How to Make Your Packaging Stand Out on Social Media

Being a witness of the current era digitalization, I have come to the understanding that social media is now a very effective marketing tool for various businesses and for their communication with the audience.

Being an expert in packaging, however, I think that the most underestimated part of social media marketing is the influence that the packaging has.

In this article, my intention is to make people aware about this reality so that they will be able to make their product packaging boxes a pleasure to look at on social media, thereby securing sales and engaging more customers.

No doubt, it is social media that has transformed the old marketing ways and made companies take a new direction in addressing the matter of product presentation to the customers.

With the enormous number of users browsing through their feeds every day, it is important to know how to catch their attention in the very first few seconds.

I discovered that an attractive packaging is the main reason why people stop scrolling on feed and engage with a particular brand.

Let's examine the tactics that will assist in making your product packaging the star of social media.

Understanding the Importance of Packaging in your brand .

Prior to giving you various ideas, it is important to know the reason why the packaging does matter in social media.

My observation is that packaging plays the following fundamental roles:

First Impression: Packaging may be the first thing people see on the social media platforms.

Brand Identity: It gives the customer insight into your corporate identity.

Shareability: Great packaging encourages the users to photograph themselves with the product and then publish them.

Unboxing Experience: The packaging is in itself the source of the fun in the anticipation of what is inside next.

Designing Packaging for Social Media Impact

I have to admit that in the case of a social media campaign, the pivotal factors that favor the customer's engagement are the visuals created by the designer for the exhibition of the product.

Hence, when we make a packaging that is unique and extols the product on social media, we are able to bring the product to life.

Before going further I would like to state that the attractiveness of color should not be underestimated because having the right combination and proper allocation of color may make a product more appealing to a customer's eyes.

1. Colour Psychology

The preference of colours not only depends on the aesthetics but also the emotions they provoke can be strong and therefore, the perception of a product can usually be changed by a particular colour choice.

My suggestion would be to consider colours that are associated with the brand's character and that reflect the emotions the product should convey.

Here is an example:

Blue: Trust, Stability, Calmness

Red: Excitement, Passion, Urgency

Green: Nature, Health, Growth

Yellow: Optimism, Clarity, Warmth

2. Simplicity and Clarity

I understand that for the creation of packaging that stands out on social media, less or nothing may be more.

Minimalistic designs tend to outshine other unnecessary artworks when displayed in an overly crowded social media. Ascertain your brand name and logo are both distinguishable as well as easily readable at small sizes.

3. Unique Shapes and Textures

It can be very tempting to put something that is totally away from the box on your packaging.

In view of this, I would recommend trying different forms and textures, that are not conventional as this can help in creating original and visual interest in the end.

Moreover, users might comment on the website for them to get the information from before they buy and then follow the brand online after they find the codes on the products.

4. Incorporate Social Media Elements

My experience suggests that the inclusion of social media identifiers, hashtags and QR codes of your brand on your branded cereal packaging can be instrumental in attracting the attention of users and even encouraging them to follow your food brand as well as show the fan ship of the product through social media.

It is worth noting that the finding of the codes is very easy due to their dominating printing and therefore users do not spend much time looking for them.

Creating an Unboxing Experience

The unboxing session of products has increasingly become a major trend in the realm of present-day social media. Thus, here is how you can capitalize on this:

1. Layer Your Packaging

Engage customers and prolong their experience by wrapping a present in a number of layers.

This way they will have more fun and take more photos or video content. You should give them a good unboxing experience, for instance, by covering the product in wrapping paper and then boxing it.

2. Include Surprises

Let there be some elements that will arouse the curiosity of the receiver. Adding personal notes, product samples, or stickers are some ideas that may be used.

Creating these extra surprises could create a sense of specialness and in this way, people might be more willing to share it with others.

3. Use High-Quality Materials

The feel of your packaging should be in alignment with the quality of it. Thus, you should also consider incorporating materials that are of high quality and appearance which would make the clients perceive your product as of high value.

This could be achieved by using stiff, glossy materials such as metal and plastic to make the product look elegant and boy’s acrylics and paper can be used to make it look sophisticated.

Leveraging User-Generated Content

User-generated content (UGC) is a powerful tool for social media marketing.

You can use packaging to drive user content to social media through the following method:

1. Create Photo-Worthy Moments

Have your packaging designed so that it is "selfie-friendly" and cool enough to be shared on Instagram.

This can be something like designing a QR code for your product that leads the client to the product page and then from scanning the code, the client may give a review for your product on your social media page/s.

2. Encourage Sharing

Put calls-to-action on the pack that tempt buyers into sharing pics of their purchases all over the social media. You could also give them a branded hashtag for their purpose.

3. Run Packaging-Related Contests

The products should be offered in a challenging way and the customers should be the ones to pitch in ideas about how to improve the packaging.

For instance, you might prompt the guys to think of starring products and next to each propose their unique packaging designs.

.Users might alternatively be requested to upload their images of the products packaging in diverse ways (repurposing).

Sustainability and Social Responsibility

In my view, today's consumers are more thoughtful about environmental problems.

One of the reasons to incorporate sustainability into the packaging is that it not only appeals to such conscious people but it also yields great content for social media. Therefore:

1. Use Eco-Friendly Materials

Thought must be given to the use of recyclable, biodegradable, or compostable materials in your packing.

Highlight the environmental benefits of the materials in your social media content.

2. Minimize Packaging

You should get rid of anything unnecessary that is part of the packing if it is possible.

This will help not only to attract new customers who are conscious of the environment but will also create a modern look that is uncluttered and therefore will look quite good on social media.

3. Educate Your Audience

Your social media should serve you as a means of telling your audience about your ecologically sustainable packaging and the way they can properly handle their litter or recycle your packaging.

On your part, you may involve the kids in the recycling process. This may mean creating a miniature recycling plant and showing how the different materials are recycled.

The kids can collect recyclable materials and take them to the recycling area where they can learn how to do the recycling themselves.

Seasonal and Limited-Edition Packaging

Introducing seasonal or limited-edition packing could cause a buzz and urge people to share their joy on social media.

These are some of the steps I have found to be effective:

1. Holiday Themes

Set up the packaging that will be sold only on holidays. This can create a sense of urgency of the buyers and consequently, they all get the payoff of the specific event even before holidays end.

2. Collaborations

Collaborating with creative minds like graphic artists, fashion designers, and other companies that specialize in luxury products will create the necessary change for the company to not only be different but also be involved in social media.

Quite often such alliances cause significant customer interest in social media.

3. Customer-Designed Packaging

Besides keeping your audience involved as contestants, you can also organize their participation in designing your packaging.

Getting to the point of "everyone wants to be a designer" and seeing the success of such campaigns, social media at times starts to play a role in materializing the campaign by persuading the brand to further engage the users to vote on the winners.

However, as an addition, your users, hopefully, suggest more unique and interesting designs. It is very important for the users as they feel engaged in the very process of how a product is targeted as well as advertising.

Incorporating branded printed packaging boxes for your brand into the design process can be an excellent way to reflect these user-driven ideas. Not only does this create a tangible connection between the product and the consumer, but it also allows users to see their creative input come to life.

In turn, it gives users a good feeling of creativity if their idea is picked, boosting the trust they have for the brand. By aligning user engagement with impactful packaging, brands can foster loyalty and stand out in a competitive market.

Measuring Success

The effectiveness of your packaging strategies on social media could be better ensured by the setting of their objectives and carrying out the assessment of the results of their activities.

Below are some key performance indicators to be scanned:

• Engagement rates on posts featuring your packaging
• Number of user-generated content posts
• Hashtag usage
• Increase in followers or website traffic
• Sales of products with new or featured packaging

Conclusion

Summing things up, the making of a packaging that grabs customers' attention on social media is no simple process. It requires a considerate mixture of different factors like outward attractiveness, practicality, consistency.

Therefore, the choice of using the colour on the label, and, also, the look of the package is important elements that could have a substantial influence on a person's purchasing decision.

Remember that the main thing is to bring the packaging in such a way that it narrates the brand's essence and it makes the customers become a part of that story through their own social media sharing.

By doing this, you can attract positive feedback and customer loyalty which will lead to increased sales.

As the digital world continually transforms, the kinds of packaging design can equally be in the process of evolution, thus, there is always a chance to make a packaging design that stands out by being innovative.

Keep the exploration dynamic and always try to understand the needs of your audience. Therefore, a new packaging record breaker could only be a social media away!