What Does Social Media Have to Do with Packaging?

You may wonder why we’re so passionate about our blog and social media accounts. Not only do they provide outlets for great stories and information, but they also promote innovative thinking within our industry. Well, our efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. In a recent Packaging Digest article, Ernest Packaging Solutions was named one of the “Most Influential Manufacturers Using Social Media Effectively” in a first-of-its-kind research into packaging industry influencers.

In addition to being a nice pat on the back for our efforts, there is a valuable lesson to learn for all companies looking to be thought leaders in their industry.

The Ernest Buzz reached out to the author of the article, George Szanto (@hippity7), a tenured lecturer in the School of Marketing and Management at Fontys University of Applied Sciences, the largest and highest-ranked Dutch university for applied sciences, for further insights. Specifically, we were wondering how social media influence can impact businesses even beyond the packaging world and what value having an audience can hold.

Social Media Influence on Business

George Szanto, Packaging Digest: The impact usually can’t be measured or quantified in tangible business results, i.e. bottom line profits. However, being a successful influencer in a B2B industrial domain, such as packaging, affords you the ability to rally like-minded followers to act on your behalf. For example to mobilize your followers (better than lesser online influencers) to petition the government about regulations, or perhaps to create indirect demand for your product in a vertical supply chain.

George Szanto, Packaging Digest: Trusting brands depends upon what the consumer expects from the social media channels and what the consumer uses the social channel for. For actual purchasing cycles, about 75% of people working in the packaging industries don’t use any social media to facilitate their purchase. However, we found that social media is used by packaging professionals to read about newsworthy stories, and to keep abreast of trends and technology developments that impact their daily jobs.

In addition to the 25% of buyers who do use social media to facilitate their purchase, the benefit of publishing enriching and entertaining stories is two fold. One, we get to highlight what is new and exciting in the ever-changing packaging world. And two, we use our platform as a way to show how the Ernest Packaging Solutions approach to custom design and manufacturing can make the impossible possible—as our Cardboard Chaos series demonstrates.

The more we are able to get people to see the value of good packaging, the better we are able to serve our customers’ needs. Learn more about why packaging matters to your bottom line by downloading our No More Brown Box: Branding Your B2B Packaging to Define Your Customer Experience whitepaper now. And while you’re at it, be sure to follow Ernest Packaging Solutions on your social media accounts!

@ErnestPackaging  |  Facebook   |  LinkedIn  |  Pinterest  |  YouTube