Most online stores don’t fail because of bad products. They fail because their ads don’t make people feel anything.

E-commerce has become louder, busier, and more expensive. Customer acquisition costs have jumped nearly 40% since 2023, while attention spans have become shorter. Shoppers scroll fast, and if your ad doesn’t speak to them instantly, they’re gone.

The businesses winning right now are the ones that slow people down. They tell stories that feel real, use emotion to build trust, and make every ad feel like it was made for the person watching.

If you want your e-commerce ads to actually sell, focus less on perfection and more on connection. Here are 8 e-commerce advertising strategies that people not only watch but also remember.

Key Takeaway

• Storytelling drives stronger results.

People connect with stories, not sales pitches. Ads that show real moments and emotions hold attention longer and build lasting trust.

• Authentic content earns credibility.

Viewers believe people more than polished brands. Honest, natural clips feel genuine and create stronger customer confidence.

• Data makes creativity smarter.

Testing small variations reveals what truly engages your audience. Every insight helps refine future campaigns for better performance.

• Video is the format that converts.

Short, real, and relatable videos outperform high-production ads. They’re easier to watch, share, and remember.

• Solara helps brands grow through smarter storytelling.

Solara makes it easy to create human, high-performing video ads and track what works. It helps brands connect authentically and scale faster without the heavy lift.

1. Lead With Storytelling, Not Discounts

The best e-commerce ads don’t start with “20% off.” They start with a story. Emotional storytelling ads perform 31% better on average than purely promotional ones.

When people scroll, they’re not looking for another sale, but something that feels familiar, something that fits their life.

Take Chamberlain Coffee, for example. It’s a sustainable coffee brand, built around calm, relatable morning rituals instead of loud promotions. 

Their ads don’t scream for attention. They just show someone making a cup before class, chatting with a friend, or sitting in the sun. They share relatable moments that make you think, “yeah, I could use that right now”.

Here’s what makes this work:

• Don’t overproduce,  use natural light, and genuine reactions go further than glossy product shots.
• People buy the lifestyle, not just the item. Show them what life looks like with your product in it.
• One quick clip that feels honest will always beat a long, perfect ad.

Pro Tip: A simple 10-second video showing how your product fits into a normal day can do more for sales than another discount code. Emotion builds loyalty while discounts just build transactions.

2. Build Trust With Real People

People can spot a fake ad from a mile away. That’s why some of the most successful brands right now are letting their customers do the talking. 92% of consumers trust recommendations from real people over branded content.

You’ve probably seen this with Glossier or Olaplex. Two beauty brands that built empires by focusing on authenticity instead of perfection.

Watch this Glossier ad:

And here’s one from Olapex:

Their ads feel like something a friend might send, real people showing how they use a product in their day-to-day life. No filters, no scripts, just small, honest moments that make you believe it works.

If you want to try this for your brand:

• Ask your happiest customers to share short clips or reviews.
• Partner with creators who already like your product,  not just ones with the biggest following.
• Keep it raw. Let people talk in their own voice and film in their own space.

The less it feels like an ad, the more people trust it.

Pro Tip: Solara helps brands turn these real clips into polished, ready-to-run ads without losing that authenticity. You still get the emotion and personality, just with better lighting and sound.

3. Let Data Inform Your Creative Decisions

Good marketing isn’t about guessing but noticing what works and doing more of it. Marketers who use data see up to 5-8% higher ROI on campaigns. The smartest e-commerce brands treat their content like an experiment. Every post, every ad, every caption is a small test that teaches them something about what their audience actually cares about.

Maybe your customers click faster when the product is shown in use. Maybe they watch longer when there’s a person on screen. Those small signals matter. When you study them, your creative ideas stop being random and start being repeatable.

Gymshark is a good example of a brand that has mastered this balance. They constantly test creative styles and double down on what earns the most attention. Over time, their ads look good and feel smart because they’re made from real audience behavior.

Here is how to make that happen:

• Look at which posts get people to stop scrolling and which ones they ignore.
• Test a few versions of the same ad with small changes in tone or format, like a product demo versus a lifestyle clip, and prioritize the one that earns more engagement or longer watch time.
• Pay attention to the comments. They often tell you what the analytics cannot.

Pro Tip: Solara’s Scan helps you see exactly what is working by tracking engagement, conversions, and performance across every platform. 

4. Personalize Every Ad Experience

People notice when something feels made just for them. In a world where every feed looks the same, personalization is what makes someone stop scrolling. Personalized ads can increase conversion rates by up to 80%. This means brands winning in e-commerce today are the ones that use what they know about their customers to create ads that feel personal.

That could mean showing different visuals based on location, changing the tone for first-time shoppers, or featuring products someone has already looked at. It is not about being invasive; it is about being thoughtful.

A good example is Nike, which personalizes its ads around how people actually use its products. Runners see running gear, yogis see yoga apparel, and each feels like the brand understands them.

Here are ways to do it well:

• Segment your audience by behavior or interest before you launch campaigns.
• Customize your copy and visuals to match each group’s goals or style.
• Use data from past purchases or interactions to recommend what comes next.
• Keep testing. What feels relevant this month might change the next.

Pro Tip: Solara makes personalization easier by studying audience engagement and automatically adjusting your ad variations.

5. Make Video Your Primary Format

Video isn’t optional anymore. It is the language of the internet. 82% of shoppers are more likely to buy after watching a product video. Whatever you’re selling, people want to see your product in action before they buy. That’s why short-form video has become the most powerful format for e-commerce marketing.

The best videos don’t need high production value. They need clarity, emotion, and a story that feels real. A 15-second clip showing how a product fits into someone’s daily life can outperform a glossy ad that took weeks to shoot.

TALA has built huge momentum this way. Video ads are their primary format, and they use TikTok actively as a means to share their videos. Their ads look like something a friend might post, like a genuine, quick, and easy watch. That kind of customer-facing video earns trust and attention at the same time.

Here is what works right now:

• Start with a strong hook in the first three seconds.
• Focus on showing, not telling. Demonstrate the product naturally.
• Keep the tone conversational and the energy light.
• End with a clear reason to act, even if it’s just “Shop now.” Tala, for instance, often ends its video ads with “Shop in store or online using the link in bio”. 

Pro Tip: Solara helps brands turn simple clips or ideas into UGC-style videos with AI avatars and real customer footage. It is an easy way to produce video ads that feel personal and authentic without needing a studio or editing team.

6. Turn Your Customers Into Creators

People trust people more than they trust brands. That’s why some of the most successful e-commerce ads in 2025 are created not by agencies but by real customers. When someone sees another person genuinely using and enjoying a product, it feels believable in a way no polished ad ever could.

User-generated content, or UGC, is how brands make that connection. It’s raw, honest, and easy to relate to. A quick video review filmed on a phone can outperform a full studio shoot because it feels real.

Olipop is one brand that has mastered this. They repost real customer clips that feel fun and unfiltered, turning everyday users into their most persuasive marketers.

Here’s how to make UGC work for your brand:

• Encourage happy customers to share their experiences and tag your brand.
• Turn authentic testimonials into short ads or story highlights.
• Offer small rewards or features for people who create content.
• Keep the editing light because the charm is in the authenticity.

Pro Tip: Use Solara to transform real customer stories into ready-to-launch UGC-style ads. It builds authentic video campaigns using your footage or AI avatars that match your brand voice.

7. Optimize Every Touchpoint for Mobile

Most shoppers now discover, research, and buy products directly from their phones. In fact, mobile now drives 73% of all e-commerce traffic. That means if your ad, landing page, or checkout process isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re losing potential sales before they even begin.

Mobile optimization is about more than just making things fit on a smaller screen. It’s about creating a smooth, fast experience that feels effortless from the first tap to the final purchase.

A good example is Warby Parker, which has reimagined mobile shopping to feel like a personal assistant. Their app lets customers virtually try on glasses using real-time camera filters, check local store availability, and even book eye exams in one place. 

Here’s what matters most:

• Keep videos short and vertical so they play perfectly on social feeds.
• Use bold text and clear visuals that stand out on smaller screens.
• Make sure your landing pages load quickly and buttons are easy to tap.
• Simplify checkout; the fewer steps, the better.

Pro Tip: Solara automatically tests ad performance across devices and formats. It ensures your videos, visuals, and landing pages are optimized for mobile, helping you deliver the best version of your campaign everywhere your audience is.

8. Win Back the Clicks That Got Away

Not everyone buys the first time they see your ad, and that’s okay. Retargeting helps you bring those people back, but the secret is to do it with purpose, not pressure.

The smartest brands in 2025 use retargeting to tell a story, not to chase clicks. They build sequences that move people from curiosity to trust to action. Each ad feels like the next chapter, not the same message repeated over and over.

A good example is Temu, which excels at winning back curious shoppers who didn’t buy right away. Their follow-up ads often feature items you recently browsed, paired with limited-time discounts or “trending now” alerts. It’s smart retargeting done with urgency and precision, reminding you why you clicked in the first place.

Here’s how to do it right:

• Start by retargeting people who engaged with your video or visited a key page.
• Show them a follow-up ad that answers questions or shows real results.
• Use storytelling to build credibility.
• Limit frequency so your ads are welcomed, not annoying.

Pro Tip: Solara’s Growth Analyzer automatically installs tracking pixels and creates retargeting audiences across Meta, TikTok, and Google. 

Create Smarter Ecommerce Ads With Solara

Most brands know what they want to say, but struggle to turn it into ads that actually connect. Solara makes that part easy. It’s an all-in-one AI marketing agency that helps ecommerce businesses create short-form videos, product stories, and social media ads that feel human and perform better.

With Solara, you can turn a single idea or product clip into dozens of ad variations made for Meta, TikTok, or Google. It builds campaigns that look real, sound natural, and learn from what’s working, all without needing a full creative team behind you.

Here’s what it helps you do:

• Create and automate UGC videos and AI avatar ads that look and sound real.
• Automate ad testing and performance tracking so your best ideas get seen more often.
• Use the Scan to find gaps and what drives clicks, sales, and engagement.
• Let the AI Voice Secretary handle calls, bookings, and customer follow-ups.
• Auto-publish blog content and retargeting pixels to keep your brand visible everywhere.

Solara gives growing brands the kind of creative power usually reserved for large teams. It keeps your content consistent, fast to produce, and easy to improve with every campaign.

If you want to build ecommerce ads that feel natural and still deliver strong results, Solara helps you do it, simply and effectively.

Ready to boost your sales?

Try Solara AI and see how effortless it can be to make ads that people actually stop to watch.