This blog post was updated on 18 October 2024.
Spain is an attractive prospect to many businesses looking to expand internationally, and there are several reasons why.
The first reason is its size: it is a relatively large country, with a sizeable population, which means there will likely be a market for your product.
It is also a digitally mature nation. As of October 2024, Spain has a population of 47.5 million people. Of these people, around 95% are currently online.
Another reason is its strategic geographical location. Located at the mouth of the Mediterranean Sea, it is well-connected to Western Europe and North Africa, meaning it is well-placed to do business with brands with a physical presence in either of these locations.
The appeal of this market only grows stronger when you realise that the Spanish government has adopted the Digital Spain Agenda 2026, which aims to improve the country’s digital prospects even further through the development of digital infrastructures, the promotion of innovation and entrepreneurship, the improvement of digital skills and training, the digitisation of public administration, and the improvement of cybersecurity.
However, it can be challenging to enter a new market. Never fear, this blog post is here to shed light on how best to harness the power of digital marketing to succeed in Spain.
Here are three things you need to know about digital marketing in Spain if you want to succeed in the country.
1. Language in Spain
Spanish (sometimes also referred to as Castilian, or Castilian Spanish) is the only official language that applies to the whole of Spain, but there are several other languages that have co-official status in their specific regions: Galician (in Galicia), Catalan (in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands), Basque (in the Basque Country and part of Navarre), Valencian (in Valencia) and Aranese (in the Aran Valley). These languages all have significant usage, with the exception of Aranese (so you can probably safely exclude Aranese from your digital marketing strategy).
If your localisation budget is limited and you can only create content in one language, make sure to focus on Spanish, because, as mentioned before, this is the only language spoken across all regions of Spain.
However, if you have additional budget and are targeting one or more of the special areas mentioned above (Galicia, Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, the Basque Country, Navarre or Valencia), you may also want to create your content in the corresponding co-official language (Galician, Catalan, Basque or Valencian).
2. Social media in Spain
Social media is very popular in Spain. Research by Meltwater and We Are Social found that amongst its sample of Spanish internet users, 87% were social media users. The average internet user spends 1 hour and 54 minutes on social media every day and uses an average of 6 social platforms every month. The most common reasons for using social media are keeping in touch with friends and family, filling spare time, and reading news stories.
You should use social media to communicate and engage with potential customers, and it is also a useful way of understanding and getting to know your target audience. You should aim to create content that triggers emotions in users by offering real value or a real connection with your brand.
3. E-commerce in Spain
E-commerce is popular, although it still has plenty of growth ahead of it. 58% of Spaniards have made a purchase using a mobile phone or the internet in the past year. In 2022, online B2C sales were worth around €67 billion annually.
Be aware that there are seasonal fluctuations in the Spanish e-commerce calendar, when people are more likely to buy. January and July are when the winter and summer sales take place respectively, when big discounts encourage Spanish shoppers to buy. Black Friday (taking place on the last Friday of November) has also become popular in Spain. And, of course, in the run up to Christmas, people are busy buying gifts for family and friends. Make sure you tap into this seasonality when selling your products and coming up with your marketing materials.
Want to learn more?
I hope this has given you a useful introduction to digital marketing in Spain. For more in-depth information, read our free guide here. From reading this guide, you will learn:
- the current digital landscape in the country, including internet penetration rates
- the typical Spanish internet user, including their demographics and online activities
- device usage breakdowns and internet speeds in Spain
- search engine marketing in Spain
- how to localise your website for Spain
- social media marketing in Spain
- the local culture and language in Spain
- e-commerce in Spain
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Great information on Spanish language … thank you