• by Jess Nelson , March 29, 2017

VerticalResponse has launched a translated email marketing service for Spanish speakers, citing the steady growth of Hispanic-owned businesses in the United States.

Owned by Deluxe Corp, VerticalResponse is a Web-based marketing platform for small businesses and nonprofits. The self-service platform has a range of marketing features, including email marketing, social media and direct mail.

Customers of VerticalResponse can select Spanish as their language of choice on the bottom right-hand corner of the log-in page. Once they are signed in, VerticalResponse’s email marketing services will be completely translated, including the company’s email editor, contacts section, and campaign reporting.

“With the increase in Hispanic-owned and operated businesses in the United States, it’s so encouraging to see marketing applications like VerticalResponse expanding their services to Spanish-language users,” states Ruben Guerra, chairman and CEO of the Latin Business Association, in a blog post online. “The Hispanic population is the largest ethnic minority in the U.S., and platforms that serve our communities, businesses, and consumers are increasingly vital.”

The United States is now the second-largest Spanish-speaking nation, according to a 2015 study by the Instituto Cervantes, an organization established in 1991 to promote the Spanish language. The report calculated that the United States was home to 41 million native Spanish speakers, plus an additional 11.6 million bilingual residents. The United States is second only to Mexico, with a reported 121 million native Spanish speakers. 

In total, the Instituto Cervantes report estimates there are 559 million Spanish speakers worldwide, and that Spanish speakers contribute 9.2% of the world’s GDP. Spanish speakers are also substantially contributing to business growth in the United States.

Twelve percent of U.S. businesses are Hispanic-owned, according to a 2012 survey of business owners by the U.S. Census Bureau, with 3.3 million of the 27.6 million total businesses owned by Hispanic entrepreneurs.

While the national average for U.S. business growth was just 2% between 2007 and 2012, the number of minority-owned companies increased 38% to 8 million businesses according to Census data. Hispanic-owned businesses had an even higher growth rate during this timetable, increasing 46.3%.

Businesses owned by Hispanic women have also grown substantially in the last decade, growing 87% from 2007 to 2012 and now accounting for an estimated 1.5 million businesses. 

The US Census Office estimates that the number of Spanish speakers in the United States will rise to 138 million by 2050.