5 Things Spain Can Teach You About Social Media

I recently returned from a little R&R. We took a week and a half long vacation to Seville, Spain. We went to visit my little sister – she’s been studying abroad there for the Fall Semester of her junior year.

I didn’t expect to learn much about social media while I was away, but when you love something it’s always with you. Yes, even during my oh-so-needed digital detox, I couldn’t help thinking about the social sphere.

Here are the five things Spain taught me about social media.

Keep It Clean

I’ve lived in small towns, big cities and most everything in between. All of them had trash and litter strewn about in certain places. But not Seville. You can order your plate of JAMÓN IBÉRICO and aged Manchego cheese and practically eat it off the pristine streets.

And there are plenty of smokers wandering around, but I didn’t see one — NOT ONE! — cigarette butt on the ground in the 10 days we were there.

Sure, you see plenty of spray paint and tagging on some of the ancient walls, but you won’t find a bit of trash.

The Lesson: No matter how tempted you are to tear down a passive aggressive troll, walk away and let the trash be trash. Let your streams be as nice and immaculate as those in Seville.

Rich But Small

As mentioned above, we had our fill of plates with succulent ham, aged-to-perfection cheeses, and melt-in-your mouth olives. The Spanish have mealtime down to an art … the art of tapas!

Of course, as greedy, over-fed Americans we started out ordering the full “ración” (ration). We skipped right over the 1/2 ración and tapas. Our mistake. (Our tummies paid dearly).

Eventually we learned that the rich little plates — no matter how exquisite the food — needed to be consumed in small doses to maintain the constant cycle of eating and drinking, eating and drinking.

The Lesson: The same goes with content. Create rich snippets and small bits to be continuously consumed. A barrage of content can be hard to digest  so make it rich (valuable) but consumable. Keep people coming back for more by creating that continuous cycle. 

Siesta! (Seriously)

The Spanish really do participate in Siesta after lunch; lunch is the largest meal of their day – and this is where the 1/2 or whole portions are acceptable! The adorable little shops lined up and down the impossibly small streets even close during siesta.

Nearly everyone participates in this tradition. It helps society rest a bit and prepare for late nights (dinner usually starts at 9PM!) – and is really quite useful in the summer when temperatures can be unbearable (keep in mind most people don’t have air conditioning).

This little nap really helped us find our footing and recuperate from jet lag. It also helped us enjoy much longer days and nights so we could pack our trip full of fun festivities.

The Lesson: Everyone needs a break. I’m guilty of sitting in front of my computer for 12+ hours a day. This took more of a toll on me than I knew. I’ve come back from Spain with the promise to myself to say no more often and to take more breaks. This really can help with energy and feeling like your creative juices are zapped – a must when social media demands content that inspires and informs. 

Focus On Design

Perhaps the streets were so clean because the Spanish don’t want anything to take away from their jaw-dropping architecture. I’m lucky enough to understand and speak the language, but even if I didn’t the buildings spoke for themselves.

Walking through some of the grandiose and larger than life Cathedrals, I could practically envision the history that once took place inside of them. I didn’t need a tour guide to tell me how important Christopher Columbus was to the Spanish, his tomb [pictured below] alone conveyed that message.

The Lesson:  Find visuals that can tell your story. Have a scheme, a color theme, and/or a mascot (like Dude!). Conjure up something that when viewed immediately entices the reader to take a closer look – and make sure they know this is something coming from your brand, too. 

Surprise & Delight

While visiting the Real Alcázar de Sevilla, which was modeled after Alhambra de Granada, our senses were delighted with breathtaking buildings, gardens and pottery – some dating back to the 15th century.

And just went you thought there couldn’t be any more beauty to to see, you come into a courtyard that has several male and female peacocks roaming freely. I’m pretty sure I squealed with delight upon seeing this.

The Lesson: Even when you think things are “perfect” you can do better. Go above and beyond. Continuously surprise your audiences, customers and potential leads. Say thank you more often than not. When you do these things, it automatically sets you apart and delivers top-notch service. 

Although I’m happy to be back home, I already miss the Spanish lifestyle. I’m committed to bring the above lessons into my own life — and social media presence — and therefore will be sure not to miss it too much!

What about you? Have you ever travelled abroad or had digital detox and come back with some great lessons? I’d love to hear about them in the comments below!

See you in the social sphere!

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Brooke B. Sellas

Brooke B. Sellas is the in-the-trenches Founder & CEO of @HelloBSquared, an award-winning social media, advertising, and social media customer care agency. She's also the author of Conversations That Connect -- a book all about social listening and social media customer care. Brooke's marketing mantra is “Think Conversation, Not Campaign” so be sure to give her a shout on the socials!

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