As a marketer, you’ve probably already heard plenty about the latest in marketing technology, QR (Quick Response) codes, those barcode-like black-and-white images popping up in catalogs, in stores, and even on fast-food beverage cups. Viewed by scanning them with a QR reader app-enabled mobile phone, they take consumers directly and instantly to a link or text message from your organization.
Are you using QR codes? If so, are you making the most of them? If not, should you?
Although QR codes provide a quick and convenient way for you to connect with customers and prospects, and QR codes eliminate the need for them to be at a computer or to write down and enter a URL, they do pose some challenges. For example, not everyone has a smart phone. For that matter, not everyone who has a smart phone scans QR codes. According to the USA Today article, “What’s a QR Code and Why Should You Care?,” by Jefferson Graham, only six percent of mobile phone consumers use QR codes. And, according to Rimma Kats’ Mobile Marketer article, “Are Marketers Killing Consumer Enthusiasm for QR Codes?,” not all marketers are using the technology well.
So why should you dedicate valuable and limited resources to a technology that, on the surface, sounds like a dud? Because, if executed well, you could not only attract new customers, donors, or members, but you could also build a loyalty that your other marketing efforts haven’t.
To make the most of your QR code promotions, keep the following tips in mind:
• Remember that your readers will be looking at your web page on a mobile device, not a computer. Keep the layout simple, don’t overcrowd the page, and make the font size readable.
• Include a specific call to action, like adding their email address to your database, ordering a product, or submitting a pre-filled in email request to opt-in to promotions.
• On your website, education consumers about QR codes and how to use them.
• Update your page regularly. The QR code doesn’t have to change, but your content should.
• Place QR codes only in locations where consumers can safely scan them.
If you do engage in a QR code program, be sure to give yourself and your market time to get used to the technology. Once you get your program up and running, the only thing using a code costs you is time and space. Like any other marketing channel or strategy, be sure to give it a fair test before you pull the plug.
