GOOGLE REVIEWS
PLEASE BE AWARE: This is an old article, and while we think there are still nuggets of good advice included here, it may be out of date. Things move very quickly in the world of Digital Marketing, Lead Generation and Conversion Rate Optimisation - so please see our latest news for the most recent advice on how to get more out of your website and online marketing.
The latest development on the bar code arrived awhile ago, but has only began to be used widely and to its full potential recently, It’s the QR code. Whether you know what a QR code is or not, you will have seen them dotted around, as they are used on almost all product packaging from shampoo and shower gel to tins of beans and bottled water.
The question is, why and how are they being used?
A quick scan of a QR code can take an individual to a website, a coupon, a page where you can purchase a product or book an appointment, making the options diverse and interesting for innovative businesses striving to create the best marketing campaigns.
If done effectively, a QR code can be a brand new way to encourage interaction between a brand and its current or potential customers, by combining traditional advertising with audio or video elements, that intrigue the user as opposed to regular advertising outlets that are often said to infuriate. Nowadays advertisements alone don’t tell the whole story and QR codes give the opportunity to expand and deliver even more information, and are chosen to be consumed by the audience.
Industry experts predict that the future will hold the ability to pay for products or services with the codes, for example bus rides, drinks, or even boarding an air craft. This has been tested already by supermarket giant Tesco, when they created a virtual store for busy commuters on an underground railway bill board in South Korea.
So how can you use a QR code to market your business?
There are a number of different QR codes available, but rather than worrying about which ones are the most popular or easy to use, save your time (and money) by getting yours done by Google’s free QR code creator. The tool allows you to enter a link into the system, which will then generate a QR code that will link to your desired location. This can then be distributed easily across your promotional literature and merchandise.
Remember when considering where you want your QR code to take the individual, it can seem pointless to an individual who goes to the effort of scanning the page, only to find it leads them to a site listed next to the code anyway! Think about what exclusive information you can offer to the individual as an incentive to scan your code, it may involve a discount, a video, a joke or a fact.
Effective uses for QR codes have come for Bonterra Wine who have used their QR code to suggest recipes that to try that include a splash of their product. It is important that your code leads the individual to something that enriches their everyday lives, to keep them happy, and coming back for more.
With mobile devices being the primary devices that scan QR codes, make sure that the content resulting from the scan is mobile friendly. Any video needs to be short and snappy, giving you approximately 20 seconds to get your point across effectively.
Another reason to really fall in love with QR codes, as if you needed one, is their potential to develop and change over time. You can change the destination of your code, without changing the code itself, meaning that someone that scans the code on the day the publication with your code comes out, will be lead to a different destination than someone who scans it towards the end of the month.
Make sure that you don’t just make a QR code and leave it. You need to have a very clear call to action and develop it throughout your campaign to make sure that people still want to scan it. Combine with your QR code a short description of how to use it, as they are still a relatively new development.
A great benefit of the Google free QR code creator, is that integrated into the tool, are analytics, which you can use to justify costs and understand your code’s effectiveness through the charts and graphs provided.
As far as free marketing tools go, this is one that shouldn’t be missed. Not only is it a unique way to give your audience increased interaction, but it also shows that your brand isn’t afraid of embracing the latest developments in marketing, and is ahead of the curve.
Let us know how you are using QR codes for your marketing, send us a link and we’ll get scanning!
