The Hispanic audience is one of the fastest growing demographics in America. When working in media or looking to pursue an education in the profession, understanding and reaching this demographic is key.

Several areas of the country have a large Latino population and the following tips will assist you in reaching them as an audience.

Reaching Hispanic Audiences

• Use of Spanish: According to census data, 75 percent of Hispanic people speak Spanish at home, including bilingual speakers as well. As is often the case with people who speak multiple languages, they often seek out media in their preferred language. Because of this, be sure you are putting out media content in Spanish to ensure it is reaching the biggest possible audience. For advertising, classic methods such as ads on Spanish language television stations, radio and billboards remain effective for reaching more traditional audiences.
• Leveraging Technology: The Nielsen Company is chiefly known for their TV ratings system, however, they also track several other types of information and usage trends. According to their Digital Consumer Report, Hispanics have been very quick in adopting smartphone technology, with 72 percent owning smartphones. In 2016, smartphones are a key tool in accessing the Internet, so make sure your English and Spanish content is designed to work on mobile devices.
• Proper Use of Social Media: Social media has become a fast growing area in both personal use and professional fields. Research by The Pew Institute indicates that 68 percent of the U.S. population uses social media websites. For Hispanics, this is number is even higher at 72 percent. So make use of hashtags, posts and streaming video to properly reach your audience base in Spanish.
• Understand the Importance of Word of Mouth: As the old saying goes, “you can’t buy a good reputation.” By connecting with your demographic, you also gain another advantageous marketing tool, word of mouth. When you get a reputation of being accessible to Hispanic members of your community, word travels from those you have successfully reached to their friends, family and associates. This further expands your media outreach and grows your following.

Media Schools

As the above shows, you need to thoroughly understand the Hispanic audience to properly connect with them as viewers, listeners and internet users. This includes not only speaking to them in the their language but also through the proper channels and with content they can relate to and identify with.

When looking for media marketing schools, you need education and training by a school that understands changing demographics and how to reach modern viewers and listeners. M&S Media, Inc. has schools across the nation specializing in broadcasting, to meet the challenges of modern media. Click here to learn more.