Spanish-Language Marketing in the US: A Digital Marketing Guide for Latino Businesses
Written by the Dizayn team
Updated
Key takeaways
- The US had 68 million Hispanic residents as of July 1, 2024, 20% of the population, per the Census Bureau.
- In 2024, 68% of Latinos ages 5 and older spoke Spanish at home and 71% spoke English proficiently (Pew Research Center): your marketing has to work in both languages.
- 56% of Hispanic adults use WhatsApp, versus 24% of White adults (Pew).
What is digital marketing for Latino businesses in the US?
It's winning Latino customers online: showing up on Google and the map when they search, answering on the channels they use, and speaking the language they search in, whether Spanish, English or both. It isn't a different kind of marketing, just the same work done with this community's data and words.
The market is large on the business side too: Hispanic-owned employer firms numbered 496,000, 8.4% of the total, with $730.3 billion in receipts, per the Census Annual Business Survey (2023 data).
Should you market in Spanish, English or both?
Both, in most cases. Spanish is the language of 61.1% of people who speak something other than English at home (Census, ACS 2018-2022), yet most Latinos also speak English proficiently. What doesn't work is a half translation.
Google spells it out in its multilingual sites guide (Google Search Central):
- Use a different URL for each language rather than cookies or browser settings.
- Google detects language from a page's visible content, not from the lang attribute or the URL.
- Don't redirect automatically to another language: link the versions so each person can choose.
Translating also isn't the same as writing in Spanish. Copy written in Spanish uses the words people type into Google and reads naturally; a literal translation shows immediately. Our English-Spanish bilingual website guide covers the technical side step by step.
Where are Latino customers?
Across the country, but concentrated in five states. Per Pew, California, Texas, Florida, New York and Illinois hold 62% of the nation's Latinos, and the Census counts 15 states with more than a million Hispanic residents.
| State | Hispanic population (2024) |
|---|---|
| California | 16.1 million |
| Texas | 12.6 million |
| Florida | 6.7 million |
| New York | 4.0 million |
| Illinois | 2.5 million |
Source: Pew Research Center.
Origin also shifts by city, and some vocabulary with it: Pew reports that 74% of Hispanics in the Los Angeles area are of Mexican origin, about 40% in Miami are of Cuban origin, and in New York the largest groups are Dominicans and Puerto Ricans. A message written for Miami doesn't always land the same in Chicago.
Which channels reach Latino customers?
Google so they find you, WhatsApp to answer, and the social platforms they use most to stay top of mind. Almost all of it happens on a phone: 92% of Hispanic adults own a smartphone, and 23% have one but no home broadband (Pew).
| Channel | Data | What it's for |
|---|---|---|
| Google Search and Maps | Google ranks local results by relevance, distance and prominence (Google) | Being found by people already searching for what you sell |
| 56% of Hispanic adults use it (Pew) | Answering quotes and questions fast | |
| YouTube | 85% of Hispanic adults use it (Pew) | Videos that explain your service or show your work |
| 70% (Pew) | Local community, events, reminders | |
| 60% (Pew) | Photos of real work, stories | |
| TikTok | 53% (Pew) | Reach with a younger audience |
Social media figures come from Pew's survey conducted January 30 to June 18, 2026.
Google Business Profile first
For a local business, your Google profile is often the first thing a new customer sees. Google says more reviews and positive ratings can help your local ranking, and that there's no way to pay for a better local ranking (Google). Our local SEO for Hispanic-owned businesses guide covers name, category, Spanish reviews and measurement.
WhatsApp, so you don't lose the customer who already showed up
If 56% of your potential customers already use WhatsApp, a WhatsApp button on your site and profile removes friction. What matters is replying fast, in the language they wrote in.
Social media, based on your customer
You don't need every platform. Pick one or two where your customers are and post real work: photos, before and after, your team, common questions answered on video.
What does Spanish-language marketing cost?
It depends on what's included and who does it. Clutch lists typical rates of $100 to $149 USD per hour for US digital marketing agencies and $25 to $49 USD in Mexico (Clutch). In an Ahrefs survey of 439 SEO providers, agencies charged $3,209 USD per month on average (Ahrefs).
| Service | Dizayn price |
|---|---|
| Website | $3,000 to $15,000 USD per project |
| SEO | $1,200 to $4,000 USD per month |
| GEO (visibility in AI answers) | $1,800 to $5,000 USD per month |
Managed hosting is included with sites we build, and the domain stays in the client's name. More on our pricing page and in the guide on what a Mexican agency charges.
What mistakes do we see in marketing to Latino customers?
Almost all come from treating Spanish as an add-on. A translation widget, a Spanish ad that lands on an English page, or a form that only works in English tells customers the business wasn't built for them, even when the product is.
- Machine translation instead of real Spanish pages.
- Spanish ads that land on an English page.
- Phone, form or WhatsApp answered only in English.
- Different business details on Google, Facebook and the website.
- Generic content that doesn't answer what people ask before buying.
If your business sells to Latino customers in the US, see our SEO service and get in touch. We work in native Spanish, not translated, and on your time zone.
FAQ
- Why isn't translating English marketing into Spanish enough?
- Because a literal translation loses tone and the words people actually use, and Spanish searches aren't always translations of English ones. Google also detects language from visible content, so a half-translated page still counts as English.
- Which Spanish should I use if customers come from different countries?
- Clear, neutral Spanish, adapted where it matters. Pew Research Center shows origin varies by city: in Miami about 40% of Latinos are of Cuban origin, while in the Dallas area 77% are of Mexican origin. Check the words your own customers use in reviews and messages.
- Should I advertise only in Spanish?
- Rarely. Per Pew's 2024 data, 71% of Latinos ages 5 and older speak English proficiently and 68% speak Spanish at home. Many people live in both languages, so the norm is to offer both versions and let each person choose.
- Which channel should I work on first?
- For a local business, your Google profile and a well-built Spanish page, because that's where searchers land. Then WhatsApp, to answer fast, and then the social platforms your customers actually use.
- What does Spanish-language marketing with Dizayn cost?
- SEO runs $1,200 to $4,000 USD per month, GEO (visibility in AI answers) $1,800 to $5,000 USD per month, and a website $3,000 to $15,000 USD per project. We invoice in USD and work from Guadalajara (UTC−6), within your business hours.