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Online Optimism Speaks at NOEW

New Orleans Entrepreneur Week (NOEW) was a week-long event celebrating entrepreneurship and innovation, held from March 21 to 25 this year. Each year the event is presented by Idea Village, a non-profit business accelerator. 

This was NOEW’s 11th year and welcomed various speakers to participate who are committed to “imagining and building an exceptional future for New Orleans.” The 2022 themes included: 

  • Celebrating Our Ecosystem
  • Our Diversity Is Our Strength
  • Emerging Industries: Where NOLA Can Lead
  • Built by NOLA: Local Innovation & Leadership
  • The Next 20 Years

I, alongside Online Optimism’s Digital Ads Director Esteban Largaespada, was invited to speak in a fireside chat alongside El Centro’s Executive Director Lindsey Navarro and National Account Executive at Waitr, Bite Squad, and Delivery Dudes Ernesto Posadas, during the Built by NOLA theme on March 24. The panel was titled “¿Entiendes lo que te estoy diciendo? If not, that’s a problem,” and we spoke on the importance of marketing and communicating with the Spanish-speaking community both locally and nationally. 

The panel discussed various topics, from making sure you create original content in Spanish, rather than just translating from English to the importance of making a genuine effort with the Spanish-speaking community. A significant takeaway from the presentation was that the Hispanic community is one of the fastest-growing immigrant groups in the U.S., reaching 62.1 million in 2020, an increase of 23% from the previous decade. Additionally, this number outpaced the nation’s 7% overall population growth. During our panel, we discussed the necessity of marketing toward this demographic. 

We emphasized that if the population continues to grow, it will no longer be a plus or an option to market to Spanish-speaking audiences; it will become necessary. However, a crucial thing for all businesses aiming to reach this audience to remember is that Spanish is not a one-size-fits-all language. Based on what areas you are trying to target, the language will differ, so when taking steps to reach this audience, be sure to do your research and take into consideration the demographics and the psychographics. 

For any questions about Online Optimism’s marketing to Spanish-speaking communities, contact us today.