Unboxing videos on social media have reached a point that they are a whole new genre now. If you type #unboxing on Youtube or Instagram, you will get millions of results. Most of the unboxing videos on Youtube have billions of views. According to Think With Google, “the amount of time people have spent watching unboxing videos just on their phones is the equivalent of watching the holiday classic "Love Actually" more than 20 million times.”
So the question goes, how can custom packaging lead to more user generated content for social media? The answer is simple. Any product that comes in a beautiful customized package will guarantee customer satisfaction as it will provide a unique unboxing experience that is shareable on social media. When the customer shares their unboxing videos on social media with positive reviews, your custom packaging is being marketed to millions of viewers and you are getting user generated content, free of marketing cost.
It is one thing to get your customers excited about the whole unboxing experience. But it is another thing to understand the depth of its importance for your business. All these and more, this article explains in detail how custom packages help in creating user generated content for social media and how it is great for your business.
Understanding The Link Between Unboxing and Social Media
Before the advent of social media, marketing was done differently. Companies chose the most affordable packaging options which were more traditional and simpler, often products were shipped in a plain brown or white box.
Times have changed now. 74% of consumers rely on social media to guide purchasing decisions. Brands are becoming more conscious about the packaging of their products and are moving towards custom packaging. Companies think of social media before even creating their designs for custom packaging as everything is shared on social media now.
Brands now include the customized box design process for the packaging of their product as an extension of their content strategy. If their custom packaging is shareable online then that product has a higher chance of gaining traction amongst the consumers and making its mark in the market.
Additionally, brands now view packaging as a part of their online branded content. Presentation of the product matters now more than ever. Custom packaging plays a key role in the presentation. In fact, according to a survey from Dotcom Distribution, 40% of consumers share photos on social media of products that they perceive to have distinct packaging.
A great way to create packaging that is distinct is by customizing it so it stands out from the rest of the competitors. Distinctive packaging also increases the chances of being shared on social media media.
Custom packaging designers are aligning their box designs with their branded online content to create a more wholesome and cohesive experience for their customers. You have probably seen numerous videos and reels of customers opening custom boxes they ordered online and sharing their experiences with their followers. This proves that customized packaging plays a major role in the customer experience.
Brands now take a very detailed look at the kind of packaging they use for their products to ensure that their customers are satisfied with the unboxing of their product. From ensuring that the design on the box is on point with their branding to knowing what kind of filler or insert works best for their product, brands are doing all the work when it comes to packaging.
Furthermore, companies are also taking into consideration the steps that a customer has to take to unbox their product. If it takes too long to unbox the product, video influencers are less likely to share their experience on social media. Brands want to ensure a smooth, hassle free, effortless and fun unboxing experience for their customers so they are happy to share it online as well.
Understanding what your customers will experience when they open the custom folding cartons has become a huge consideration for marketing professionals across every industry around the world as unboxing videos reach new heights.
Use Custom Packaging to Tell Your Brand’s Story
Custom packaging is a great way to introduce your product to your customers and also showcase your brand’s story. Customers pay attention to packaging:
- 52% of online consumers say they would shop again from a business if it included premium packaging.
- 30% of businesses say consumers pay more attention to their products after they refocused on their packaging.
- 40% of consumers would share a photo of a product on social media if the packaging were interesting
According to the European Journal of Scientific Research product packaging should be treated as one of the most important tools in marketing communications. You can tell your brand’s story through custom packaging in two ways:
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Brand recognition: You can create brand recognition and awareness by using your logo and your brand’s pantone colors on your packaging. This is vital in growing your business as people are more likely to trust brands they recognise, and trust naturally inspires loyalty.
You can make your brand easily recognizable through its packaging. For example, you instantly recognize the iconic Tiffany Blue Box when you look at it. The Tiffany Blue Box isn’t meant for just one product, it’s meant to represent an entire retail enterprise. Even more so, in 1998, the company trademarked the iconic light blue color of its packaging. It is now listed as Pantone No. 1837. This is the power of brand recognition through custom packaging.
Using your branding on your packaging allows you to tell your brand’s story and lets you control that story. You can create a certain persona for your brand, and use this persona to help maintain a customer base that is loyal to your brand.
- Brand values: You can showcase your brand values through custom packaging. If your company is sustainability focused, you can invest in eco-friendly packaging and ensure that all your products are packaged in boxes that are made up of recyclable materials.
How to Give Your Customers the Best Unboxing Experience?
1. Use Custom Packaging
Custom boxes are designed to attract the attention of customers, and they are customer magnets with their unique design for aesthetics and functionality. Packaging should be optimized to best suit the product that goes in to ensure that when the customer is unboxing it, it is hassle free and takes the minimum amount of time. This can be done by customizing the design and dimensions of your box. You can also use custom inserts to prevent any breakage if you have a fragile product and ensure that your product stays in its place during the shipping process.
2. Use Sustainable Packaging Materials
Customers are increasingly getting more conscious of the kind of brands they support. With climate change, many people lean towards sustainable living, down to the products they buy. PwC found that 43% of consumers expect businesses to integrate sustainability in its operations to care for the environment
Consider switching to recyclable packaging if you haven’t already. Using non-recyclable packaging materials can make it seem like your company does not care about pollution or the environment.
Customers will then share negative reviews on social media if your packaging is not sustainable and creates a lot of waste during the unboxing experiences. Using eco-friendly packaging materials can boost your brand image and reputation.
3. Presentation is Everything
Shape, size, color selection and design of packaging plays a very important role in the unboxing experience and in the likelihood of the unboxing video to be a hit on social media.
How you arrange the products also determines if they will look aesthetic on camera. It is the curated look of an unboxing that makes it shareable. So your arrangement determines if customers will want to share it online.
4. Free Samples
Everyone loves free stuff! Adding a few free samples of your product is a great way to win customers over and add a little surprise element to their unboxing experience. It also makes for excited customers on social media talking about the great unboxing of a product that also came with free samples.
It is these little touches that make each unboxing experience memorable. They make buyers feel wanted and come back for more
5. Personalize It
Adding a little personal touch goes a long way! Customers love brands that build a personal connection with them.
If you add a little handwritten note for your customer, it will humanize your brand and you will develop a deeper connection with your customers. This will help build customer loyalty and greater brand awareness.
You can also personalize by adding digital notes with customers name on it or adding a birthday discount for your customers.
6. Simplicity is the Key
There’s no unboxing nightmare worse than a box that won’t open. Imagine a buyer sharing a product reveal on Instagram or Facebook live, and they have a difficult time opening the box. It will give your brand a bad reputation and discourage potential customers from purchasing your product.
In arranging your products, don’t make them hard to find. If your product has tiny parts, don’t toss them on colorful paper or other packaging.
The buyer may not see it and throw it away, losing a major part of the product. So, make sure there are no spaces for small items to hide. Instead, keep them in the center of the box, surrounded by other items.
7. Don’t Forget to Self-Promote
Using hashtags and creating social media campaigns is a great way to self promote and engage with your customer community on social media. By using hashtags in their unboxing captions, customers can help you create a bigger buzz about your brand.
Create Customized Shareable Boxes With Arka Packaging
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Select Your Packaging Type
From mailer boxes, poly mailers to folding carton boxes Arka provides a wide variety of packaging options plus extras- which includes stickers, tape and tissue papers.
You can select which kind of packaging works best for your specific product before you order. It is very important to ensure that your packaging selection is best suited for your product to ensure a seamless unboxing customer experience that is shareable on social media.
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Design
Arka allows you to customize your boxes to your liking using a simple process of uploading your dieline or images you want us to use. We’ll work with you after you place your order to finalize your design before printing. We use digital printing which is the most environmentally friendly option. You can customize your color, text and logo of choice and provide your customers with the best unboxing experience.
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Variety of eco-friendly packaging options
Arka offers a wide selection of eco-friendly packaging options which customers love. All of Arka’s paper products are all FSC Certified. We provide compostable bags at higher quantities. Our plastic bags are made from non-virgin fiber.
One of our recyclable and compostable options are HoneyComb Mailers.
Conclusion
When it comes to creating a unique unboxing experience, the sky's the limit! There are a variety of options to suit every budget, and Arka has a solution for every brand!
This guide has laid down the building blocks for a fantastic unboxing experience that will lead to user generated content on social media.
Happy unboxing!
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