When you design your packaging, how much do you think about the experience?
How should the customer feel when they open the package?
What do you want them to think about?
It might seem like packaging is a straightforward item that gets your product from point A to point B, but it’s so much more than that.
Product packaging, when executed successfully, can add an immense amount of value to your business.
It can help drive business, create a memorable experience, and build brand loyalty.
Product packaging and elements like packaging inserts help accomplish this.
Packaging inserts are a fantastic way to add depth and nuance to your product, convey information, and protect as needed.
Using custom inserts helps develop a connection with your customers.
While this may seem like a stretch, customers value authenticity, care and transparency with brands. Inserts help meet your customer expectations by adding that extra care to keep their purchase safe, communicating key information and just adding to the overall feel of your packaging.
Here, we’ll look at why inserts are essential, their benefits, and how to incorporate custom inserts into your custom packaging.
Why are Inserts Important?
Firstly, we need to establish what an insert is before we go into why packaging inserts like box inserts and foam inserts for boxes are important.
An insert is what goes inside the package, in addition to the product itself. This could be a protective insert such as a foam insert for cushioning or a paper insert printed with more information about your brand.
Inserts are crucial because they can help customers learn more about the brand and play an important role in customer acquisition and retention.
Custom inserts in your packaging can greatly elevate the unboxing experience and help you connect with your customers on a higher level.
Read more on box insert options.
There are many benefits to using custom inserts, and they can prove to be a great value-add for your business.
Not only do custom inserts elevate your unboxing experience, but it also makes your customers feel taken care of and thought of in the construction of your packaging.
This is just one of the benefits custom inserts provide. Let’s delve into more ways custom inserts can benefit your packaging.
- Low-cost
Packaging inserts are a relatively cheap addition to your packaging.
You can weigh different options depending on your needs, but generally, packaging inserts are an affordable way to boost your unboxing experience.
While printed inserts can be a little more costly depending on the printing process you choose, plain inserts can communicate a high end feel just as well.
If you are looking to communicate with your customers but are not willing to pay the extra cost for printing, try out some promotional inserts such as thank you cards to get your message across.
These elements go a long way for a minimal price. You can opt for custom inserts even if you’ve opted for stock packaging for your business. It’s a great way to set your brand apart from competitors.
For a minimal cost you’re able to protect your products, communicate with customers and build an impactful unboxing experience.
A win-win situation for both you and your customers!
- Highly Targeted
As mentioned previously, custom inserts serve a bigger purpose than just protection.
You can leverage inserts by offering small discounts for additional purchases from your brand, cross reference other product lines you offer and encourage customers to share and review your products online.
How?
Printed inserts offer the opportunity to share vital information about your brand story, narrative and initiatives.
These are especially helpful for e-commerce businesses, who don’t necessarily use extravagant packaging for shipping their products.
Because you know what your customers have purchased, you also know what they would also like in conjunction with their initial purchase.
Cross referencing product lines not only encourages more sales, but gives your customers a better idea of what your brand offers and why they should continue to purchase from you.
Customers really value transparency and authenticity from brands, and inserts are a great way to engage with your target market in a meaningful way.
For instance, is your brand taking big steps toward sustainable initiatives? Tell them more about what you are doing and what they could do to help move toward a cleaner and greener environment.
Make it personal, engaging and interesting to really stick in your customers minds.
- Better than an Email
While email marketing has its value, it simply can’t beat a physical connection with customers.
It’s too easy for an email to get lost in an inbox, but an insert guarantees attention from the moment they unbox your products.
It‘s one of the first things customers see when they open a package, so you have the opportunity to establish a direct connection with them right off the bat.
There is a lot of marketing value in custom inserts, whether it’s adding to the experience, brand narrative or value.
Foam inserts speak for themselves. They emulate a sense of high quality and luxury. No email will be able to establish the standard of luxury your business operates in.
Your packaging has to speak for itself, with the help of inserts of course!
- Product Education
Your custom box inserts don’t need to be promotional at all for them to be effective.
You can use custom packaging inserts to teach customers about the product, what it’s made from, and any other important information they should know about both your brand and product.
This could also include instructions for use, tips and tricks or ingredients while also providing an added layer of protection to the contents.
Again, customers thrive to interact with brands who practice full transparency.
While it may seem mundane or harmful to your brand reputation, communicating warnings and toxic ingredients is also a very impactful way to use your custom inserts.
This way you are keeping your customers’ safety in mind and communicating any warnings with them from the get go, and customers will appreciate the thoughtfulness.
- Build Authentic Connections
Building trust and loyalty in a world saturated with advertising isn’t easy!
Luckily, custom packaging inserts help you bypass that.
You can incorporate your messaging, values, and key brand details on your inserts, whether it’s through adding value with foam inserts or the information communicated on paper materials.
As briefly mentioned, inserts are not limited to foam inserts that hold your products; you can also add thank you cards that resonate with your customers on a more personal level.
Adding that personalization to the interior of your packaging plays a crucial role in building an impactful unboxing experience.
The unboxing experience is important for customers to really build a strong connection with your brand and in turn share it with their network
Beyond marketing purposes, it’s a method to show that you care about the customer and want them to get to know you better and adds to your brand reputation.
It’s a simple way to show you care and take your customers seriously as a business.
- Provide Discounts
As mentioned earlier, custom packaging inserts are the perfect way to boost sales through special discounts.
You can add personal discount codes within the packaging itself, encouraging more purchases.
It drives loyalty, and customers feel more special knowing they have their own code.
You can create small, business-card discount box inserts or create larger flyers that customers can keep whenever they want to come back for a discount for their next purchase.
You can also include free samples for related products or information about new product releases.
This is not only a great way to boost sales, but to keep customers up to date with your brand’s plans. Offering them discounts and samples encourages them to check in with your brand more often and allows them to keep your products in positive sentiments.
This also heavily plays into the memorability of your brand. If you’re giving customers what they want before they even demand it, you’ll be setting yourself apart from competitors while sticking in your customers’ minds.
- Encouraging Social Interaction
Custom box inserts can help a lot when it comes to boosting brand authority and value.
You can use custom inserts to promote your social media channels and get your customers more involved with your brand.
Let’s face it, most people are glued to their phones and scrolling through instagram, having a brand they can interact with online is very appealing, especially for this generation.
Creating an unboxing experience that feels unique, trendy and/or exceptional, can help your brand grow. Encouraging your customers to share their unboxing experience online allows you to reach many more potential customers.
Furthermore, you’re able to broaden your target market and reach by interacting with your customers on these platforms too!
It helps drum up interest in your product and adds additional value to make customers feel special and thought of beyond just the unboxing experience.
- Request Feedback
Now that the package is shipped, what would you ideally like customers to do?
Would you want them to leave a review on your website or follow you on social media channels and leave a comment about how they found an item?
If you’re looking to boost your digital engagement, using physical measures such as custom box inserts and cardboard box inserts can help!
You can leave information about where to leave a review, which social media channels to follow, and include a call to action to encourage more customers to leave reviews!
You could even ask customers to share photographs of them with the product or use it for social media content!
Ultimately, custom inserts can offer a lot for your packaging.
Whatever your business goals are, you can use inserts to help accomplish them.
Custom inserts a relatively low-cost addition to your packaging that can provide great gains in the short-term and the long-term.
Think about what makes your brand unique and how your custom inserts can best convey that. Custom inserts can significantly improve the unboxing experience, so it’s worth making them a part of your packaging.
Looking to discuss your box insert options? Get in contact with us today or request a quote!
