Custom packaging inserts to skyrocket your brand

What is a packaging insert?

It can be anything that comes in addition to ordered products, from promotional items to a return shipping label or even extra material for packaging fragile items.

In a way, packaging inserts are your mini-brand ambassadors, spreading the word about your products’ quality while securing customer loyalty.

Custom inserts often feature brand logos, slogans, and exclusive offers that work really well in combination with products that feature custom branding.

Ideas for packaging inserts

These are generally only small additions that shouldn’t overshadow the products your customer ordered. For example: 

• Thank-you notes. A simple expression of gratitude can go a long way. Add an invitation to review the ordered products and generate those necessary five-star reviews.
• Store and social media links. Encourage repeat business by providing links or QR codes that lead to your online storefront and social media profiles.
• Promo codes. Sweeten the deal with a discount code on product or shipping costs that your customer can add to their next purchase or send to a friend.
• Washing and use instructions. Include helpful information for apparel or items that require care to ensure your products have a long lifespan.
• Gifts and product samples. Reward your customers and encourage future orders by adding valuable packaging inserts that offer a glimpse of other quality goods from your store.

Why and how to use packaging inserts

Boost repeat sales

Turning a one-time shopper into a repeat customer is the golden ticket to success for any eCommerce business. Thoughtfully crafted packaging inserts can play a central role in making this happen.

Slip in exclusive discount codes for future purchases with every order, include free samples, or advertise your store’s loyalty program to generate excitement about gaining perks.

Offer other relevant products

Custom packaging inserts present an ideal opportunity to cross-sell. Customers might enjoy other products you offer that complement the items they purchased.

Provide a personalized shopping experience that can lead to future sales by using these packaging insert ideas:

• Suggest complementary products. Showcase products that pair well with the purchased item to elevate its use and enjoyment.

For example, if your customer orders a coffee mug, a packaging insert might recommend a specialty coffee blend from your range, or vice versa.

• Highlight new arrivals and bestsellers. Use packaging inserts to shine a spotlight on your top sellers or the most recent additions to your store, which your customers might not know about.
• Offer exclusive promotions. Provide special deals or discounts on related products. This makes the unboxing experience more enjoyable and motivates future purchases, potentially increasing the customer’s lifetime value.

Strengthen your brand awareness

Packaging inserts offer an exclusive opportunity to solidify your brand identity in the minds of existing and new customers.

To appear genuine and transparent, share essential brand information, such as your core values and mission, through custom design inserts.

When customers know and identify with your brand story, they’re more likely to become repeat buyers and brand ambassadors.

Create a personal connection with customers

With 86% of shoppers ready to pay more for a great customer experience, inserts can enhance the unboxing process, leaving a positive impression and fostering a connection.

Consider adding the following elements to your package inserts:

• Personalized messages. Make each one of your customers feel unique and valued by creating packaging insert cards with the same warmth as a handwritten note.
• Exclusive deals. Express gratitude to your customers by offering distinctive benefits they wouldn’t expect to receive.

For example, if you run an online beauty brand, consider mailing your beauty products inside a personalized makeup bag or vice versa.

Add a branded touch

Incorporating your brand identity into your communication can enhance your connection with customers by building recognition and trust, encouraging them to return to your store.

Make sure that your box inserts include the following:

• Your brand visuals. Add custom-designed inserts showcasing your company logo, color scheme, and signature style.
• Targeted language. Use language that resonates with your target audience and accurately reflects your brand identity.

Boost social media engagement

Product packaging inserts offer a unique opportunity for content creators, influencers, and stores with social media profiles to build loyalty with their followers.

• Call to action. Ask your customers to share their unboxing experience on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, or X.
• Use hashtags. Popular ones offer exposure, while a unique branded hashtag can help you track and engage with posts related to your store.
• Organize giveaways and contests. Offer free gifts in exchange for follows, likes, shares, and prizes for contest winners.
• Showcase collaborations. If you’re working with influencers or other brands, highlight these partnerships in your custom box inserts.
• Share exclusive content. Offer behind-the-scenes footage, sneak peeks of upcoming products, or special promo codes reserved for your most loyal customers.

Collect positive reviews to improve your store rankings

As 95% of consumers use reviews to guide their purchasing decisions, it’s clear that they can directly affect your store’s revenue.

Showcase your positive reviews and testimonials on your website to enhance trust. While customers build confidence in the quality of your products, this can translate into repeat purchases.

Good reviews also increase store rankings on popular eCommerce sales channels like Etsy or eBay, drawing in more potential customers to your store.

So, how do you get those five-star ratings?

• Encourage customer feedback. Let customers know how valuable their opinions are, and include a simple, friendly message in your box inserts asking for a review.
• Offer discount codes and giveaways. Motivate customers to leave a review by promising rewards. It’s important to emphasize that this should be an honest review, not necessarily a positive one.
• Preemptively address quality concerns. Be sure to mention that if there are any issues with the order, they should contact you before leaving a review.

How to create effective inserts

First, you’ll need to understand your goals. Ask yourself what you want to achieve with these box inserts. Once you have identified your goal, use it to guide your design process.

Ensure your messaging is brief and to the point – avoid unnecessary details that could overwhelm your customers.

Experiment with different insert designs and messaging to see what resonates best with your audience, and be prepared to adjust based on feedback and results.

How to design custom box inserts

To meet your goals and improve customer satisfaction with these inserts, consider adding helpful information and brand design elements that’ll resonate with your audience.

Be sure to strategically place your logo on the insert to maximize visibility without overshadowing your message.

Best practices for making custom inserts

Creating effective product packaging inserts is an art that requires careful planning and execution.

Here are some key observations and product insert examples from our merchants:

• Add your store logo and promo codes. Your logo reinforces your brand identity, while discount codes incentivize repeat purchases.

• Include calls to review and shop links. Reviews can help build trust with potential customers, while shop links make it easy for satisfied customers to make additional purchases.

• Add social media links, QR codes, and washing instructions. Include one or all of these features to enhance customer engagement and provide helpful information.
  Many of our merchants include links to their social media pages, QR codes, and washing instructions in their package inserts.
• Add gift messages. If your customer included a gift message with their purchase, you can easily add it to a package insert.
  Some merchants believe that box inserts offer an ideal way to include these personal notes in the unboxing experience.
• Showcase product use cases. Showing your products being used by other satisfied customers can inspire future orders and increase loyalty to your brand.

Make the most of Printify’s packaging inserts

Use our on-demand packaging inserts to elevate your brand, promote your message, and engage with your customers. Transform every package into a showcase of your brand’s uniqueness, increasing sales and boosting customer loyalty.

Free design tool

Create well-designed inserts and custom products with our free editing tools, fonts, graphics, and AI Image Generator.

No minimum order quantity

Simple order one or hundreds of products. Since items are printed only after they’re purchased, you can say goodbye to inventory management and storage costs.

Low-cost inserts

Add a quality, extremely light, and cost-effective insert starting at just $0.15 ($0.10 for Printify Premium subscribers) to all of your orders.

How do I create packaging inserts with Printify?

Go to your Printify dashboard and navigate to the menu in the top right corner → Branding → Set up package inserts → Start designing.

Use our free graphics and design tools to create a product packaging insert that matches your exact specifications. Then, click Save and enable inserts to add your product insert to all eligible orders.

Which orders are eligible for packaging inserts?

To see Print Providers who offer personalized packaging insert options, go to our Product Catalog → Select a product category → On the list of filters on the left, scroll down to Branding → Checkmark Inserts to see all products that come with this feature.

How to measure the results

Monitor sales and website traffic

Include unique QR codes and URLs in your custom box inserts to track the exact number of sales and profile views they generate.

This will help you determine whether these types of packaging inserts are an effective way to drive purchases.

Track feedback and interactions

Reviewing feedback from many customers will give you a good idea of the overall customer satisfaction and unboxing experience.

Consider setting up a customer relationship management (CRM) system like Agile, Zoho, or Salesforce to gain valuable insights into customer behavior and preferences.

Analyze and adjust

Revise your products and business packaging ideas regularly to identify what is and isn’t working, and make all the necessary adjustments to meet your business goals.

You can also place orders for product samples by going to your Printify Dashboard → Orders → Create order → Sample to verify that these products meet your expectations and packaging needs.

Conclusion

From a return shipping label to cost-effective thank-you cards, it’s important to consider the benefits of creating packaging inserts, as a small, thoughtful touch can go a long way.

Ideas for maximizing the impact of your inserts include adding personalized messages, exclusive promotions, and helpful product information.

Start including these effective inserts in your orders today, and watch your store and brand grow!