Your packaging helps you tell your brand story, share your brand identity, and fulfill your brand’s purpose. Every part that makes up your packaging plays a part in forming the final piece, including packing inserts. These points are particularly important when considering branding for small businesses and startups.
In this article, you can learn about packaging inserts and the impact they have in boosting your relationship with your customers, and how they can help you better engage with your audience.
Table of Contents
What Are Packaging Inserts?
Packaging inserts comprise the printed materials you can include in your customer’s order. These can come in different forms, such as the following:
- A discount code for their next purchase (up to 70% of millennials wait for a discount)
- A “thank you” note
- An invitation to leave a review (89% of potential customers read reviews for the items they’re likely to purchase)
- A reminder to tag your social media accounts when they post online
- A guide on how to use, clean, or store the product they purchased
- A warranty guide to inform about the process and your contact details
Packaging inserts are one of many visual and physical assets that push your brand forward, helping to keep your brand personality and messaging consistent while also engaging with your audience in a way that benefits both parties.
Eight Benefits of Crafting Packing Inserts
As one of the customer’s primary touchpoints to your business, brands with the best packaging designs have the most opportunity to attract both current and new customers. When it comes to the benefits, packing inserts can:
- Educate customers about the product and reinforce your brand message and value proposition. Include detailed information about the product, its features, benefits, and usage instructions.
- Create an opportunity to tell your brand's story and connect with customers on a deeper level. You can share a brief narrative about your brand's mission, values, or history, allowing customers to develop a stronger emotional connection with your brand.
- Promote other products or services your brand offers. By showcasing complementary products or exclusive offers, you can encourage customers to explore more of what your brand has to offer, increasing brand exposure and cross-selling opportunities.
- Boost customer engagement by including interactive elements in packaging inserts, such as QR codes, scannable links, or contests. This way, your customers will engage with your brand beyond the purchase. What’s more, packaging inserts can drive customers to engage with your brand beyond the purchase if you encourage them to participate in activities or visit your website or social media platforms.
- Incentivize customers to refer your brand. By including referral codes or offering discounts for successful referrals, you can turn satisfied customers into brand advocates, expanding your reach and generating brand awareness through word-of-mouth.
- Encourage social media sharing. Unique and eye-catching packaging inserts can be shared by customers on social media platforms, increasing your brand's online visibility. This can help drive traffic to your online platforms, increase your social media following, and facilitate online conversations around your brand.
- Inspire user-generated content. If you create unique packaging inserts that buyers would love to share on socials, you can create buzz around your brand and attract new customers.
- Save money. Packaging inserts are a cost-effective marketing tool compared to other forms of advertising. They leverage the existing packaging and distribution process, minimizing additional expenses. Additionally, inserts can be tailored to specific customer segments or purchase histories, allowing for targeted marketing campaigns.
How To Make Effective Packaging Inserts
- Define Your Objectives
- Know Your Target Audience
- Invest in Compelling Copywriting
- Pay Attention To Branding and Visual Identity
- Provide Value
- Focus on Visual Appeal
- Include a Call to Action
- Test and Repeat
- Track Results
To create effective packaging inserts that engage customers and promote your brand, follow these steps:
Step #1: Define Your Objectives
Start by clarifying your goals for the packaging inserts. Do you want to boost brand awareness for SEO, encourage repeat purchases, or introduce new products? Clearly defining your objectives will help guide your design and messaging decisions.
Step #2: Know Your Target Audience
Gain a deep understanding of your target audience, their preferences, interests, and needs. This knowledge will help you tailor the content, tone, and design of your packaging inserts to resonate with your customers.
Step #3: Invest in Compelling Copywriting
Packaging inserts should be concise and to the point. To do this, you should:
- Use clear and succinct language to convey your message and the benefits of your product or offer
- Avoid overwhelming customers with excessive information
- Focus on the key points that will capture their attention and provide value
- Highlight unique selling points and create a sense of urgency or excitement to encourage action
- Alternatively, you can hire one of the top copywriting agencies.
Step #4: Pay Attention To Branding and Visual Identity
Ensure your packaging inserts reflect your brand's visual identity. Use consistent colors, fonts, and imagery to maintain brand recognition. Include your eye-catching logo and tagline prominently to reinforce brand awareness.
If you need help with any branding elements, you can reach out to one of the best branding agencies.
Step #5: Provide Value
Packaging inserts should offer something of value to the customer. This can include exclusive discounts, coupons, or special offers. Alternatively, provide useful information, tips, or resources related to your product or industry that will benefit the customer.
Step #6: Focus on Visual Appeal
Make your packaging inserts visually appealing to capture customers' attention. Use high-quality images, graphics, or illustrations that align with your brand and product. Consider the overall layout and design to ensure it is visually balanced and easy to read.
Step #7: Include a Call to Action
Clearly define the desired action you want customers to take after reading the packaging inserts. Whether it's visiting your website, making another purchase, or following your social media accounts, design a strong call to action that guides and converts customers toward the desired outcome.
Step #8: Test and Repeat
Test different versions of your packaging inserts to see what resonates best with your audience. Gather feedback from customers or conduct small-scale experiments to measure response rates and effectiveness. Use this feedback to make improvements.
Step #9: Track Results
Implement tracking mechanisms such as unique codes or URLs to measure the impact of your packaging inserts. Monitor response rates, redemption rates, or website visits to assess the effectiveness of your inserts. Use this data to refine your approach and optimize future campaigns.
Bonus Tips on Creating Packaging Inserts That Work
- Focus on Personalization
- Customize Packing Inserts According to Their Purpose
- Include Ecological Effects in Your Choices
Below are some tips on designing winning packaging inserts:
1. Focus on Personalization
Do your best to personalize a service for each client. Up to 80% of consumers enjoy a customer experience that uniquely caters to them. In customer service terms, make each one feel how genuinely valued they are all throughout the process. Craft a customer journey or marketing roadmap, and establish set milestones for what you’d like to serve your customers while also keeping your own business’s objectives a priority.
2. Customize Packing Inserts According to Their Purpose
Consider making different kinds for similar functions, preparing a set of inserts depending on the products or services purchased, and updating them as regularly as you release new offers and when you refresh your brand visuals.
3. Include Ecological Effects in Your Choices
Exciting as it is to start a new business and source for materials to supply this new business, be sure to keep the environment in mind and how you can be empowered and also empower other people to add Mother Earth to their list of priorities. You can source inspiration from these eco-print package designs.
Eight Packaging Insert Ideas
- Product Samples
- Coupons and Discounts
- Thank-You Notes
- Product Usage Tips
- Loyalty Program Invitations
- Surveys or Feedback Requests
- QR Codes
- Collaboration Promotions
When it comes to packaging inserts, there are many options to consider depending on your brand, product, and target audience. Here are some creative packaging insert ideas to inspire you:
1. Product Samples
Consider including small samples of other products from your brand to encourage customers to try and explore your product line further.
2. Coupons and Discounts
Provide exclusive discounts, coupon codes, or promotional offers that customers can redeem on their next purchase. This incentivizes repeat business and encourages customer loyalty.
3. Thank-You Notes
Add a personalized thank-you note expressing gratitude for the customer's purchase. This simple gesture can make customers feel appreciated and foster a positive impression of your brand.
4. Product Usage Tips
Offer helpful tips, suggestions, or ideas on how to best use or maximize the benefits of the purchased product. This provides added value and enhances the customer experience.
5. Loyalty Program Invitations
Encourage customers to join your loyalty program by including a special invitation or instructions on how to sign up. Highlight the benefits of membership, such as exclusive discounts, rewards, or early access to new products.
6. Surveys or Feedback Requests
Insert a survey or feedback card asking customers for their thoughts on their purchase or overall experience. This not only helps you gather valuable feedback but also shows customers that their opinions are valued.
7. QR Codes
Include QR codes that lead customers to additional content, such as product videos, behind-the-scenes footage, or exclusive online resources related to your brand.
8. Collaboration Promotions
Partner with other brands or businesses to include joint promotions or cross-promotional offers in your packaging inserts. This can help expand your reach and introduce customers to complementary products or services.
Packaging Inserts: Key Takeaways
Packaging inserts are brand engagement materials that help encourage your next user to make their future purchase sooner rather than later, or post positive customer experience which leads to an increase in awareness of your work. By following our guide on creating packaging inserts and making good use of the tips, you will be well on your way to reap all the benefits that this unique marketing tool brings.
Packaging Inserts FAQs
1. Why should you make product inserts?
There are many reasons why you should consider making product inserts as part of your marketing strategy. For starters, packaging inserts enhance customer experience, increase brand awareness, support customer retention and loyalty, and aid in word-of-mouth marketing. What’s more, these marketing materials offer a unique opportunity for cross-promotion and upselling while being extremely cost-effective.
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