QR Codes: The New Marketing Tool for Businesses in 2012 and Beyond

The other day I was at a local retail store in Toledo, Ohio waiting for my wife to pick out a dress. As I tried to avoid using body language to express my boredom, I noticed a woman scratching her head and staring at a promotional display. As I tried to focus in on the display I realized the woman was looking at a QR code marketing display. The directions read "scan the QR code and you will be automatically entered into a contest". The woman was extremely excited about entering the contest. I am not sure what the prize was, but I feel that if the prize was a sock she would of still jumped up and down. Just when I started to lose my attention, the woman tried using her cell phone to scan the QR code. The only problem was the phone she was trying to scan it with was not exactly new technology. In fact, I think I had the same cell phone in 2005. Holding in any trace of laughter, I watched the woman continue to frantically wave her cell phone over the QR code as if her phone could perform magic. The woman then walked away with embarrassment. While the woman was never able to enter the contest for a pair of socks, it started me to get some ideas to write about on QR codes. It also made time go by faster as my wife tried on half of the store.

What are QR codes and How can They Help Market your Business

QR codes are similar to bar codes. Both can be used by retailers and distributors to track inventory and various product information. However, QR codes are two-dimensional, therefore they can store much more information. To be precise, thousands of alphanumeric characters of information. The ability to hold more information and the ease of use makes them practical for small businesses to use as marketing tools.

When you scan a QR code with your iPhone, Android or other camera-enabled Smartphone, you can link to content on the world wide web. Next, you may have the choice of activating email, instant messaging and connect to the internet and social media pages.

While QR codes may be somewhat new to the U.S, Japan has been using them for over a decade. Most important to you as a business owner is QR code marketing. As an example look at the image on the left.

As with this example, an user can simply like a Facebook page by simply scanning the QR code. That is what QR code marketing is all about. It is an new and easy way to build relationships with your customers. Like the retail store example I used in the beginning of this blog, businesses can put promotional displays with QR codes that allows customers to easily enter contests or simply learn more information about the company.

Other uses of QR code marketing:

• Marketing brochures.
• Sides of vehicles.
• Product tags.
• Online Social Media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.
• Restaurant menus
• Ticket stubs
• Sales receipts
• Business cards

QR Codes could also link to:

• Directions to your business using sites such as Google Maps
• Allow customers to fill out application forms
• Coupons, discounts, sales and any other promotion.
• Customer feedback forms
• Online contests

That is only a short list of ways to use QR codes for marketing purposes. With the constant improvement in technology, there could be many other ways to market your business using QR codes. There are programs that generate QR codes with integrated analytics that can be found online. In conclusion, make sure you find the right QR code company to manage your QR code campaign. Look for a company that is experienced and is able to listen to the needs of your business.

Want to learn more about QR code marketing? Feel free to ask us questions below in the comment section.

Posted by: Brennan Deitsch