Setting up an ecommerce store and selling your product is one thing, but there’s so much more to selling a product.

So let’s talk about packaging and why it matters.

Online shopping is huge. People get parcels every day.

I actually pick up parcels from the post office regularly (yes, my secret is out). 

My online shopping experience doesn’t end when I add things to my cart and check out, I’d argue that it’s when it starts.

Your packaging is part of the experience for your customer and there’s a big difference in sending it in a plain white post satchel vs a beautifully branded box. 

One of the things I bought while I was pregnant, and also during my recovery, were maternity leggings and recovery shorts from Plie Australia. Each time I picked up my parcel from the post office I would get a little giddy because the box is beautifully branded, the items are always wrapped carefully in tissue paper and it includes postcards about the product and the business inside. The entire experience is one that’s well thought out and exciting for the customer. 

? Tune in to hear more

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Transcript

Hello, and welcome to the new school of marketing podcast. I hope you’re well and are having a great week. I’m super excited this week as one of my clients is seeing fabulous results with Facebook ads, which means that I’m in a super good mood… even with less sleep and the challenges of looking after a baby and a very stubborn 4 year old. 

She normally goes to daycare on Mondays and Tuesdays but she’s home this week because of Easter. We normally go away for Easter but with Jacob still being so little we’ve decided to stay home and do some fun activities around here, so we’ve loaded up the bike a few times so miss 4 could practise on her new peddle bike along the beach while we get to stretch our legs and breathe in the fresh air. 

I hope you’re having a great Easter weekend too. 

Setting up an ecommerce store and selling your product is one thing, but there’s so much more to selling a product.

So let’s talk about packaging and why it matters.

Online shopping is huge. People get parcels every day.

I actually pick up parcels from the post office regularly (yes, my secret is out). 

My online shopping experience doesn’t end when I add things to my cart and check out, I’d argue that it’s when it starts.

Your packaging is part of the experience for your customer and there’s a big difference in sending it in a plain white post satchel vs a beautifully branded box. 

One of the things I bought while I was pregnant, and also during my recovery, were maternity leggings and recovery shorts from Plie Australia. Each time I picked up my parcel from the post office I would get a little giddy because the box is beautifully branded, the items are always wrapped carefully in tissue paper and it includes postcards about the product and the business inside. The entire experience is one that’s well thought out and exciting for the customer. 

I also often order clothes online and the experience can be hit and miss. Some businesses use branded bags, and some send it in plain white or black bags which always leaves me guessing what’s inside. 

It’s definitely a missed opportunity for the business, because unboxing videos are so much fun to create and as a business you can 100% ask people to do this and share it on Instagram. Simply add a sticker to your branded packaging and ask people to film and share their unboxing experience. 

Even if you have a branded satchel instead of a box you can ask people to film and share.

Content created by your customers is great for building trust, plus you get free content for your social media. It’s a win win.

Getting content created by your customer saves you on photoshoots and you can get even more creative with user generated content by running give-aways or competitions. 

Ask your customers to take a photo or video of your packaging and product, upload it to their socials and tag your brand and in return they can win a voucher or a free product. 

Another part of the packaging is to include a postcard or something similar that looks beautiful and encourages people to find out more about your business or purchase again. Lots of businesses include a card with a discount code for their next order, this is a perfect opportunity to get people to come back to your store and order again.

Whenever I get a parcel that only has a packing slip and no added cards or even beautifully branded packaging I get the feeling that it was simply drop-shipped and no extra love was added to the parcel. 

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not shopping for the extra love and postcards but I think the business could do so much more and is missing out on opportunities. Plus it’s just a little less personal. 

Offering a beautifully presented product shows that you’re invested in your business and in your customer. It’s a little bit extra for your customer and the experience becomes a positive one from order all the way to unwrapping their product. 

Here are some ideas for you to think about:

• Send parcels in a branded box or branded biodegradable bag. If this isn’t in your budget right now, at least add an element of branding to your packaging, like a sticker. 
• Use custom branded tissue paper to wrap the products inside.
• Include a thank you note, and encourage people to return by offering them free shipping or a percentage off their next order.
• Include a surprise, such as a small product or a lolly. I recently received an order with branded lollies, which was awesome.
• Include something to encourage people to create content and tag your brand on social media.

So yes, packaging matters… even if you think it doesn’t. There are some opportunities for your business that you might want to explore.

And if you’re worried about landfill and adding to the pile of rubbish, get creative and give your customers ideas on what to do with your packaging. 

Maternity brand Cadenshae ships their bras and feeding tops in ziplock bags and they give their customers ideas on how to reuse these bags. I’ve been using and reusing them for a variety of things.

That’s it for this week, get your thinking hat on and start adding to your customer’s experience. Even starting with branded stickers and some postcards will make a difference.