Top 5 Ways to Boost Your Unboxing Experience

There’s just something about unboxing a new product. The way the packing tape whispers suspense as you tear open the cardboard box. And the popping bubble wrap? Like uncorking champagne at a party. 

So satisfying. 

Retailers and marketers have tapped into this enticing experience. You’ve probably seen your favorite influencer unbox a product package and have immediately wanted to go out and buy the product yourself. As a small business owner, creating the best unboxing experience for your customers can help you increase brand awareness and sell more items. 

Ultimately, boosting the package experience gives customers a solid first impression of your brand, which in turn, helps you build a stronger relationship with them. 

So, what can you do to make opening one of your packages as exciting as possible? We’ve got you covered.

Getting Started

You might be concerned that you’ll have to make significant changes to your operations to improve the overall unboxing experience. The good news is improving that experience doesn’t require a complete overhaul of your packaging operations. 

Start with a little empathy. It’s free! Put yourself in the customer’s shoes and consider what they'd enjoy. Ask yourself these questions to get started:

• What are their demographics?
• Past purchases?
• Current purchase?

Answering these questions can give you some good brainstorming ideas for what to put in the box for the best experience possible for that particular customer profile. 

Another critical thing to remember — what would the customer not want to see in the package? 

A crowd not-so-favorite is the ever-dreaded packing peanut. They’re messy. Bad for the environment. And they don’t do anything except detract from what should be an otherwise enjoyable unboxing experience. Practically, think about what could lower the experience for the customer and eliminate it.

Okay, got your ideas? Let’s talk about how we can best apply them to the anatomy of the packaging. 

Design the Best Box for Unboxing

A cardboard box is great for utility. But it’s boring. Let’s spice it up. 

Elevating the shipping boxes with core branding elements does many things for your small business and your customer, too. 

For starters, the customer is the end-user, meaning a bunch of other people have handled the packaging before it reaches the customer's mailbox. But we’re not just talking about your employees, subcontractors, or vendors who actually pack the box. 

We’re also referring to the people at the post office, the customer’s neighbors, the FedEx worker, etc. All these people will handle the packaging, which means you can get your brand in front of a lot of eyeballs. 

Designing a custom shipping box with your brand logo, colors, taglines, and other eye-catching elements is a great place to start. Also, adding branded designs to the inside of the packaging signifies class, luxury, and style. 

If you’re on a budget and don’t want to spring for custom-printed shipping boxes, consider ordering custom stickers and packaging tape to spruce things up and show off your branding.

But it doesn’t have to end there. Here are the most cost-effective and easy add-ons and add-ins you can use to improve the unboxing experience. 

1. Stickers

We’re a little biased around here, but we believe stickers make everything better.

The best part about stickers is they work well for a variety of unboxing scenarios. Think about where you can strategically place the sticker on your boxes for the most visibility. Additionally, consider throwing in a free sticker for your customer. Who doesn’t love a fun freebie? Also, can you add a fun or interesting slogan to it that further elevates the unboxing experience? 

Another thing to consider. Do you use heavy-duty packing tape to secure the box in transit? If so, that packing tape is often heavy on utilitarianism and light on design. 

You can order your own custom packaging tape to beautify and brand the box.

If you’ve also created a custom box with brand colors and other eye-catching elements, design your packaging tape to fit the overall aesthetic for even more pizzazz. 

2. Tissue Paper and Filler

Tissue paper and other themed filler helps secure the items in transit. But it also presents a unique branding opportunity that can elevate the unboxing experience if you capitalize on it. 

Think about it. Where else do people come into contact with tissue paper? When presented with a gift. 

If you add branded tissue paper or other filler that is thematic to your product (saw straw for something more rustic), you’re subconsciously triggering in the customer’s mind that they’re unwrapping an exciting new present, which boosts the unboxing. 

In addition, tissue paper can make the packaging feel more luxurious. And it’s clean and easy to dispose of. Plus, the crinkling is satisfying and makes the entire experience more tactile. 

You can add little sayings to the tissue paper, and don’t forget a custom sticker to secure the edges and keep it all neatly folded in the box. 

3. Personalized Inserts

Personalization increases conversions, brand loyalty, and word-of-mouth referrals. And so do inserts. So, what better way to get double the profit? With a personalized insert, of course. 

These could be a thank you note or a free custom sticker. Business and postcards with coupon codes are also a hit.

Some brands have even succeeded with something as simple as writing the customer’s name inside the box. 

4. Free Samples

You can never go wrong with a free sample. Free samples are great add-ons for creating the best unboxing experience. If you do this regularly, you can give customers a pleasant surprise when they next order your product. 

Keep them guessing what kind of free sample they’ll get, and you can increase recurring revenue. 

But a warning. 

Your free sample will likely be pretty small. But, if you don’t pack the box correctly, the sample could get lost and accidentally thrown away along with the tissue paper or other packing materials. 

So, place your smallest items right in the box's center so the customer will be sure to see them. 

5. Think Outside the Box and Save Money 

The feeling of mystery is a huge element in boosting the unboxing experience. So, packing your shipping boxes with unusual materials can increase the suspense when one of your packages lands on the customer’s doorstep. 

It’s easy to go a little overboard with luxurious tissue papers or fancy ribbons. But while these can be effective, they can add up in overhead costs. Lower-cost, interesting materials can work just as well as pricier ones. 

An excellent place to start is with the specific item your customer purchased. Then, think about an unusual material that aligns with the star product inside the box. For example, pack home decor products in wallpaper. 

Prioritize the Presentation 

Ultimately, you want to make an unboxing experience that will end up on YouTube or The Gram. A picture-perfect, camera-ready shipping box is an excellent tool for increasing brand awareness. 

Getting your items and brand in front of more eyeballs on social media is the goal, so you’ll want to prioritize the overall presentation of your packaging. 

Pack the box in the most appealing way possible. And be sure to present the items so that your brand elements are front and center. 

Make Your Shipping Photo Worthy

By elevating your product packaging, you can make receiving a package an experience of its own. There are so many ways to get creative with a custom-designed box, stickers, or other innovative packing materials. 

Let’s get your packages camera ready. Start today with a custom sticker design from Stomp.  

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