Because of the relaxed lifestyle in Spain, it's easy to think that marketing skills don't count here. However don't be deceived: success still depends on getting your marketing mix right, in terms of medium, content and tone - and more than ever in times of economic uncertainty.
Knowing your customers, communicating with them, and projecting the right image are essential to your business, especially in this era of Social Media Marketing, where you can engage and interact with your customers effectively, using so many different channels - words, images, video, forums, messages (one-third of the Spanish population is on Facebook) - so that they spread the word about your product or service. In Andalucia, the market encompasses many international communities, in addition to the local Spanish population - bear in mind that the common language is English.
Public Relations still has a role to play, in terms of maintaining a brand's public image, and also managing queries and expectations in person, but this should work hand-in-hand with Social Media. Many companies contract these services to experts in the field - the world of SM changes day by day and hour by hour, so you need someone who is up on the latest trends in order to keep your website traffic up and your audience constantly engaged. Content needs to be updated regularly, as it gets out-of-date fast.
Many brands now consider building personal relationships with their client base to be a key part of their marketing strategy, using Social Media activities such competitions and special offers exclusive to Facebook, and inviting feedback and suggestions from customers. The customers are interacting with the brand on different levels, and they feel their opinions are valued; their approval is passed on to friends via social networks, and to their friends - peer recommendation is a highly valued currency in today's marketing world.
You need to have an integrated marketing strategy to promote your business or service effectively. This can include the following elements:
- Website with blog
- Online/TV/print advertising
- Sponsorship
- Special events
- Competitions
- Social Media: Linked In, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, Google +, Instagram (NB all are linked back to, and from, the main website)
- Public Relations
- Direct Marketing
These days most ad campaigns have moved from TV and print to digital and social media - websites and Facebook, using forms of direct client engagement and relationship-building.
This is a good report into social media in Spain, from June 2012.
Here are some statistics about Social Media in Spain:
- Spain has 16.6 million Facebook users (one-third of the population) and 13 million Tuenti users
- Mobile penetration is 109.7% - more than one mobile phone per person
- Internet is available on more than 50% of mobile devices
- Spanish people watch an average of 178.6 videos per month
- Nearly 50% of people use a personal social network every day, and 35% use a professional social network at least twice a week.
As an example of how Spanish companies are using SM, some Spanish airlines have more than 200,000 Facebook likes, while Spanish hotel groups have up to 60,000 followers on Twitter. Some Spanish travel and accommodation groups' YouTube channels have had up to two million views.
Source: WTM Social Media Report Spain June 2012
