QR Codes

Are you curious about using QR Codes to market your business? QR codes aren’t just for big businesses – small businesses can utilize them too as this article will outline.

QR Codes are two-dimensional barcodes. They have been around for a while, but it wasn’t until smartphones became the norm that they have really taken off as a marketing tool. QR Codes solve the problem of asking your audience to type long or complex URLs and web addresses into the tiny keypads on their phones – you can easily point them to the information you want them to see, when you want them to see it.

Here are seven reasons why you should be using QR Codes to market your business.

1. QR Codes Drive Immediate Action

Because Codes need to be scanned, you have an immediate connection with your consumers – and this connection means you can bring key information and marketing messages straight to them. If you also include a clear Call to Action and share what the benefit will be, then they are more likely to engage with the Code. For example, by adding "Scan me with free App to receive 15% off Your Product", not only instructs them what to do, but also why they should.

2. QR Codes Works for Offline Businesses

Other types of marketing, such as social media marketing, works only online – QR Codes exist in the real world, meaning that they bridge a gap between ‘real world’ businesses and the internet. This has many powerful implications as you can connect consumers to any online content you like for example:

• demonstration videos showcasing how your new products works

• white paper outlining recent research about your sector or niche

• restaurants can give their customers more information about the food and drink being served that wouldn’t otherwise fit on the menu

3. Connect Your Business with Your Customers

Codes don’t just have to link to a text page with basic information on it – get connected via Social Media or get consumer feedback. If you add your feedback from to the Code then customers can rate the product or the service they just experienced, whilst you gain valuable insight as well as help to build your email list. At the same time why not offer an incentive e.g. 15% off their next purchase to add further value to their customer experience?

4. QR Codes Can Speed up Business Processes

Unlike other marketing tools this technology enables your business to share specific messages at specific times in exact locations. This means speeding up your business processes like sign ups, competitions and launch of new products because you decide what online marketing messages consumers should see when they scan. If you use a premium QR Codes software service then you can also automate this process quickly.

5. QR Codes = Portable Marketing

You can put QR Codes on anything you can print on e.g. brochures to link consumers to videos or digital versions of the brochure, stickers on shop windows for coupons or other special content, on your product packaging and banners for testimonials and on your business cards for contact information. QR Codes are the ultimate portable marketing tool so make the most of them.

6. QR Codes = Return on Investment

Tracking the Codes enables you to see where they are making the most impact as well as where and how consumers are interacting with your products and marketing pieces, meaning that you can alter your campaigns or make adjustments to them as needed. You can even compare campaigns as they happen with advanced QR Codes analytics tracking.

7. Get Consumers to Interact with Your Existing Content

QR Codes don’t just have to be used for new content or new offers – you can use them to show consumers information that already exists or to link them to other content you want them to see, such as your company blog post or demonstration videos on Youtube. The powerful thing about this technology is that you can decide what to share, when to share it and how often using already existing material - just copy and link!

You can offer any information you like using a QR Code. They can link to rich content such as videos or images, but you can also use them to offer marketing messages such as your brand story, your brand philosophy, how your products were developed, special offers, coupons and discounts. As you can see, all it takes is imagination.

About the Author

Johannes Ahrenfelt is the co-founder of 99SQUARED Ltd. Their first product SQUARE:CODE offers a unique management system for QR Codes, giving businesses complete and flexible control of how they communicate with consumers.

Rather than linking to a single, fixed URL from the QR Code, the SQUARE:CODE Exchange lets businesses manage their code – so that it could point to a website about a sale one day, and an event on their business’ Facebook page the next.

Leading QR Code software. SQUARE:CODE offers a unique management system for QR Codes, giving you complete and flexible control of how you communicate with customers.