By Laura Fitch
Stickeryou.com

With all the care you put into your handmade products, don’t forget to pay the same amount of attention to the packaging. One way to help drive loyalty and brand awareness with your customers is through the unboxing experience.

Unboxing is exactly what it sounds like, your customer takes the product out of the box you’ve shipped it in. This has become increasingly important since many customers value packaging and unboxing almost as much as the product itself. Customers want a satisfying unboxing experience they can share with others. Unboxing videos, in which people record themselves opening the box of the product they’ve ordered and sharing the process with their online communities, are becoming more and more popular on social media. In short, creating an impact with a well-planned unboxing experience is a great marketing opportunity for your small business.

Branding your unboxing experience is a simple way to enhance your product in your customer’s mind. This will make your product easily recognizable even when it’s still in the box. It’s a low-cost way to promote your small business to customers and showcase the care you put into each product you make, as well as expose your brand to everyone who sees the box along the delivery chain, increasing brand awareness.

Here are five tips to help make your company’s unboxing experience stand out from the rest.

1. Brand your boxes

Including your company name and logo on the box is an easy way to make your product more recognizable. Your customers will instantly know that your product is artisanal. Particularly for design-oriented businesses, this is a great way to show what you’re capable of even before the customer has gotten to the product.

Specialty boxes give the unboxing experience an elevated feel. Print boxes with your logo, company name, or even a special slogan or decal. If this is too expensive, consider using customized labels for the same effect.

2. Hook ’em with stickers

Sending your customers free stickers with their purchase is a great way not only to enhance their experience, but also to increase your marketing potential and brand awareness. For a small business, modest profit margins may make it difficult to invest in too many freebies, at least in the initial stages of growth. But there are ways to give a little something without breaking the bank. Stickers, for example, are a low-cost, easy way to make your customers feel that you’re going above and beyond for them when they unbox their purchase. Customers will appreciate receiving an extra surprise in their boxes, and when they use them on their laptops, water bottles or guitar cases, the stickers can help spread the word about your product organically.

3. Customize packing tape

The tape you use to wrap up your box contributes just as much to the packaging as any designs or surprise stickers inside. Whether or not you use specialty boxes, a customized packing tape can give your box a unique, eye-catching aesthetic. Including your logo, company name, or other messaging, such as info on upcoming sales and specials, on your packing tape is easy and affordable. It helps remind your customers that they’re receiving a quality product from a small business that cares about them and customizing their experience.

4. Include extra goodies

Including a cross-sell insert, like an informative flyer or a coupon, can add some extra flair to the unboxing experience and help drive brand loyalty. In addition to receiving your handmade product, customers will receive even more to help them learn more about your company’s personality. Use inserts to offer promotions, provide information about you, your company, or your products, and provide links to your website and social media. You can customize flyers depending on your current marketing campaigns, or just provide a background for your small business to help your customers feel personally connected to you. Flyers and other custom inserts also present an opportunity to create a social-media-worthy moment for the unboxer.

5. Write thank-you notes

A handwritten thank-you note is one of the simplest ways to express appreciation for your customers and give them a memorable and unique unboxing experience. Even if you can’t handwrite all of your notes to customers, a pretty, premade note works as well to enhance your customers’ interaction with your product. Use this as an opportunity to express gratitude for your customer’s support for small businesses. This helps personalize the experience and make your customers feel that they did the right thing by buying a handmade product from an actual relatable person.

Creating a special unboxing experience is an easy but important way for small businesses to stand out and succeed. By taking just a few simple steps, you can ensure that customers get excited when they see your box in their mail and literally can’t wait to unwrap your product.