network of independent advertising and marketing professionals ready to connect, collaborate, unlock, and flawlessly execute solutions for our clients’ marketing challenges.