eCommerce Changed Shopping Forever. Millennials Want Ads Changed, Too.

The eCommerce industry is in an intriguing place where growth is exponential, but so is competition. According to Shopify, which also uses its platform to track trends in eCommerce, there’s another factor muddying the waters of online retail: eCommerce is seeing less of a return on traditional advertising.

If you’re thinking, Isn’t StoryStudio traditional advertising? we’d say, not quite.

Shopify goes on to say the most successful brands create social communities that humanize their products. That’s exactly what creating story content is – a way to take something transactional and make it personal, something two-dimensional and life-like. Experienced brands know that building loyalty takes true connection. Here are two of the latest trends in eCommerce content building that your brand should consider when creating engaging advertising.

Be Part of My Life 

Personalization is the name of the game in eCommerce shopping experiences, but as data collection mounts, a backlash has begun, with a new consortium of Millennial online shoppers flatly refusing to purchase products from retailers who require too much personal information. However, they’re willing to put aside data collection for brands that are aligned with their identity. It comes down to trust.

The biggest trend in content for eCommerce is finding a way to become part of the lives of your customers. Authentic stories, either of others who have made your product part of their everyday experiences or of your brand – how you make something, why something is important to you – will become social currency you can use to build brand loyalty on your socials.

Care About What I Care About

Gone are the days when shopping was apolitical. About two-thirds (65 percent) of millennials say they have boycotted a brand that took the opposing stance on an issue, 62 percent favor products that show off their political and social beliefs, and a whopping 83 percent want brands to align with them on values, according to a recent study released on PRdaily.com. While eCommerce brands are spared some of this scrutiny – no one’s expecting your friend on Etsy to publish a press release about the latest political in-fighting – still, there are some larger issues your customers care about that should be considered.

The number one issue for eCommerce brands should be sustainability. Eco-friendly marketing is one of the most successful at gaining customer loyalty. It’s tough because online shopping relies on shipping, but there are ways to do it as responsibly as possible. When you can claim the sustainability of your product, either in the way it’s made or how it arrives on your customer’s doorstep, that’s an extremely valuable point of differentiation.

Sustainability is just one example of a larger trend. Trend two for eCommerce content is identifying and communicating aligning values.

The good news is that eCommerce continues to grow. Even though people have the option to return to in-person shopping experiences, most of us would rather shop from our couch. Finding these people is going to take more than the traditional ad model. By using engaging content to find points of intersection with your customers and build trust – either by aligning with their values or by telling authentic stories – you’ll build lasting brand loyalty.