QR Codes, What are they and why do you need one?
You might have seen one of these around; they are called QR Codes or Quick Response Codes. They work alongside smart phones and more and more businesses are starting to use them. They are a similar concept to a barcode but a little bit more complicated, basically someone scans this code using a smartphone; they can then take one of the following actions:
- Open a webpage
- Send a text message
- Make a phone call
- SMS
Why QR Codes?
Whilst they haven’t really taken off in the way we thought they might, they can still be a valuable marketing tool. Picture the scene, someone is walking around the shopping centre and they see a competition advertised on the side of a cereal packet, instead of having to jot down the details, they could simply scan the QR Code and enter the competition instantly. Or, someone is flicking through the brochure of a hotel, they can scan the QR code which then dials the hotel’s reservations line. It’s a great way to encourage people to take action, we’re a lazy bunch and anything that cuts down the hassle factor, or reduces time is going to be attractive.
They can be used pretty much anywhere you can think of that has the potential to reach out to your target market, the possibilities are endless. You can have individual ones for different campaigns you are running, of different codes depending on where they were placed, ie if you are running an ad in a two different magazines you might want to see which one creates the best results for you.
Whatever you use them for, just remember that as with all forms of marketing it is vital to track what you are doing so that you can make informed decisions about your marketing activities and it’s success.
