Some companies are reluctant to expand into Spain because of the negative effects the economic crisis has had on the country.
However, with 85% of the Spanish population being online, and the country’s e-commerce market expected to grow by more than €5 million in the next three years, the forward-thinking digital marketer should consider the potential of the Spanish market.
Here are three things you need to know about digital marketing in Spain if you want to succeed in the country.
1. Language
Castilian Spanish is the official language of Spain, but there are four other co-official languages in the corresponding Autonomous Communities: Galician (Galicia), Catalan (Catalonia and the Balearic Islands), Basque (the Basque Country) and Valencian (Valencia region). There are other minor languages such as Aragonese or Asturian, but these have not been officially recognised. When entering the Spanish market, it is essential that companies target the correct variant of Spanish for the area of the country that they are targeting, and pay special attention to the local differences.
2. Social media
Social media is very popular in Spain, with over 19 million Spaniards using social media, according to the latest survey from the Interactive Advertising Bureau. The most popular platforms are Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram, followed by Spotify, LinkedIn, Google+, and Pinterest. Compared to figures from 2016, YouTube’s popularity has increased, while Facebook’s has decreased. When it comes to frequency of use, WhatsApp takes the lead with an average of five hours per week, followed by Spotify and Facebook.
3. E-commerce
E-commerce in Spain is growing rapidly, with around 23.6 million online shoppers. When compared to 2016, Spanish e-commerce grew by 23.4% in 2017. While price used to be the main driver for online purchases, convenience and fast delivery now take the lead, followed closely by a great range of products exclusively sold online.
I hope this has given you a useful introduction to digital marketing in Spain. For more in-depth information, read our free guide here.

Yolanda Suarez

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- 3 things to know about digital marketing in Spain - June 8, 2018
Great information on Spanish language … thank you