In the digital age, traditional marketing has evolved, and with it, the strategies that companies must adopt to remain relevant. Our Marketing and Admissions Director, Jairo Cruz, gave a presentation at the I Cosmetology Symposium in Barranquilla, organized by Dr. Amin Ariza’s School, in which he offers a deep insight into how to dominate the digital market in the United States, especially focused on the Hispanic community.
Dominating the Market, Digital Marketing Strategies is the conference made from Colombia
About the Speaker
Ing. Jairo Cruz, MBA, is the creator and producer of “Digital Stars”, the first award for influencers of the year in the US Hispanic market. With a solid background as an Industrial Engineer and an MBA in Senior Management, Jairo has dedicated 8 years to higher education in the United States, collaborating with prestigious educational institutions. He currently leads as Director of Marketing and Admissions at Millennia Atlantic University and is the brain behind “MAU Talks”, a series of free conferences for the community. His passion lies in empowering the Hispanic community to access higher education in the United States.
Digital Marketing: A Constant Revolution
Marketing, as we know it, has changed. The traditional “four P’s” (product, place, price, and promotion) have evolved into the “four C’s” (communication, convenience, cost, and consumers).
But, the four C’s are also becoming outdated. Now they are the “four V’s”: virality (replacing promotion and communication), virtuality (replacing distribution and convenience), value (replacing price and cost), and validity (replacing product). This metamorphosis highlights the need to constantly adapt and renew our strategies.
Marketing plans, once extensive and detailed, have now been condensed. The key is clarity and conciseness, focusing on clear strategies and defined objectives. It’s not just about having a presence on social media but having a purpose behind each post.
On the first page of the marketing plan, we will have summarized information on the digital situation analysis and our marketing objectives. On the second page, we will reflect on the strategies, tactics, and KPIs, as well as the key indicators we will measure. The idea is to have clear strategies. It’s not about posting on social media without a purpose.
Digital Situation Analysis
Before embarking on any marketing strategy, it is essential to conduct a digital situation analysis. This analysis is divided into three categories:
- Internal Analysis: Here, we evaluate our current digital presence. From the importance of having our own website to the relevance of maintaining an updated blog optimized for SEO. Social networks act as fishing nets, attracting visitors to our main site. Regarding email marketing, I have heard the mistake of thinking it is obsolete. Far from it. It is a powerful tool both for acquiring new customers and for keeping in touch with current ones.
Digital advertising, such as Adwords, Facebook Ads, Twitter Ads, or LinkedIn Ads, is essential in the current era. It is relevant to consider using Pinterest, given the large number of people who use it. Pinterest is especially well positioned in the female segment; many women use it frequently.
Another point to consider is web analytics: what is the traffic of visits? What are the most visited pages on my site? What is the number of conversions?
- External Analysis: In this segment, we investigate the market, competition, and future trends. It is essential to define our ideal client or “persona”, understand their habits, preferences, and behaviors.
- SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats): An essential tool that allows us to identify our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
Defining Objectives and Strategies
With an analysis in hand, the next step is to establish clear and measurable objectives, following the SMART criteria. Once defined, it is essential to outline strategies and tactics that allow us to achieve those objectives. Each action must answer the “5 Ws” (Who, What, When, Why, Where), ensuring that each step has a clear purpose.
The big difference between traditional marketing and digital marketing: digital marketing can be measured. In traditional marketing, such as a TV advertisement, a radio spot, or a newspaper ad, it cannot be determined how many people responded directly to that ad.
In digital marketing, everything can be measured and you can obtain precise metrics. It is essential to define the KPIs, which are key performance indicators. For example, in the case of a website, some KPIs that we can measure include the number of sessions, how many users have entered the page, the number of pages viewed, how many pages are viewed per session, and the number of conversions, i.e., how many people requested information about our product.
The Hispanic Market in the United States
The US Hispanic market is different from the Latin American Hispanic market and from each country individually. It is also very different from the non-Hispanic market in the United States.
The Hispanic market in the United States is unique and constantly growing. It is estimated that by 2060, almost a third of the US population will be of Hispanic origin.
Regarding consumption trends in health and beauty, research shows that the Hispanic community is highly interested in health and beauty products and services, including cosmetics and aesthetic treatments.
This segment values word of mouth and shows a high interest in health and beauty products and services. It is essential to understand and adapt to this market to achieve a significant impact.
It is vital to be aware of the latest news and post them on social media. Regarding loyalty, it is common to offer bonuses to customers who bring referrals or provide free treatments. One of the main challenges is the language barrier.
Although many Hispanics are bilingual, they usually prefer Spanish as their primary language. Therefore, it is crucial to offer content in both languages or, at least, in Spanish in search engines. Although Google is the most used search engine, in the United States, Bing, Microsoft’s search engine, is gaining ground, especially with its advances in artificial intelligence.
Both Google and Bing are incorporating artificial intelligence into their platforms. It is vital in email marketing to offer options for subscribers to easily unsubscribe, to avoid being marked as spam. Tools like Mailchimp and Constant Contact are essential in this area.
Essential Tools and Strategies
From email marketing, through digital advertising on platforms such as Adwords and Facebook Ads, to web analytics, it is essential to equip ourselves with the right tools and adopt strategies that maximize our visibility and engagement.
Personally, I use Constant Contact. Video platforms are essential. YouTube is the most used social network and with the most content. Why is Instagram so important? In my opinion, it is the network that they should use the most for their services, as it has a high commitment among Hispanic users. It is a visual platform that is ideal for what you offer: beauty must be appreciated and visualized, perfect to show aesthetic treatments and beauty products.
Regarding search engines, the idea is to use the web to improve organic searches. This is combined with the blog section on your website. It is possible to create a blog section easily. They can also advertise on Meta, both on Facebook and Instagram. It is not necessary to invest large sums of money.
Another crucial point is the creation of valuable content. This gives us relevance and positions us as experts in the community. By generating valuable content, we not only elevate our reputation as experts in the field but also generate trust in our target audience.
The use of influencers is a vital strategy for you. It is crucial to choose the right influencer that truly reaches your target market. Another supremely important aspect is CRM, or “Consumer Relationship Management”.
CRM is where you will store your entire customer database. From there, you can run campaigns by email, text, or WhatsApp. This system is beneficial because it allows you to manage and keep updated all the data of your new customers coming from social networks. Everything is kept organized and within reach.
To conclude, I will offer you five practical ideas that you could implement, as well as five tips.
- Development of educational content in Spanish.
- Creation of exclusive offers and treatment packages.
- Establishment of alliances with influencers.
- Offering virtual consultation services.
- Use of geolocation.
For example, you can specify that you want advertising in Barranquilla, in a particular neighborhood. The more specific you are with geolocation, the cheaper advertising will be. Facebook even allows you to select which neighborhoods in the city of Barranquilla you want your advertising to be shown. It is important to read and use appropriate keywords. As I mentioned, selecting the right keywords is an art.
To identify them, try searching for your own services. Think: “How would I search for the services I offer? What terms would I enter into Google?”. This reflection will help you determine your keywords and think about what those terms are by which they could find you.
Digital marketing is a constantly evolving field. Adapting, learning, and renewing strategies is essential to stay relevant and achieve success. With the right tools and strategies, and a clear focus on the US Hispanic market, the opportunities are endless.
Thank you for joining us in this talk, and we hope to see you in the next edition of MAU Talks!