Spanish language Podcasts: A gateway for Latino Audiences in the U.S.
It's no secret that companies are trying out fresh ways to grab the attention of Latinos in the U.S. And who could blame them? Latinos are a big deal. We're the largest minority group in the country, making up a whopping 19% of the population, with a total of 63.7 million people.
To put it in simple terms, if Latinos in the U.S. were their own country, they'd have the fifth-largest economy globally, beating out the likes of the United Kingdom, India, and France.
For brands, this isn't going unnoticed, of course. You've got cool things happening like the Blue Beetle and Flamin’ Hot films, and huge partnerships with Bad Bunny or Peso Pluma.
THE OPPORTUNITY
Yet, when it comes to podcasts, it feels like the opportunity is right within our grasp, but we haven’t taken it.
The recently published Latino Podcast Listener Report, compiled by Edison Research, provides invaluable insights into understanding why and how we can connect with Latinos in more accessible ways.
This holds significant relevance, particularly for marketing teams with limited budgets who may not be able to undertake expensive film projects but still aim to engage the Hispanic demographic.
So, let's dive into the ways in which this new report can benefit your marketing team.
THE REPORT
The Latino Podcast Listener Report is Edison’s yearly study with online interviews conducted with 2,637 U.S. Hispanic/Latino adults.
Latinos are listening to podcasts more and more
The first thing that stands out from the report, is that podcast listening among Latinos grew almost 4 times faster than the U.S. population. Today, 38% of Latinos in the U.S. (17 million) listened to a podcast last month, compared to 42% of the U.S. total population.
English, Spanish, or both?
The second standout observation was the language podcast consumption among Latinos.
Isaac Mizrahi, author of Hispanic Market Power underlines that Hispanics in the U.S. maintain a strong connection to their culture, with nearly 75% of third-generation individuals retaining a deep sense of heritage, even in cases where language fluency has waned.
This insight has significant implications for creating podcasts tailored to a Latino audience. Even if the primary content is in English, there lies an opportunity to incorporate special episodes, ads, or trailers in Spanish. Such a move not only acknowledges the audience's cultural roots but also serves as a thoughtful gesture, even if some listeners may not fully understand the content.
As you can see from the report, 23% of U.S. Latinos said they'd been into English podcasts in the past week, and 13% mentioned they'd given Spanish podcasts a listen.
Podcasts reach the highest income-earning Latinos, who don’t mind ads that much
32% of weekly Latino podcast listeners make $75K or more. Making it the second-highest media to reach high-earning Latinos after satellite radio.
Combined with the fact that Latinos don’t really mind advertising on podcasts, there is a huge opportunity for brands to reach valuable audiences.
Spanish language podcasts could be a gateway for a world audience
I had the opportunity to converse with Gabriel Soto of Edison Research, and he shed light on the reasons why investing in advertising within Spanish podcasts holds substantial value for both short and long-term marketing strategies.
Research from the Latino Podcast Listener Report shows that advertisers investing in Spanish-language podcasts build effective, authentic, and meaningful connections to listeners. Those same advertisers are also tapping into a gateway to Spanish-speaking audiences beyond the United States, given that such podcasts have the potential to also appeal to those in Latin America and beyond.
Advertising in Spanish-language podcasts offers a strategic avenue for brands to access the Latino market. The report indicates that a significant 46% of Latinos exhibit a higher propensity to make purchases from brands featured in such content, while concurrently perceiving these ads as more engaging and entertaining.
Why podcast advertising in Spanish podcasts might be more affordable
Finally, advertising within Spanish-language content presents a cost-effective opportunity for brands. A significant portion of content consumed in the United States is produced in Mexico and other Latin American countries, which ultimately results in reduced overall expenses, including advertising rates.
For instance, consider Genuina's "Extra Anormal," a Spanish-language fiction interview podcast that currently ranks as the #11 Top Fiction Podcast on Spotify US and is produced in Mexico.
Podcasts like Extra Anormal, attract significant US Latino audiences and often offer more budget-friendly advertising options compared to podcasts produced within the United States.
The Takeaway
- There is a growing demand among marketing teams to connect with the Latino audience, and this is perfectly understandable given their increasing demographic presence and purchasing power.
- In the realm of podcast advertising, there are numerous opportunities for brands to tap into. The great news is that advertising in this space is still quite affordable. This means you can effectively reach high-earning Latinos, cultivate loyal audiences, and influence actual purchases based on podcast recommendations at a lower cost than other mediums.
- Now, if you're contemplating how to effectively engage with Latino audiences, the key lies in creating content that is thoughtful, honest, and relatable. Simply translating content from English to Spanish/Spanglish won't suffice. To truly resonate with this audience, it's imperative to collaborate with agencies that specialize in Hispanic-focused marketing. These experts understand the unique nuances and cultural factors that matter to Latinos.
If you wish to embark on Hispanic podcast advertising, reach out to me at david@genuinamedia.com
