eCom Unity #21 - Why Discovery Feeds Changed The Game

Deep Dive | Discovery Feeds & The New Rules of Paid Social

Over the last 2 years, a big shift has happened across paid social platforms.

Everybody is aware of it, but hardly any eCom brand has adjusted its paid social strategy accordingly.

In the past, most content was consumed in story feeds.

Whereas now more and more content is consumed in discovery feeds. TikTok, Reels, Shorts.

This is not new. But it’s changing the rules of paid social.

Because both of these placements are fundamentally different.

There’s this shift happening from expecting to see content from people I know (story feed), to expecting to see something unfamiliar that is just interesting (discovery feed).

This creates new opportunities that most brands haven’t caught up with yet.

In a story feed, every piece of content that does not contain a familiar face (aka someone I follow) is immediately flagged as an ad.

You need to be rapid in grabbing people’s attention to justify why they should watch this ad. Otherwise, people move on.

Here is your problem. Here is your solution. Straight to the point.

But in the discovery feed, that rule doesn’t apply anymore.

Sure, you still need to grab somebody’s attention.

But it does not need to be based around your product offering, as there is no immediate “this is an ad” flag once someone sees a face they don’t know.

I believe this creates the opportunity for a different kind of paid social ad.

Because that means your ads can do something wild now: blend in.

With content that is platform-native and leads with storytelling. Narratives that hook people before ever showing a product, and only later make that transition.

It might sound subtle, but if you think this through, I believe the ads that can work best look quite different to what most brands do today.

Let me show you two examples in the section below👇️.

Deep-Dive | Two Ads That Don’t Feel Like Ads

Let’s connect this shift to two real-world examples.

Example 1: Victoria’s Secret Secrets

I recently came across this on TikTok:

A woman appears with the headline:

“I was a Victoria's Secret model for 9 years, and this is what they forced us to do every single day to look perfect.”

@elaraa_health

No more gatekeeping🫣💖 #beautytips #beautyhacks #women #beautytransformation #skincaretips #model #youthful #modeling #vicsecret #newyork #fy

The video starts with creating instant credibility by showing her walking the actual runway.

Now you’re hooked. Not because of a product, but because of a story.

Then she shares her old routine.

Chia seeds to grow your bust size, an oatmeal-honey mask for smooth skin, a weekly celery smoothie.

Looking perfect by using home remedies and approachable routines? Please go on.

It’s only at this point that actual product placements slide in naturally:

• Marvis toothpaste. The only one they were allowed to use for white teeth in two weeks.

• Seraphina hormone balance supplement. Making them smell like flowers downstairs in less than a week.

And for the viewer’s convenience, she added the link to her personal recommendation of that supplement from Amazon in her bio.

The product pitch? It comes 8 hooks later.

But by then, you’re bought into the story, not just the product. It feels like a natural next step, not an interruption.

This format is repeatable and already trending with millions of views.

I’ve seen the same concept spun as: “I was a sheikh’s wife for 10 years and here’s what he forced me to do.”

Same structure, just with a different persona. They don’t lead with the offer, they lead with curiosity.

Right now, it’s mostly beauty and supplement brands using this play.

But honestly, I think the format could apply across all categories where storytelling is possible.

Obviously, you could argue around the ethics of such, I am assuming, fake ad. But that’s a different conversation.

Example 2: True Classic

I showed you this ad here a few months ago already, talking about amplifying viral content to build brand awareness.

When I first saw this TikTok from True Classic, I thought: “Nice story. Bit of a tearjerker.”

Then it clicked. This is an ad. But it doesn’t act like one.

@trueclassic

We show up for humans. ❤️🙏🏼@Zachery Dereniowski @ryanbartlett

In the video, they’re talking to a guy named Mario, pretending to ask him for money. Turns out, Mario has been through some rough stuff himself.

By the end, they give him $100k, a job, and, of course, a True Classic wardrobe.

1M views across two posts.

True Classic is hitting the top of funnel with a video that:

• doesn’t look like an ad

• retains 5x more viewers than a standard ad

• introduces their brand in a super positive light

Now you’re looking at brand awareness at 60 - 80% lower CPV than regular ads (full calculation of this in this past episode).

In a world of discovery feeds, this format works.

And True Classic proves it.

Their content is platform-native. It weaves in the brand naturally, only after building real emotional buy-in.

Upcoming Events | Meet JACKS beauty line & saint sass tonight

For the last-minute folks in Berlin: come by tonight.

The community is meeting at the JACKS beauty line office tonight to get to know this great beauty brand together with fashion brand saint sass. Last minute signup here.

I cannot be there myself, but a few people from my team will join.

And here’s what else is coming up:

• 🐻 Meet the Brand: Bears with Benefits | June 5, 2025 @ Munich
  Signup here

• 🧦 Meet the Brand: SNOCKS | July 03, 2025 @ Mannheim
  Signup here

• 🎉 K5 Pre-Party | June 23, 2025 @ Berlin
  Signup here

Thank you for reading :)

I am on a mission to help eCom brands build better, more profitable businesses. If you missed any past issues, you can catch up on all of them here.

I have built one 8-figure and one 9-figure eCom brand in the past, and with Klar, I work with over 1,000 eCom brands today.

If you have specific questions you would like me to cover next, just reply to this email.

Have a great week.

Max ✌️

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