Below is by no means an exhaustive list of insert types and new formats are being developed by suppliers and publishers all the time – so always conduct your own research to find out what is possible for your insert campaign.

But here are a few of the more common types and terminologies:

 

Furnished outserts

Furnished outserts are inserts that are physically attached to the outside of the publication – usually on the front cover.

Typical outserts include CDs, product samples or other give-aways on the front of magazines.

 

Loose inserts

Loose inserts can be anything from a single sheet to a mini catalogue and are tucked into the main publication.

Consider the following questions:

  • Do you need many pages to sell your product or service?
  • Do you need more than one piece in order to get your message across?
  • Are you looking to sell directly from the insert itself, to generate enquiries or just to promote the brand?

 

Furnished inserts

Furnished inserts are inserts that are physically attached to the publication – usually bound-in or glued (‘tipped’) on, as described below.

 

Bound-in inserts

Bound-in inserts are fixed into the main publication, giving the feeling that they are part of it – and tend to force the publication to open at your page. Staying attached, they have a longer life and therefore offer more chances to be noticed by your customer. The publication might also be handed around and find your customer this way.

They are normally the sole insert in a publication and give you more time to sell and tell a story – with time and space to explain, demonstrate and persuade.

 

Tip-on inserts

Tip-ons are inserts that are glued onto a relevant advert page within the publication. Tip-ons definitely give you two shots at grabbing your customer’s attention, which is particularly useful for shared readerships, and allow you to use this additional card as a response mechanism or creative ploy. Your insert is also supported by the advertising space. Tip-ons have long been used as an ideal way to provide product samples, such as perfumes or toiletries, in tandem with a branding advert.

Tactile, three-dimensional and potentially useful, tip-ons can be a very impactful way to increase your customer’s involvement with your insert.

 

Brochure

Brochures can run to many pages and are typically used to promote a range of products, acting as a mini catalogue or voucher book, or a single high-value purchase with a lot to say, such as a luxury car or a holiday destination. Brochures can have a very high impact – especially if you use the space to provide meaningful, useful content to your customer.

For example, if your brochure is going in a gardening supplement then you might include valuable tips and ideas that your customer will appreciate. Brochures can also benefit from having the gravitas and appearance of editorial content – but can also be the first inserts to fall out and get lost if not polywrapped.

 

Post-it

A post-it is a sticker attached to, usually, the front cover of a supplement.

They can be peeled off and re-stuck elsewhere by your customer – so if your post-it is truly useful and worth keeping then it may just find its way onto your customer’s fridge, desk, noteboard or computer screen, where it can remain for some time.

Use these unique possibilities when conceptualising your insert – concentrate on finding the hook or piece of information that your customer cannot throw away.

 

Bellyband

A bellyband is a belt of paper wrapped around the outside of a publication. Bellybands are highly visible and have to be physically removed from the publication before it can be read – so guarantee some level of interaction from your customer.

However, make sure that you provide a sufficient reward for this engagement – otherwise your insert is effectively just an obstacle in your customer’s way. Be creative about how you can use this format to express a relevant, entertaining message about your product or brand.

 

Special covers

Many publications offer you different opportunities to add a special cover – often an additional cover over the top of the publication’s real front cover, or a two-page or three-page spread that unfolds from the inside of the front cover.

Special covers give you the opportunity to effectively take over an issue. If your cover completely wraps around the real cover then you will likely need to put the publication’s masthead and key details (such as price, issue and barcode) in your advert – which can give a real feel of partnership or synergy between your product and the publication’s brand.

 

Discount Offers

One of the, if not the most popular type of package insert is a discount offer. Sure these could always be delivered by email, and you may even choose digital delivery as well to deliver your discounts by including discounts or credits for future purchases right in the box ensures your customers will receive the offer and leaves them with a tangible reminder.

One of the most cost effective ways to create discount or deal offers to be included with your packaging is to print them at business card size (business cards are such a commodity at this point they are extremely inexpensive). You can use a service like OvernightPrints or, for a more premium quality, Moo Cards and upload your images for print. You may want to consider including two discount cards with each purchase, one for the purchaser and one for the purchaser to give away to a friend. You may also want to test out different types of offers to see which one your audience responds best to.

For example:

  • Free Shipping On Your Next Order
  • $10 Credit Towards Your Next Order
  • 25% Off Your Next Order

 

 

Product Samples

Samples can be a great value add to your packages for a few reasons. First, depending on the products you sell, you can sometimes get samples for free from your vendors. Second, product samples provide a great way to cross-sell customers and introduce them to other products and product lines that they may not know about or have been curious about trying.

Beardbrand, a premiere beard grooming brand specializing in beard oil will sometimes provide small beard oil samples to their customers and wholesalers. This small sample provides customers with additional value and increases Beardbrand’s exposure.

 

 

Small Gifts

Much like samples, small gifts can be a great way to surprise and delight customers without them feeling like you are trying to sell them on other products. The gift you give doesn’t have to be expensive. Since it’s not expected, most people will be pleasantly surprised by any additional gifts.

Take for example what Ryan French did. As the founder of GameKlip, he decided to add a small package of candies with every order. It was so well received by his customer that they talked about it all over social media, forums and blogs. Today, if you search Google for “GameKlip Rockets Candy” you’ll find nearly 27,000 results of people talking about the pleasant surprise they received.

GameKlip isn’t the only one taking advantage of adding small gifts to their package.

Johnny Cupcakes, a popular streetwear brand, knows exactly how well additional inserts can impact a customer’s experience. They include a variety of items in their packages that provides additional value and leaves customers with a smile.

When Nikki Mueller received her package, it contained a small gift in addition to her t-shirt:

On her blog, Nikki said:

There was also several little branded ziplocs with a gorgeous mini-brochure, a Power Rangers card, a button, and a breath mint! Digging the randomness. So basically Johnny Cupcakes is my new hero.

Just how effective can a small, almost valueless gift be? It’s been well documented that the little candies delivered by servers at the end of a restaurant meal help increase tips.

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the impact of this gesture on the tip percentages received by servers. Experiment 1 found that customers who received a small piece of chocolate along with the check tipped more than did customers who received no candy. Experiment 2 found that tips varied with the amount of the candy given to the customers as well as the manner it was delivered.

So what can be learned from this study? The little, seemingly valueless gifts, combined with some personalization makes people feel special and makes them want to return the favor. It’s the law of reciprocity and is a powerful psychological trigger.

Consider how you can can use small gifts and personalization in with your packaging inserts to create customers for life.

 

Thank-You Cards and Personal Notes

The simplest, least expensive and most personalized insert you can add to customer packages is a handwritten thank-you card. A simple card, can be a really thoughtful gesture, that can help build loyalty. This can be particularly effective when first starting out, as it’s a competitive advantage that most larger scale companies can no longer compete with. Use this to your advantage.

Brandon Eley, founder of 2BigFeet posted the following photo in a popular ecommerce forum:

One of the ways we encourage repeat business is by sending our best customers a handwritten thank you card with a coupon for future purchase. It’s my goal to send 1,000 cards every year, which works out to just 4 cards every weekday. I write all of them personally, but I’m automating the procedure of running the reports, making the coupon codes, etc to cut down on the amount of time it takes me every day.

A customer appreciation campaign like the one from 2BigFeet has the ability to produce massive results and can be done with a very small financial investment for the cards and just a small time commitment to write and send them.

As another great example of a really personalized note comes from TrunkClub, a premium menswear service. TrunkClub includes hand written notes from personal stylists explaining their selection of products with all orders:

Here are some quick tips on writing a thank-you note to your customers from Gregory Ciotti from Help Scout that he posted in a previous guest blog post:

  • If it’s financially feasible, try to use quality stationary.
  • Be sure to use the customer’s name.
  • Express your gratitude, clearly stating the reason for sending the note.
  • Mention details about what you enjoyed about your experience with this customer (a fantastic opportunity to be specific and thoughtful).
  • Allude to your future interactions with the customer.
  • Close with professional but warm sign-off and a signature. (i.e Best, Kindest Regards, Sincerely, Cheers, etc.)

 

Product Review/Share On Social Media Request

Since the shipped package usually represents the end of the transaction for most customers, packaging inserts can also be a great place to ask for a product review or to share their experience on social media.

Frank Body, a coffee based body scrub encourages social interaction at almost every touch point. This includes adding an insert which further bolsters their brand and a request to share their experience on social media.

As a result, Frank Body has built a massive community (615k on Instagram) of fans all promoting their product which provides social proof to others and further builds their brand exposure.

Conclusion

In the end, packaging inserts are really about providing more value by exceeding expectations and matching the right offering with your particular audience.

As with all direct marketing efforts, be sure to test different package insert programs and different offers to build your own successful program that will increase loyalty, sales and profit for your business.