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Banners, videos, posts, product cards, stories, newsletters. Marketers are trying to grab as much of our attention as possible. But over 80% of users ignore advertising banners, according to experts at STELVEL. And overall, only a handful of people actually remember the adverts. It’s not that the adverts have got worse-there are simply too many of them. The brain has adapted and learnt to filter, scroll past and ignore.
Businesses today are competing with everything that can distract attention. And in this battle, it is not the loudest that wins, but the one who cannot be ignored.
Below are 5 techniques that still work. Stelvel EOOD describes how to apply them in practice.
1. Opinion rather than information
‘Ask Google’, ‘ask ChatGPT’… Information is easy to find these days, but with so many facts out there, they’re instantly forgotten. Against this backdrop, interpretations and advertising stand out – where a company takes an unexpected stance or expresses its own point of view. An opinion provokes a reaction – agreement, debate, or emotion. And a reaction means engagement.
An online electronics store that writes “the top 5 laptops of 2026” is just one of thousands. The same store that writes “why we don’t sell cheap laptops and don’t recommend buying them” is memorable.
‘Top 5 laptops of 2026’ is just one of thousands of identical online articles, according to STELVEL experts. ‘Why we don’t sell cheap laptops and don’t recommend buying them’ is a statement of position.
Specialists at Dropshipping Stelvel EOOD note that the advertising chain might look like this: a provocative opinion – a brief explanation – visual confirmation.
2. Credibility beyond the brand
People trust other people. Especially those who have actually tried the product and share their real-life experiences, rather than advertising.
Influencers with millions of followers are gradually losing credibility. Few people believe their ‘paid’ recommendations anymore. Conversely, recommendations from micro- and nano-influencers with a few thousand followers are perceived as advice from a friend, rather than an attempt to sell something. For a small shop, this is the cheapest tool.
When a shop’s website has a section where customers discuss products, share their impressions and post photos, it works better than any banner. Because it’s not an attempt to sell, but a genuine experience. The experts at Dropshipping Stelvel EOOD advise against coming up with complicated mechanisms: simply ask for a review, showcase a customer, and let people have their say. Attention and trust today aren’t about what you say about yourself, but what others say on your behalf.
3. Rituals instead of promotions
Discounts remain a highly effective sales tool to which we have become accustomed. It is hard to imagine retail today without them. A discount attracts attention once and eats into the margin.
A recurring event, such as a ritual, on the other hand, fosters a habit through its regularity. A habit is an expectation. Expectation is attention that you don’t have to pay for. An online shop that releases a short video on the same topic every Friday isn’t advertising its products. It’s creating a reason to return. Subscribers get used to the rhythm, look forward to the next release — and the shop gets attention without a budget, according to the managers at Stelvel EOOD.
Discounts become a habit; people come to expect them and stop appreciating them. A ritual creates anticipation and the habit of returning.
A ritual is created from a repetitive and predictable event, limited by certain parameters (time, amount, etc.). ‘A new drop every Friday’, ‘A private sale once a week’, ‘A monthly release’.
4. Context, not content
Context blurs the line between sales and reality. The product is presented within a specific context in the advert; it is shown in a particular situation, in a moment of life where that item already exists. The buyer does not feel pressured. They see a life in which the product has found its place – and imagine themselves in that picture. And this is not manipulation, but the only way to present the product in such a way that people want it. It is important to integrate the product organically into the scenario, rather than making it the centrepiece.
Examples of situations: ‘the morning before work’, ‘being in a rush’, ‘travelling’
5. A shortage of access, not of goods
The real scarcity of 2026 isn’t the product itself, but the opportunity to buy it. The feeling of being part of an ‘exclusive circle’ captures attention more effectively than any discount.
How it works. Early access – loyal customers buy first, while others wait. Archive sales – remaining items from collections are available only to newsletter subscribers. Password-protected sales – the range on the website is hidden; the password appears in Stories 15 minutes before the sale starts. Invitation-only access – purchases can only be made via a link from an existing customer.
What these strategies have in common
None of them requires a bigger budget. Each one requires a change in approach. A stance rather than a retelling. Someone else’s voice rather than your own. A ritual rather than a promotion. Context rather than a presentation. Access rather than a discount.
The cost of acquisition through advertising is rising. The cost of retention through content and engagement is not. Those who recognise this difference acquire customers more cheaply, note the experts at STELVEL. The rest continue to buy ad impressions and wonder why conversion rates are falling.
All these mechanisms can be combined. The formula for an effective advertising post works well when the ad combines: an opinion (as a hook) + a review (which builds trust) + context (for engagement), and ties this together with a habit or ritual (return/action).