Are you trying to write a sales copy for a Hispanic audience? You’ve come to the right place.
You must have read many times that you must be a great researcher to become a successful copywriter. However, copywriting is not just about good research. You are not supposed to gather statistics, facts, and information and just fill your copy with them.
The purpose of this research is different: your research serves as food for your mind, and it begins to understand your buyer’s psychology. That’s why it’s essential to know who you are selling to.
A single copy can’t sell to everyone. It would be best if you were specific. And for that, you must have your dream prospect in your mind while you’re writing.
In this article, I’ll be talking about selling to Hispanic consumers — a massive population of over 90 million in the U.S from different countries, including Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, etc.
They have their own culture, dialects, and way of life. Don’t think that you can sell to them without being specific to them.
And there’s no way you can ignore this audience. The Hispanic market is the largest ethnic market in the U.S, controlling a total of $1.5 trillion in buying power.
What’s more, this buying power is only going to grow from here. The Hispanic population in the U.S is expected to increase by 163% (between 2010-2050).
So if you want to sell Spanish audience and make some cash, note down the following tips:
1. Understand The Diversity
Let’s face it — You are proud of who you are, the region you belong to, the language you speak, and your ethnic background. So when it comes to the Hispanic audience, they speak different dialects, have different origins, and like you, they are proud of their identity.
Most U.S. Hispanics like to use their country of origin to describe their identity, according to a survey published by Pew Research Center in 2013.
For excellent copywriting directed towards Hispanic people, your job is to do as much research as possible. The language your target audience speaks, their culture and traditional values, their origins, and so forth.
Another important thing is to note how frequently they buy online. Or whether they buy from a phone or laptop. Your ad copy and visuals/design must complement each other.
Suppose online forums prove insufficient for gathering this data. In that case, you can go out in the areas where your target audience lives, visit their markets, make friends, ask them questions, and you’ll have enough data to start preparing your copy.
In short, the Hispanic audience is more diverse than you think. And a single ad copy can’t connect with all. As a copywriter, this is a key thing to note down.
2. Use Simple English
I know you have read this tip hundreds of times before. But the thing is, when writing for the Hispanic audience, it becomes even more critical.
Until 2015, 33.2 million Hispanics in the U.S. could speak English proficiently. Indeed, this figure would be even greater today.
But still, English is their second language. Hence, if you use fancy words in your copy, they are less likely to pay any attention.
Most of the people — even in native countries — don’t like reading fancy words. Though they understand them, such words fail to persuade the prospect. Your job is to sell them, not to showcase your rich vocabulary.
Use short, simple, and most common English words.
3. Speak Their Language
No, I’m not implying that you should write your copy in Spanish. Instead, to connect with them and develop a bond, you can use Spanish phrases here and there in your copy, wherever it makes sense.
If you want to learn the language they use to communicate with each other, visit their Facebook groups, Reddit communities, etc.
They are the most active ethnic group on social media networking sites (72% of Hispanic adults use social media networking sites)
After spending a few hours, you’ll come across some interesting phrases. And you’ll be able to write in the tone they speak to each other.
Imagine someone from the Hispanic community reading your copy, feeling a kinship. Won’t your copy have higher chances of conversion as compared to a general ad copy?
4. Use Slangs & Idioms
Writing an advertising copy is different from writing an academic essay. And when writing for a Hispanic audience, don’t hesitate to use slang and idioms.
If your copy is peppered with Spanish slang, your audience will be able to relate to it. Especially if your product is for adults, Spanish slang will sound familiar, comfortable, and nostalgic to them.
However, make sure your slangs and idioms make sense with the copy. Because if they don’t, your idea will backfire. Your consumer will think either you didn’t even do the research before writing a copy or you are intentionally disrespecting the community.
A great way to develop this sense of Hispanic culture and the things they find amusing is to watch Hispanic TV shows. You can also listen to Hispanic radio programs and imitate the voice of speakers when trying to add a bit of fun to your copy.
5. Timing of Your Copy Matters
The timing of your copy would matter in some instances. As a copywriter, it’s your job to identify the events and festivals important to your audience.
Maybe your copy will be published during a specific festival. Imagine, if it contains some flavor of that particular festival, won’t it connect with your prospect better?
Or let’s put it another way, the promotional emails we receive and the Facebook ads we see during the Christmas and non-Christmas season are different from each other.
The ad copy written in the Christmas season gives you Christmas vibes.
This tip can be a game-changer for you if your product is relevant to a certain event or festival.
Here are some of the popular Hispanic events and their timings:
- Nuestra Señora de Dolores, Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows – Friday before Good Friday
- Semana Santa, Holy Week – Easter week
- La Virgen de Guadalupe, Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe – December 12
- Charro Days Fiesta; jointson, Arizona — End of August (Celebrates the founding of Tucson—Presidio de San Agustín del Tucsón—as well as honoring the saint.)
- La Fiesta de Los Vaqueros; Tucson, Arizona — last weekend in February
- The Fiesta in Santa Barbara, California
- Fiesta Mexicana in Topeka, Kansas, July, a 5-day festival
- Fiesta San Antonio; San Antonio, Texas — mid-April “Fiesta Week”
- Frontier Fiesta; Houston, Texas
Summing It Up…
Develop empathy and respect for people; it’ll help you go a long way as a copywriter and become a good human being. The same is true for writing for Hispanic audiences. They have their own identity, dialects, and way of life. If you want to sell them, you must respect them and understand what triggers them to buy!
Do you want to talk to them in their native language? Look my Spanish writing service!