Stefy Krushkelova is the Founder of NOVARA Consulting, a digital marketing consultancy that eCommerce consumer brands turn to when they are ready to build their brand communities. She helps shape marketing strategy and content direction that drive revenue growth, improve LTV and AOV, and enable meaningful brand partnerships. Her approach to content direction is informed by early academic work in product positioning, developed during her bachelor’s thesis. With 14+ years of experience spanning digital and traditional marketing, sales, and business development, Stefy began her career at Nestlé and APRA Porter Novelli. This foundation shaped her understanding of both large-scale brand strategy and the human side of marketing. She has since held fractional CMO and Head of Partnerships and Community roles at international companies. She has also led product launch campaigns and GTM strategies across multiple markets. Since 2020, Stefy has been building online brand communities for eCommerce brands across the US, UK, and Australia. Her work has included collaborations with celebrities and influencers, as well as cross-promotional campaigns with established international brands. Her work sits at the intersection of community building, retention strategy, revenue growth, and partnerships development. She designs systems that turn customers into loyal advocates and communities into compounding business assets. Stefy is currently pursuing an MSc in Cognitive Science, expanding her understanding of decision-making, attention, and information processing in the brain. This academic work directly informs how NOVARA Consulting approaches marketing strategy, bridging the gap between consumer psychology and business growth.
From Audience to Business Asset: Building Online Communities That Drive Retention and Revenue for E-commerce Brands
Stefy Krushkelova
NOVARA Consulting
Recap:
At Balkan eCommerce Summit 2026, Stefy Krushkelova explored how online communities can evolve from simple audience groups into long-term business assets for eCommerce brands. The session focused on the idea that modern consumers no longer want only transactions – they want connection, belonging, trust, and authentic engagement with the brands they support. Using personal stories, practical examples, and strategic insights, the lecture demonstrated how communities can directly impact retention, advocacy, customer lifetime value, and long-term revenue growth.
Community Starts with Genuine Product Love
Stefy opened the lecture with a personal story about struggling with dry skin for years before discovering a product that genuinely changed her life. Her emotional connection to the brand naturally turned her into a passionate advocate long before influencer marketing became mainstream.
She explained that:
true communities are built when customers genuinely believe in the product and voluntarily recommend it to others.
According to the lecture:
the strongest brand ambassadors are often:
- loyal customers
- real users
- and people who feel emotionally connected to the brand experience.
Every Brand Must Answer Four Core Questions
Rather than offering a strict industry definition of “community,” Stefy argued that every brand should answer four essential questions:
- What do our customers have in common?
- How and where do we communicate with them?
- Are we building relationships or simply processing transactions?
- Why should people stay connected to the brand?
She emphasized that:
specificity creates stronger communities.
Brands that try to appeal to everyone often fail to build meaningful engagement.
Not All Communities Work the Same Way
The lecture distinguished between several different types of communities:
- NGO communities built around purpose and identity
- SaaS communities driven by product dependency and knowledge sharing
- event communities centered around specific dates or experiences
- and brand communities focused on long-term customer relationships.
Stefy stressed that:
brand communities require continuous emotional connection, not just periodic engagement.
Communities Now Exist Across Multiple Platforms
One of the major themes of the session was:
modern communities no longer live in a single place.
Customers use:
- social media
- marketplaces
- live streams
- Shopify stores
- TikTok Shop
- messaging apps
- and content platforms simultaneously.
Because of this:
brands must adapt to customer behavior instead of forcing audiences into one ecosystem.
Social media was described primarily as:
the entry point for acquisition and attention.
Meanwhile:
- Shopify provides infrastructure and ownership
- marketplaces support discovery
- and TikTok Shop rewards speed, content relevance, and collaboration.
Brands Must Stay Flexible as Platforms Evolve
Stefy warned that:
platforms constantly change:
- algorithms
- policies
- features
- and user behavior.
For that reason:
brands must stay adaptable and continuously educate themselves about platform changes.
She encouraged businesses to:
- research platforms carefully
- understand their mechanics
- and avoid over-dependence on any single ecosystem.
Content Is the Core of Community Building
A major focus of the lecture was:
content as a trust-building mechanism.
Stefy explained that:
brands should create content aligned with:
- audience lifestyle
- habits
- interests
- life stage
- and emotional needs.
For example:
anti-aging products should feature:
real people and relatable experiences,
rather than unrealistic heavily filtered visuals.
The lecture encouraged brands to:
- invite questions
- encourage feedback
- and maintain openness and authenticity.
Different Types of Content Serve Different Goals
Stefy outlined several important content formats:
- polished content that performs well on Instagram
- raw content that builds trust on TikTok
- educational content that helps onboard new followers
- collaborative content
- and repurposed content across channels.
However,
the most important recommendation was:
continuously test content formats to understand what resonates with each audience.
Connection Is What Drives Retention
One of the strongest messages in the lecture was:
connection is what makes customers return.
Stefy explained that:
effective community building requires:
- two-way communication
- curiosity
- empathy
- and active listening.
Brands should:
- learn customer stories
- understand why people chose them
- identify additional customer problems
- and treat every interaction as an opportunity to strengthen relationships.
Influencer Marketing Should Build Relationships, Not Just Reach
The lecture also challenged traditional approaches to influencer marketing.
According to Stefy:
influencer marketing works best when built on purpose, trust, and long-term collaboration.
She noted that:
many successful collaborations:
- do not require large budgets
- but instead require strong products and genuine relationships.
Brands should:
work with creators to build communities together,
rather than treating influencers as short-term advertising channels.
Different Community Members Play Different Roles
Stefy emphasized that:
not everyone inside a community serves the same function.
She identified several important audience groups:
- superfans
- prospects
- support seekers
- and advocates.
Each group requires:
- different communication
- different nurturing
- and different engagement strategies.
Support seekers, for example, often reveal:
weaknesses in the customer journey that brands need to fix.
Community Directly Impacts Revenue and Retention
The lecture strongly positioned community as:
a measurable business driver rather than a “soft metric.”
Benefits mentioned included:
- repeat purchases
- referrals
- organic reach
- advocacy
- increased customer lifetime value
- higher average order value
- reduced creative costs
- and stronger customer retention.
One example shared showed:
a 36% reduction in creative production costs
through community-generated content and engagement.
Stefy also explained that:
strong communities can eventually become:
valuable business assets that improve investor perception and long-term brand stability.
Founder-Led Communities Have Advantages Early On
The lecture concluded with practical recommendations depending on audience size.
For smaller brands with under 10,000 followers:
founder-led communication and personal interaction work best.
Stefy recommended:
- starting with simple spreadsheets
- focusing on trust
- fixing customer journey bottlenecks
- and prioritizing direct relationships.
For larger brands:
the advice shifted toward:
- building structured communication flows
- organizing events
- collaborating with credible voices
- and scaling relationship management systems.
Key Takeaways
The lecture demonstrated that:
modern eCommerce communities are built through trust, authenticity, and emotional connection
the strongest brand advocates are often genuine customers who truly believe in the product
brands should focus on relationships rather than only transactions
communities no longer live on a single platform and require multi-channel engagement
social media primarily serves as an acquisition and attention channel
Shopify, marketplaces, and TikTok Shop each play different roles in community building
brands must continuously adapt to platform changes and evolving customer behavior
content should reflect real lifestyles, habits, and customer emotions
raw and authentic content often builds more trust than overly polished campaigns
community building requires active listening and two-way communication
influencer marketing works best through long-term collaboration and shared purpose
different audience groups require different engagement strategies
strong communities improve retention, referrals, customer lifetime value, and organic growth
community-driven brands can reduce creative costs through customer-generated content
communities can eventually become strategic business assets that strengthen long-term brand value
the brands that begin building communities early will gain advantages that competitors cannot easily replicate later.
The presentation is not available for sharing.