How to Reach Hispanic Audiences During Hispanic Heritage Month and Beyond

Hispanic Audiences Are Growing Rapidly

Hispanic and Latino audiences make up more than 19% of the U.S. population. That’s a growth of 23% since 2010, compared to the non-Hispanic/Latino growth of just 4.3%. This rapid population growth makes people of Hispanic heritage a key audience for marketers and fundraisers.

The good news is that Hispanic Audiences spend more of their viewing time watching both broadcast and streaming television than any other group in the United States. So, free PSA placements and connected TV or Streaming advertising are effective ways to reach them.

But just sharing your message is not enough. To turn awareness into action, you need to create messages that reflect the values and interests of Hispanic Americans.

How Hispanic Audiences Prefer to Give

People of all ethnicities give to charity at about the same rate when you adjust for factors like education and income. However, Hispanic audiences differ in some key ways from other racial and ethnic groups when it comes to how they prefer to give. Overall, crowdfunding or giving on social media are more popular among Hispanics than among the general population. Don’t assume people will change their donation and volunteer habits to fit your organization. Instead, create systems to accommodate Hispanic giving patterns.

Many Hispanic people come from a strong tradition of supporting family, friends and neighbors. Some send remittances to family members in other countries. Any nonprofit that hopes to reach these audiences showcase how their work supports these groups.

Some members of Hispanic communities are distrustful of big organizations .  Building trust is essential if you want involvement from Hispanic donors or volunteers. That means being transparent about how money is used and drawing a clear line between donations and benefit to stakeholders. Anchor messages on values like family, education, and equity.

Giving Circles Support Hispanic Communities

If your goal is to bring in donations, you should be aware of Giving Circles in Hispanic communities. Giving Circles are groups of individuals who pool resources to fund causes and organizations.  They can be formal or informal in nature, but tend to focus on specific communities and causes.

In California alone, there are 19 Latino giving circles recognized by the Latino Community Foundation. Together they have given $2.4M to organizations across the state. Nonprofits may gain traction with these organizations by highlighting how donations help specific communities.

Audiences will notice if your engagement with the Hispanic community is confined to Hispanic Heritage Month. Make sure you’re building a year-round relationship with individuals and Giving Circles.

Consider Audience Diversity Among Hispanic Americans

As you create content and PSA messages for Hispanic audiences, keep in mind that members of this group come from a range of cultural backgrounds. 51% of Hispanic Americans identify as Mexican, but Puerto Rico, South America, Cuba, and even Spain are all represented. While people with connections to these nations share many traditions and values, they are not a homogenous group.

As we enter Hispanic Heritage Month, you’ll almost certainly see shows and commercials with many interpretations of Hispanic culture. Yet, only 41% of Hispanic people say that they are represented accurately on television.

Making the effort to understand and create messaging for the subculture you’re trying to reach can improve your results. Make sure your messages and content are culturally relevant to specific people and groups. Consult thought leaders and members of these communities before rolling out new content.

Reach Hispanic Audiences During Hispanic Heritage Month and Beyond

In short, the best way to reach Hispanic audiences and donors is to create culturally relevant content that aligns with their self-image and values. Here are a few tips that can help you do that.

1. Feature Hispanic actors, spokespeople and stakeholders in your ads. Representation matters, and featuring these people shows that your actions align with your message.
2. Create English and Spanish versions of your PSAs. Although many Hispanic Americans prefer English-language advertising, it’s good to create options so television and radio stations can choose the format that best serves their audience. For Spanish-language PSAs, it’s important to have content in Spanish on websites that will be featured as part of the PSA’s call-to-action. Hispanic media outlets often check a campaign’s website or other call-to-action mechanism to ensure information is available in Spanish for their audiences.
3. Anchor messages in cultural tradition. Educate your marketing team on the cultural tradition, history, and values of the people you are trying to reach. Take feedback from the actors, spokespeople and stakeholders who share that cultural tradition.
4. Highlight how you support the Latino community. Make a clear connection between your message and the friends, family and neighbors of the person receiving that message. The clearer the connection, the more likely they are to pay attention. Be transparent about who the organization serves and how donations will be used.

Think Beyond Hispanic Heritage Month

Most importantly, stay involved beyond Hispanic Heritage Month. People will pay attention to whether your support seems tied to the calendar. Trust comes from consistent action over time. Show Hispanic audiences your organization is committed to building a long-term relationship.

At Connect360, we offer services and insight specifically tailored to help you reach the Hispanic community. From traditional methods like Spanish-language TV and radio PSAs, to digital tactics on connected TVs and streaming services, we know how to reach Hispanic audiences. Contact us to learn more about how you can reach Hispanic audiences during Hispanic Heritage Month and all year round.