Introduction: The Importance of Digital Marketing Trends in Spain

As a marketing agency based in Spain, we are deeply embedded in the dynamic world of digital marketing. We understand the importance of keeping our finger on the pulse of current “digital marketing trends”, especially in vibrant, evolving markets like our home turf – Spain. We believe in the power of localization and the importance of understanding local markets to achieve marketing success. That’s why in this article, we are taking a closer look at four significant digital marketing trends that are gaining traction right here in Spain: brand content, esports, influencer marketing, and affiliate marketing.

We want to delve deeper into local issues and tendencies that affect our work as marketers, and share this knowledge with our audience. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive understanding of how these strategies are transforming the way businesses in Spain interact with their consumers, helping them stand out in the increasingly competitive digital landscape.

Join us as we explore these trends and discover the unique ways in which they are shaping the future of digital marketing in Spain.

The Rise of Brand Content: An Ascending Digital Marketing Trend

Brand content is a trend on the rise, with the emergence of short videos and the increase in internet usage by consumers since the Covid-19 pandemic forcing companies to offer their customers and target audiences more brand content.

Furthermore, traditional advertising formats have lost credibility with consumers, who have learned to detect and reject them as biased information from the manufacturer. In this sense, the modern consumer favours a new type of message that encourages the establishment of two-way conversations.

The task of creating and disseminating content involves researching what the consumer needs to know and offering it in a relevant and persuasive way, and includes four distinct phases:

• Formulate our organizational and brand objectives.
• Investigate the information needs of the target audience.
• Determine what we want to achieve with our content strategy, i.e., what perception we want to modify or what type of behaviour we want to stimulate.
• Decide the product to communicate and the type of content we create and disseminate (information, video, photography, applications, games, etc.).

Esports: An Innovative Digital Marketing Trend

While there are many esports, the five major genres that dominate the industry today are first-person shooters (FPS), battle royale games, multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA), collectable card games, and fighting or “fighters” games. These games represent a $27 billion industry, backed by multimillion-dollar investments from Amazon, Facebook, Tencent, etc. This implies broadcasts on national television chains, full academic scholarships, multimillion-dollar prizes, and sponsors like Louis Vuitton or BMW, allocating seven-figure budgets to esports. All this is surrounded by billions of fans, mostly under 30, cheering for a “digital victory.”

The Power of Influencer Marketing: A Developing Digital Marketing Trend

Nothing influences people more than the recommendation of a friend or a trusted person. This simple statement underpins influencer marketing. An influencer, in the internet context, is any person with a faithful following on major social networks, like Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, or Instagram. These followers, in turn, spread the influencer’s messages.

The influencer profile, originating from the world of blogs and possessing their personal brand image, primarily operates in the fields of fashion, lifestyle, technology, and video games. 

Among other benefits, influencer marketing offers:

• Users value the opinions of influencers more.
• Greater persuasive power than traditional advertising.
• Unaffected by browser ad-blockers or the increasing blindness to traditional ads.
• Generates more authentic content about the brand.
• Lower cost than other types of advertising.
• Improves SEO.

According to the BrandManic study, the favourite communication channel for brands to work with influential profiles was Instagram (67% of respondents), followed by Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and blogs.

Affiliate Marketing: The Word-of-Mouth Digital Marketing Trend

When customers are truly satisfied with their relationship with a company, some of them act as real prescribers of the products and services that the company sells, among their group of friends and acquaintances. This is known as viral marketing.

Currently, companies use strategies towards word-of-mouth marketing. They try to identify and attract consumers who act as pioneers in adopting a product or service and who have a wide network of contacts and influences. In this way, they can behave as salespeople for the company itself, but without receiving any salary or commission for their work.

In terms of viral marketing and the channels it uses to develop, we should note that it occurs both online (through affiliate marketing and email) and offline (through personal interaction and telephone). As for affiliate marketing, it involves obtaining a presence on other websites, through the placement of hyperlinks, for example, to a specific webpage.

Conclusion: How Digital Marketing Trends are Shaping the Future of Marketing in Spain

Brand content has emerged as a powerful marketing tool, driven by the rise in internet consumption and consumer demand for more authentic and meaningful content. Esports, valued at $27 billion and backed by investments from tech giants and luxury brands, represent a new and exciting marketing channel.

Influencer marketing, rooted in trust and authenticity, has shown to have great persuasive power, outperforming traditional ads. Lastly, affiliate marketing leverages customer satisfaction to foster word-of-mouth marketing, providing a valuable web presence. Together, these digital marketing trends are shaping the future of brand communication and customer interaction in Spain.