The European country perfectly blends siestas and a good time with high-tech and expanded digital literacy in a way that only passionate and expressive people can. Spain is mainly known for excellent food, parties and pleasant weather, but what might be overlooked is the elevated level of digital innovation in this land. Ranked among the top European countries where a considerable share of citizens have basic digital skills and use social media and the internet frequently, we can say that Spain has a generally high market penetration on a global scale.
But what does this mean for marketers? Besides the significant competition and hardships while trying to understand audiences, advertising in Spain is straightforward because it’s based on people’s beliefs and traditions. Basically, give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and you’ll be successful!
Shaping the Spaniard customer persona
To enter the digital market in Spain, we must understand what customers are like. For instance, the growing sectors within the country, which include tourism, manufacturing, agriculture and energy, are leaders. Still, since these might be similar to other nations, we can look further and notice that consumers are also interested in footprint and communication technology. Hence, advertising in Spain is based on social responsibility and media.
Regardless, it’s known that Spanish citizens are proficient in digital skills, meaning people of almost all ages learn how to handle information, communicate online, post on social media and are aware of safety measures. Still, the country aims to raise the number of people who are able to leverage their skills online by 80% of the total population by 2030 through the National Digital Skills Plan.
The old vs new advertising techniques
While Spain has considerably developed its digital absorption percentage in the past years, what’s sure is that traditional marketing still rules. This creates a balance between generations because, for youngsters, digital ad spending is relevant to their internet consumption, while elders still trust television, radio and newspaper ads, according to Statista.
This might happen due to the deepened culture of the Spaniards. Although they’re open to changes, citizens are most likely to trust what they’ve known since childhood, and these practices live with them for long. That’s why the number of PCs and internet users is lower than cellular mobile subscribers.
Blending modern with traditional through PPC advertising
Considering how these two user sectors behave regarding their internet consumption, the best strategy for a company to get coverage would be pay-per-click advertising, where corporations can get website traffic from people who click on their ads. However, to outsource PPC, you leverage more benefits and allow professionals to create these campaigns.
Outsourcing PPC services can significantly help a business in Spain improve in the following ways:
- It ensures expertise of the country’s media trends and legal requirements, which speed up the process of market penetration;
- It offers the possibility to employ cost-effective campaigns since they’re targeted specifically to a customer group and appeal to their age, preferences and purchasing power;
- It ensures the necessary tools and resources to analyse the campaign’s course and results in a time-efficient manner;
- It eliminates the learning curve, one of the most laborious steps of the process of promoting your business;
Depending on your goals, you may want to get faster results to achieve them, but working independently can be challenging in such an industry where the best strategy depends on a series of factors. Hence, you can save time and resources to truly impact the Spanish market through an ecommerce PPC agency that is able to.
- Choose the proper ad format to reach the target audience;
- Measure goals and conversions efficiently for the next step;
- Interpret tests and results from supposed ads;
- Put their professionals to work by leveraging their vast knowledge;
Digital trends to look out for in the Spanish markets and industries
The future is bright for the Spanish digital markets due to its expanding likelihood. As a business owner or advertiser, you must be wary of upcoming challenges so you can better adapt to them. For instance, mobile advertising is expected to rise, especially since in almost all Spanish households, mobile telephones are installed and used by families. Consequently, people use their smartphones preponderantly to access the internet, so your strategy should include sizing the website and improving social media formats for the best mobile experience.
Let’s not forget about social media, whose power over the advertising industry is significant, especially in targeting Millennials and Gen Z customers. Companies these days must have a fresh yet professional approach to promoting their products. Still, the advertising style shouldn’t be too evident because it lowers the campaign’s impact.
According to Seeders, having success with your organisation in Spain means prioritising mobile platforms, video formats and in-app advertising. Of course, this doesn’t mean the web format is less important, but it’s easier for customers to search for a company on their phone and communicate with them through text messages or calls.
One of the most successful social media techniques for boosting a brand’s name includes video content on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, where these formats are called Reels. Their success is due to the easy-to-understand form of information and the mix of entertainment that encourages clients to engage with the videos. Some great examples of this strategy put into practice would be from companies like Duolingo and Ryanair that mastered their TikTok platforms.
What do you think about bringing your company to Spain?
Whether a Spanish citizen or a foreigner, having a business in this country is challenging and rewarding. That’s because the rich culture and bright customer behaviour will take you to another world of advertising. But to succeed, you must learn to respect people’s customs and traditions, which weigh considerably in your strategy.
Spain is one of Europe’s most advanced technology hubs, so you don’t have to worry about the lack of infrastructure or tech penetration. However, you must be wary of competition and make a significant effort to place your business in the top market.
