Print+Electronic=QR Code
October 19th, 2011 § 1 Comment
You’ve seen them everywhere, and maybe even scanned one, so what’s the deal with those little bar codes? QR (quick response) codes are computer generated bar codes that can be scanned using a smart phone app to direct consumers to a website. As the world turns into a mobile centered environment, QR codes offer marketers the opportunity to provide consumers with quick access to web content—and can be especially helpful when custom content has been generated, say around a marketing campaign.
So how can you use QR codes to direct traffic to your website? There are many ways to use these codes, but the best part about them is that they can be integrated into many of the communication vehicles that you may be using today. If you already take out ads in magazines, or send out direct mail, all you need to do is include a QR code in the scheme of the developed message and you can give your customers(or prospective customers) the prompt they need to quickly and conveniently access your website, glean information, and of course, choose to visit your place or buy your product.
While QR codes are easy for the customer and free to generate, they do come with a big caveat. In order for them to be effective, you need to make sure that your web content is up to date and relevant to what customers will be expecting. A website has long been one of the most important tools in your marketing tool box—and using a QR code to marry print and electronic mediums only heightens the need to make sure that you are on top of your site’s content. Make it engaging, make sure it’s fresh, and most of all make sure that your site is mobile friendly—most sites are, but in the case of special content such as surveys, contests, etc. it is especially important to test out your site on a mobile device before utilizing a code.
QR codes obviously have a place in all sorts of communication efforts, but for place branding they can be especially fun. Integrate a QR code into a mailing out to potential city visitors, groups that may host conventions or even residents, allowing them to scan the code and enter their email address on your site to win a free weekend get-away in your city. Not only will you garner email addresses for other marketing uses—newsletters, future contests—but you will also be enabling a prospect that has only seen you in print to see you in a whole new way online. Maybe they will check out other parts of your site, or pass the mail piece with the code on to other friends to enter.
The possibilities are endless and the investment is minimal—sounds to me like we have no excuse as marketers not to be using QR codes. And who knows, maybe these codes are the way that print and electronic engagement will form a complete marketing campaign via one communication piece in the future.
I think that QR codes are a great addition to advertising campaigns or company publications. It is an easy way for the customer to be directed toward a specific item the group is trying to promote without having to log online and search for it themselves. Although, you have to make sure your audience is one with access to a smartphone!