How to choose the right Christmas present

Christmas morning, you are about to open Santa's presents. Full of energy, anxious and happy... but five seconds later you feel disappointed. Why did Santa pick up the wrong present? Well, Santa didn't follow these easy steps when buying Xmas presents.

Some of Santa's presents. By Mike Fleming

The present is not for you!
Tired of getting shocks or scarves every year? When you are buying for someone else, you just need to think about other's needings and likes before buying something you like. Your Grandpa doen't want a Premium Spotify subscription, although I would love Santa would buy me one.

Be creative!
Little budgets require an extra creativity, which can be developed in two aspects: the packaging and the present itself. Every year my friends and I hold a Secret Santa. Presents should be under 5€, so creativity is a must. I bought my friend a Cadbury caramel bar and this original IKEA lamp. My friend loved them.

Be social!
Use peer to peer opinions to find the right present. Ask the "experts". In my case, having a camera makes me the person everyone ask when they want a new camera. Between you and me: I have no idea about cameras. I am only an expert in Google and Social Media research.

Use Internet and Social Media to compare!
Comparing features and prices is easier with Internet and Social Media networks. So, when people ask me for advice, I look up and compare on Internet some cameras, I select some ones between the budget and I pick the right one. I also have a few photographers friends, whom I ask, too.

Follow the trends!
Be viral! If a product is very trendy, if it has been sold in mass... your teenager daughter/son would love it. Pay attention not to spend loads on it, as viral products are usually quite expensive, too. When not sure, just review the 5 tips list I have given you.

Good luck finding the right present and Merry Christmas!

What is the most effective Social Media network in Spain?

When doing business abroad, it is vital to have into account the similarities and differences in the choosing of Social Media networks. British people have a different behaviour than Spanish one. As I am Spanish, I have decided my first post will talk about which Social Media platform should be used to succeed in Spain. 

Source: mkhmarketing

Did you know Spain is the 5th country of the world in the use of Social Media? 

Apparently, Spanish enjoy building online relationships as much as they like establishing offline ones. So, if a British company wants to internasionalisate and decides to go to Spain, one of the first steps should be designing a Social Media plan. Another important detail should not be forgotten: Social Media pages should be translated into Spanish if Social Media strategy is focus in customers. 

Another interesting point is that the 60% of Spanish believe what their friends recommends online and only a 18% do not believe social recommendations, these figures meaning a high confidence of the Word-of-Mouth between Spaniards. 

So what Social Media shall be used in Spain?

It depends. It basically depends on the target, although there is a Social Media platform common for all ages in Spain: Facebook. According to Socialdente, 16 millions of Spaniards have a Facebook account. Facebook should definitely be imprescindible. Not convinced yet?. What if I tell you Facebook is the second most visited page in Spain? 

Source: Mashable

On the other hand, Twitter has become very popular, achieving 4,5 millions of accounts in 2012, which makes Spain the 3rd in the rank of World Twitter penetration (Source: Mashable), after Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. In my opinion, though, Twitter's penetration is quite important in the urban and most populated areas of the country, while other Social Media networks may be more influential in rural areas of Spain. Its users are, generally, young people and professional adults. Besides, the also high penetration of smarthpones in this country has definitely beneficed Twitter. 

What is Tuenti?

Source: Tuenti

If your target is very young, Tuenti should be your first choice, as it is very important in Spain. Maybe its popularity is the reason why Telefonica has recently acquired the 100% of the company, or maybe it is the fact that Tuenti is growing notably in the Americas market. Besides, Tuenti achieved 12 millions of users in 2011, 90% of whom are from 14 to 35 years old. 

What should I use to B2B communication?

Definitely LinkedIn. The 4th most important Social Media network in Spain is LinkedIn, having 2 million of users in Spain. Recruiting through LinkedIn is not very common between Spaniards, but it is often used as a professional agenda of contacts. Personally, I strongly believe LinkedIn has a huge potential in Spain. Time will tell.