QR Code Marketing
As mobile marketing evolves, the strategies and devices companies will employ to influence their customers will unquestionably transform as much or more as they did in recent years during the explosion in social media. As use of QR code reader apps for smart phones increase, it will become advantageous for merchants to enlist multi-channel marketing to involve consumers through a variety of technological advertising methods, including QR code marketing.
Quick Response (QR) codes are 2D printed graphics in a variety of geometric patterns, similar to UPC bar codes, which are "scanned" when photographed by a QR code smartphone. A picture of the QR code is taken with a smartphone and converted into data using a QR coder application. This will provide the smartphone user with additional information, such as different options for a product, where they can be purchased, a link to a company website, etc. Similarly, QR codes can also be placed on advertisements, whether they be in a magazine or newspaper, on a poster, or in a mailing, to encourage a possible customer to learn more. In this way, QR codes are one of the greatest marketing tools at our disposal today.
In the ever growing world of social networking, QR codes are a great way to get links to your Facebook or other networking sites, which can only help to grow your business. Or, QR codes could provide the customer with a link to your company site, for direct access. If you are considering using QR codes for small business marketing, be aware that the apps required to scan them are still underused by most Americans, while projected growth of smartphone sales is on the rise. As more people adapt the QR reader technology, they will learn to associate the codes with basic action required on their part. In the meantime, you can assist them in expediting the inevitable learning curve by incorporating instructions in your advertising explaining how to use the code, or even direct them to downloadable scanner apps. QR codes should always offer some kind of benefit to the scanner. While programming it to direct scanners to your website may be an obvious use, that may not be the most creative or engaging approach in the few moments you have to gain a prospects attention.
QR Code Website Design
When a current or potential customer scans a QR code it links to a webpage. This page should include mobile website friendly design to provide the optimal visual appearance being that it was most likely scanned from a mobile device. The page should include information about the product or service they scanned with a call to action that can easily be accessed from a mobile device.
QR Code Marketing Campaign
If you feel there may be a place for QR codes in your marketing strategy, the following are several imaginative suggestions on how you can implement QR codes.
On business cards. This option is more obvious than creative, but may be a way to condense more detailed information about your business, than you can fit on a traditional card. A creatively crafted QR code could direct recipients of your card to your Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn or Twitter accounts, with very little effort or printed space. The same technique may be applied to printed flyers, brochures or posters.
Increase e-commerce sales. Assuming your e-commerce solution is designed to handle it, you can create a code linking to a URL that will in turn populate a shopping cart with specific products.
Populate your email subscriber list. Consumers want to know, "what's in it for me." If you make sure you give shoppers a convincing reason to subscribe to your email list, they may likely do so if directed their through your QR code.
Interactive product labeling. Imagine a restaurant diner enjoying seasonal beer from your micro-brewery, or a bottle of your vineyards finest merlot. They look for the QR code on the bottle and scan it, instantly connecting them to a mobile site where they can learn more about your product, including links enabling them to purchase a case for home delivery...before the waiter even brings the check!
It is plain to see, there are innumerable methods to use QR codes to entice and involve your intended audience. Because a QR code can link to infinite data sources, half the fun is the anticipation and surprise of where the code will lead a curious scanner.