Bar codes used to affect you only while you stood in checkout lines at apparel retailers or grocery stores. But now you’ve seen funny new versions them on advertising from flyers in your mailbox to billboards on your drive home. So what’s the purpose of adding bar codes to print advertisements? The following questions and answers provide an overview.
1. What Are QR Codes?
Those funny square-shaped bar codes you’re seeing everywhere are actually Quick Response codes (you may have noticed an absence of actual bars, unlike the ones you scan at Whole Foods). They’re named this because a smartphone can quickly scan the square and access a wealth of information about the product. This means that no matter how big your ad is or how much text you provide, one fast scan provides your prospective buyer with nearly unlimited data about your company, offer or product.
2. How Are They Used?
There are many ways you can take advantage of this new marketing tactic. In fact, creative uses for QR codes are being imagined every day. For example, someone can scan your unique code and come up with a coupon for purchasing your goods. Or they can access a video describing your services. Or the code can automatically pull up directions from where the user is standing to your nearest location. Your options are almost limitless; the real challenge is determining what tactic’s best to represent your brand and what will intrigue your audience enough to get them to whip out their mobile phone to learn more.
3. How Can They Improve My Marketing?
On top of just looking like a cutting-edge, in-the-know company, there are tangible benefits to using QR codes in your marketing campaign. The primary selling point is that when users scan your ad, you can also collect information. You can learn which ad placements are engaging viewers the most. Is it the code you placed in the newspaper or the one at the bus stop by your office? Are people then using the code, data or offer that’s extended via your QR code link? You can record this data and apply it toward further marketing endeavors with even stronger success rates each time. This measurability is paramount to long-term success with your marketing strategy. With QR codes, you get the same highly analytical data about your placement and performance that you’ve come to value from online advertising.
Looking for ways to build QR codes into your marketing campaign for improved measurability and a stronger relationship with your clients/consumers? Contact us to go over your options, including strategy and pricing. And check back next week for Part 2 of our Q&A for QR Codes.