QR Codes and similar items have been popping up everywhere lately. There is a version from Microsoft as well as one for Goggle Places. But what the heck are they? Why should YOU care about them? They are another tool in your marketing arsenal that any savvy business owner or marketer should be aware of. I know some type is here to stay, but I’m not sure who is going to win. If I had to make a guess based on what I see here in Austin, I would have to say QR codes. Google has a presence here in Austin, so I know they will try very hard to make the Google Places app the thing to have here. I have a Google Places symbol on the front of my shop and so do several of the other businesses in my complex, for example.
Regardless of who wins, you should use one or more of them in your marketing. I’m going to talk mostly about QR codes since this is what I’m most familiar with. QR Code stands for Quick Response Code. A QR Code is similar to the bar code that you find on just about everything you purchase. It contains information that is scanned by a reader. The software in that reader takes action on it. It’s complicated to do, but actually a simple concept. The art is in the information.
QR Codes can point to a web page, contain your personal contact information, contain a block of text, or even send you an SMS message. I am currently using one that has a webpage link on it. That web page includes my ‘Secret QR Code Sale’ for the month. I can change the sale at any time, but I don’t have to create a new code this way. One of the other EmbroidMe owners printed his QR Code on his shirt. His code was his business card information. This made him more memorable as well as tells everyone at networking events that he has creative marketing ideas.
I have a client, BizCrazy.com, that has us put one of their QR Codes on their shirts. People can scan their shirts and immediately find out what they do and offer. You can just as easily put a QR Code on any type of promotional item from a poker chip to a pizza cutter as long as space allows. Think about it. You could spend a little more on a cool promo item for your next event and not print the bulky brochures! Have the QR Code point to a web page with a .pdf version of the document you struggle to finish with enough lead time to print and ship to the event. Or, take the approach my neighborhood grocery store does. Use QR Codes to point to a shopping list and recipe for a featured item.
I personally like the idea of linking a QR Code to a web page. It is important, however, to enable some type of analytics to that web page as well as have it be a ‘orphan’ such that only people who have the QR Code are likely to find it. This will allow you to track how many people actually used the QR Code to get some type of information from you. No marketing program is useful if you can’t measure its effectiveness.
That’s just the start of what could be done with QR Codes. It costs little to no money to add to something you are already doing and could save you money and time. If you want to get started, just search the web for QR Code. You can add generator, reader, or application to that for details on each part of the process. In a few minutes, you can have your own QR Code.
(reposted from my blog at EmbroidMeAustinSW.blogspot.com on 8/12/11)
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