4 eCommerce Marketing Trends To Watch Out For

The eCommerce marketing landscape is in a constant flux, propelled by shifts in consumer behavior and advancements in technology. 

Understanding these changes and staying up-to-date with them helps eCommerce brands stay competitive and build a deeper connection with their audience. 

So, in this article, we’ll look at the latest trends shaping eCommerce marketing, starting from the decline in social media usage to the surge in emotional spending among younger demographics. 

Also Read: 3 AI eCommerce Trends That are Doing The Rounds Now

Social Media will see Limited Customer Interactions

Social media faces a crisis of confidence, with over half of users (53%) believing its quality has significantly reduced in recent years. The sentiment is largely attributed to the widespread misinformation, rise of toxic communities, and the overwhelming number of fake accounts and bots that plague these platforms. 

This means people may use social media less and brands may find it difficult to engage with customers. 

Yes, brands can still stay on top of customers’ minds through loyalty programs or email marketing. But there’s a catch. 

Emails offer personalization and a direct line to customers but they can’t keep customers engaged on a regular basis. 

And traditional loyalty programs are a sinking ship. They’re impersonal, offer generic rewards, and lack the personalized touch that’s crucial in today’s competitive landscape. 

However, AI-powered loyalty programs like Raleon change the game. Our Loyalty co-pilot tailors rewards based on individual preferences and creates a valuable experience for each customer:

• Personalized loyalty experiences: By moving away from generic, one-size-fits-all rewards programs, Raleon creates a personal touch which deepens the brand connection and  makes customers more likely to return.

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• Custom ways to earn rewards: AI can segment customers more effectively based on their value, behavior, and preferences. This allows for the creation of tiered loyalty programs where higher-value customers receive more exclusive or tailored experiential benefits.

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• Continuous engagement: Raleon’s loyalty co-pilot analyzes store and customer data to deliver instant, tailored loyalty campaigns. This capability ensures that engagement is not only personalized but also timely, creating a feedback loop that encourages customers to engage, earn rewards, and make repeat purchases.

Lastly, Raleon can also optimize the loyalty campaigns automatically based on real-time feedback on customer experiences. This agility ensures that the program remains relevant and appealing to customers.

Social Media Apps are Driving Inspiration-Led Shopping

While one-half of consumers are cutting down on social media usage, the other half is going to embrace it as a shopping haven. 

Social media ads have become the primary way for Gen Z to find new brands and products, surpassing even search engines, and it’s easy to see why. 

Unlike traditional advertising, social media thrives on real people and their experiences. User-generated content (UGC) like reviews, tutorials, and unboxing videos build trust and showcase products in everyday life, making them more relatable and desirable.

Social media also fosters communities around shared interests, making product recommendations feel more like friendly advice than marketing.

Lastly, social media platforms drive impulse purchases by creating FOMO, thanks to their interactive and immersive nature. 

To cater to this half of the demographic and build lasting relationships with them, brands need to employ AI-based virtual assistants and chatbots. 

These tools are capable of handling inquiries in real-time, offering immediate product information, and suggesting relevant products to customers. 

They also monitor and analyze social media conversations and customer feedback to gauge public sentiment about products or brands. These insights can help businesses adjust their strategies, improve product offerings, and address customer concerns proactively.

Read More: 5 Shopify AI Plugins That will Help Improve Customer Experience

People-centric Content is going to Drive Higher Conversions

Over the past few months, Reddit has experienced an extraordinary surge in organic traffic, with site visits skyrocketing from 69 million to 200 million. This rise in traffic marks a significant shift compared to the previous 5 years, which saw minimal growth. 

Chris Long, an SEO expert and VP of Marketing at GoFish Digital attributes the sudden surge in traffic to Google prioritizing human-generated content encompassing first-hand experiences to differentiate itself from AI platforms like ChatGPT. 

In this context, the solution for brands looking to navigate and capitalize on these changes lies in harnessing AI tools themselves. 

AI-powered social listening tools monitor social media and other digital channels for mentions of a brand, its competitors, or industry-related terms. These tools analyze the data to identify trends, sentiment (positive, negative, neutral), and emerging issues or opportunities.

By understanding public perception and the conversation surrounding their brand, companies can engage more effectively with their audience, respond to feedback, address concerns, and join relevant conversations in a timely manner.

Brands can use these insights to create personalized challenges, contests, or campaigns that resonate with their audience to produce more user-generated content. 

Additionally, AI personalizes the content feeds of your website or app by curating a personalized UGC feed that resonates with your customer. This tailored approach ensures that users are presented with content that is most relevant and engaging to them. This elevates customer satisfaction and encourages further engagement, which turns casual visitors into loyal brand advocates.

Timely Promotions are Going to Pull in Emotional Spenders 

Emotional spending has gained significant traction among both millennials and Gen Z. Millennials frequently turn to impulsive purchases as a means of stress management, while more than two-thirds of Gen Z individuals attribute their increased shopping habits to having greater disposable income.

AI-based tools play a pivotal role in efficiently targeting customers through well-timed promotions and discounts, optimizing their appeal using sophisticated algorithms. 

Additionally, they enhance the checkout process by personalizing it according to customers' prior interactions and preferences. This includes remembering payment methods and shipping addresses, streamlining the purchasing experience for convenience and efficiency.

Engage More Customers And Stay Ahead of the Curve with Raleon

eCommerce marketing is undergoing a dynamic transformation, fueled by changing consumer behaviors and the rapid advancement of technology. Amidst this change, staying competitive requires brands to adopt innovative strategies and tools that cater to the evolving needs and expectations of their audience.

Raleon helps brands stand out in this crowded market, deepen relationships with customers and retain more of them by offering the ability to adapt and optimize loyalty campaigns in real-time to ensure that brands can maintain relevance and appeal to their customers.

To discover how Raleon helps engage more customers and improves retention and revenue, check out the Shopify app or talk to our loyalty expert today.