The packaging is an integral aspect of a great shipping strategy for any business, especially if you are an eCommerce business. You’ll pay the price in product loss, wasted materials, and lost business if you pick the wrong packaging.
But when you choose the right packaging materials, you’ll protect your goods, save on shipping costs, and please your customers.
Moreover, packaging will benefit you in other ways. Consider your packaging as a blank canvas on which you can produce something exclusive to help you stand out from the crowd.
Packaging, especially custom packaging, is an excellent marketing tool that should not be ignored for any products.
Here’s how to convert your packaging as a marketing tool for your eCommerce business.
1. Use Custom Packaging to Ship Your Goods
Brown delivery boxes are still dependable, but they’re not memorable. On the other hand, colours, logos, illustrations, and photography on your packaging will still be unforgettable. They attract the eyes of your audience and hold it there.
Consider your shipments arriving at your customer’s door. There are a lot of brown boxes, but yours is the only one with colour.
Which packaging do you think will catch their attention first?
It also does not need to be a printed box. Custom tape works wonders because it not only covers and secures your packaging but also bears your logo and looks amazing. Custom labels, when crafted correctly and strategically positioned, can also be used to brand your shipments.
2. Match Your Packaging to Your Advertising Campaigns
The term “synergy” is often used in the business world, and it’s a good one. It refers to when two or more things come together to form something greater than the sum of their parts.
When a company designs an advertisement or marketing plan, they make certain that all aspects are in sync. The look and feel of their advertisements, banners, radio advertising, and online ads are all the same.
If you’re doing a campaign like this, don’t forget to include it in your packaging. Adding a headline, a graphic, or even a colour to your packaging design is probably all it takes.
3. Create Packaging Plans for Events or Holidays
After a while, the same custom packaging can become rote. Customers that have become numb to your packaging may now become numb to your marketing efforts.
Creating variety in branded packaging is a good way to keep customers interested. If you have a tight budget, you should look into custom packaging tape and custom label rolls.
Packaging for seasons, such as Spring, summer, fall, and winter, elicits enthusiasm and generates consumer anticipation as they anticipate specific colours, styles, and promotional offers.
Packaging for the holidays, such as Valentine’s Day, Halloween, Christmas, and New Year, will help you create brand recognition and solidify your place in a specific holiday (think of the Starbucks holiday cup).
Packaging exclusive to the customer (like birthday, the anniversary of the first order, membership in your VIP club) demonstrates that you are paying attention and impresses the customer.
4. Promote Your Presence On Social Media
With many businesses competing for your customer’s attention out there, you’ll want to give them a reason to find you, connect with you, and stick around.
Your social media accounts should be mentioned in your packaging. Particularly the ones where you post the most content, engage with most people and have the most followers.
On your packaging, have your key hashtags. It will pique consumers’ interest in your social media activity and encourage them to use your hashtags in their tweets and updates.
Encourage consumers to post pictures of your packaging on social media. All of those likes, shares, and retweets are digital word-of-mouth for the company and products.
5. Include Unanticipated Promotional Elements
Customers enjoy a good unboxing experience. Colours, textures, and small details go a long way toward making them feel valued. So, while they intend to be wowed, they aren’t anticipating being rewarded. This is where using promotional elements in the packaging can be extremely beneficial.
Customers can feel smart for discovering coupon codes printed on the inside of shipping packaging. You can also personalize them based on the sale, the customer, or even the packaging. They’re a smart way to keep track of where the sales are coming from.
Customers will search for contest features such as puzzles, games, and clues hidden on your packaging. They’ll spend more time with your packaging, be more likely to show it off to their friends, and develop a stronger bond with your company.
Hidden URLs that only appear on packaging (and lead to discount pages, exclusive deals, and exclusive giveaways make consumers feel special for purchasing from you.
Final Thoughts
Packaging may not get as much coverage as the product or the price, but it’s still an important part of your marketing plan.
Great packaging makes the product stand out and acts as a useful marketing tool, even for your products, enabling you to gain social media mentions and boost the product experience.
