The marketing potential of QR codes

When it comes to modern marketing, people often solely focus on the online aspect. And while optimizing your online presence is important, you shouldn't ignore the offline aspects of it. One of the less utilized tools in offline marketing is QR codes. While we are all familiar with what they are, few marketing managers use the full marketing potential of QR codes. So, in this article, we will explore different ways in which you can use QR codes for marketing, and why doing so can be a great idea.

How you can use QR codes for marketing

The best way to consider QR codes is as a bridge between offline and online marketing. With a single code, you can have your customers viewing whatever content you have in mind. As such, QR codes serve a unique feature that is almost impossible to mimic with any other type of content.

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But, simply plastering QR codes all over your t-shirts, vehicles and mugs simply isn't enough. You need to have a clear idea of what the QR code in question is supposed to achieve and how it fits within the context you put it. Only then will people be actually interested in viewing the content that the QR code points to.

App downloading

When it comes to the marketing potential of QR codes, let's first go over the more obvious ones. Namely, if you have an app to promote, you can easily do so with QR codes. In fact, Taxi companies, delivery companies and gym companies often use QR codes to easily point their customers to their apps. Namely, once you have someone's attention, and your brand naturally connects to an app, it is only natural to drive that attention to your app. Fortunately, QR codes present a seamless way to point interested customers to whatever needs to be.

Experienced marketing managers make QR codes a part of app onboarding. Namely, if you plan on your QR code leading to an app, you can explain a bit about it before it does. A brief intro to what the app is about will have your customers primed and ready to explore the app, and hopefully end up using it for the time to come.

Promotional content

One of the great things about QR codes is that you can easily change what they point to. Keep in mind that static QR codes don't give you the ability to change the address. But dynamic ones do. And, as such, they are great for many types of promotional content. Whatever new offer you have for your customers, you can easily have your QR code lead to it. By doing so your customers will not only learn about your company but will also implicitly learn that following your QR codes can lead to discounts and special offers. The more you connect your QR codes to discounts, the more motivated your viewers will be to visit them.

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An easy content recommendation for QR codes is web stories. As they can present a sizable amount of information in a bite-sized format, they are perfectly suited to engage the customer. If you craft them well, web stories will make a valuable impression on your customer. Just make sure that they naturally connect to the context in which you place the QR code.

An easy CTA

QR codes can also serve as an easy way to convert your viewers into customers. Namely, if your offline marketing is sufficient enough to gain the interest of your customers, you need to have them interact with you as quickly as possible. Most companies do this by mentioning their telephone number, website or email in hopes that the potential customer will visit them. And while this is sensible, there are easier ways to go about it. Namely, by scanning QR codes your customer can directly react to your CTA. Need them to visit your website? Done. How about dialling your company phone? Also done. And in a similar fashion, a QR code can open their email platform. A simple QR scan will do all that is necessary to have your potential customers communicate with you. No extra steps are required.

Faster ratings and reviews

For modern companies to succeed in modern marketing, it is paramount that they get ratings and reviews. They are not only necessary for SEO, but also for building a general impression with your customer base. Unfortunately, it isn't always easy to motivate customers to leave ratings and reviews. Even if they wish to, this usually entails opening an internet browser, going to Google or Yelp, finding your company, and posting a new review. Fortunately, all these steps can be skipped with a simple QR code. A QR code can lead them directly to the section where they can leave ratings or emails. As such, you make good use of their enthusiasm and have them post a review quickly and easily.

Shopping

By now it should be obvious that QR codes go hand in hand with shopping. By placing QR codes around your store you can information about items that you wish to sell. Size, availability, potential discounts, similar items... These are all valuable info that your customers can find useful. Furthermore, they don't have to bother your employees or go through the arduous process of looking up the info online. Instead, a simple QR scan is all they need to know everything important about the item in question.

Another neat use of QR codes in shopping is as an AR trigger. Using phones as a platform for augmented reality is hardly a new idea. Clothing stores use them as an easy way for people to try out different items, without having to actually change. All you need is a mirror and the store app, to place the clothing item over your reflection. Simple AR implementations like this give novelty to your store and give your customers an easier way to shop. So, instead of having them install your app, and go through the process of finding the item that they like, why not just trigger everything with a QR code. A single scan can help them view the AR representation of items with ease. Just make sure that you have enough mirrors and that they are placed all over your store.

Final thoughts about the marketing potential of QR codes

What we've mentioned so far should give you an idea of the marketing potential of QR codes. As it is now, they are often underused both by large companies, and small retailers. But, the more time passes, the more people will get used to using QR codes in their everyday lives. Seeing how easy and cheap they are to implement, there is hardly a reason why you should use them in your marketing. The main goal is to find the right place for them so that your customers feel inclined to scan them.

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