When someone opens a parcel from your business, there’s a moment — just a second or two — where they take in everything before they reach for the product. The tissue paper, the card, the little extras. A well-made packaging insert sits right in that moment. It doesn’t shout, but it fills a gap that would otherwise feel empty. It’s the difference between an order that arrives and an order that feels properly finished.
What to include on a packaging insert
The beauty of an insert is that it can do whatever you need it to. Some businesses use them for care instructions. Others use them to share a personal message, a discount code for a future order, or a quick guide to getting the most out of the product. The key is to keep it focused — one insert doing one or two jobs is much better than a single card crammed with everything you’ve ever wanted to say.
Care instructions are a good starting point, especially if you sell anything that needs looking after — candles, clothing, skincare, ceramics, jewellery. A printed care card tells the customer how to use and maintain what they’ve bought, which reduces the chance of complaints and returns. It also shows you’ve thought about what happens after the sale, not just before it.
If your product doesn’t need care instructions, a simple message works just as well. Something that thanks the customer, tells them a little about your business, or encourages them to get in touch if they need anything. You can also use the space to point people towards your website, social channels, or a review page. Just keep it natural — nobody wants to feel like they’re being marketed to the moment they open a box.
Some businesses split things across two inserts — one for practical information and one that’s more personal. That can work nicely, as long as the parcel doesn’t end up feeling stuffed with paper. Two small cards feel generous. Five different slips of paper feel overwhelming.
Care instructions vs personal messages
There’s a difference between a care card and a thank you note, and it’s worth being clear about which one you need — or whether you need both.
A care card is functional. It tells the customer something useful about the product. Wash at 30 degrees. Keep away from direct sunlight. Store in a cool, dry place. This kind of card works best when it’s clean and easy to read, with short instructions that don’t require a magnifying glass.
A personal message is more about connection. It’s your chance to say something directly to the customer, without a screen between you. It might be a thank you, a bit of background about how the product was made, or a note about your business. These tend to work best when they’re short and warm — a couple of sentences is usually enough.
If you can combine both on one card without it looking crowded, that’s ideal. A care instruction on one side and a short thank you on the other gives you the best of both worlds. Just make sure there’s enough space for everything to breathe. Cramming text into every corner defeats the purpose.
Matching inserts to your brand look
An insert that looks completely different from the rest of your packaging sticks out for the wrong reasons. If your boxes are clean and neutral, your insert should be too. If your branding is warm and colourful, carry that through. The insert is part of the unboxing experience, and it should feel like it belongs there.
This is where having a consistent set of templates really helps. When your business cards, thank you cards, and packaging inserts all share the same fonts, colours, and layout style, everything looks like it came from the same place. That kind of consistency builds trust and makes your brand feel established, even if you’re still relatively new.
You don’t need to hire a designer to achieve this. Using templates from the same collection means the visual work is already done — you just personalise the text and details. That gives you a professional look without starting from scratch every time.
How inserts affect the unboxing experience
Unboxing has become a thing, and not just on YouTube. Plenty of customers pay attention to how their order is packaged, even if they never film it. The experience of opening a parcel shapes how they feel about the product inside, and inserts are a big part of that.
A plain brown box with a product wrapped in bubble wrap is fine — it does the job. But add a printed insert with a thank you message and a care card that matches your branding, and the whole thing goes up a level. It feels considered. It feels like someone packed it with care, not just speed.
That feeling matters because it affects whether someone comes back. If the unboxing experience is memorable — in a quiet, pleasant way — the customer is more likely to reorder, recommend you to a friend, or leave a positive review. None of that requires extravagant packaging. It just requires a bit of thought and a few well-designed printed pieces.
For small businesses, this is an area where you can genuinely compete with bigger brands. You won’t outspend them on packaging, but you can out-care them. A personal message, a well-printed insert, and a bit of attention to detail go further than a fancy box ever will.
The goal isn’t to create a spectacle. It’s to make the customer feel like their order was important to you — because it was. Inserts are one of the simplest ways to communicate that. For related reading at a similar pace, loyalty cards that still feel calm and brand consistency in print may help. If you would like to see curated sets in one place on the site, you can explore matching designs here.
Browse the range
If you want packaging inserts that match the rest of your brand and look right inside a parcel, the range has options for care cards, thank you notes, and general-purpose inserts. Each design is fully customisable, so you can adjust the text and colours to suit your business. Browse packaging inserts on Zazzle. You can also explore the full stationery collections to see matching pieces across the range.
