HAVE you noticed how Facebook and other popular social media website URLs are appearing in company ads lately? This is testimony to the fact that businesses are becoming more engaged in digital marketing activities. The next trend that may become popular locally is the use of Quick Response (QR) Codes. You may have seen them in a few local advertisements but did not know what they were called. QR Codes are a more advanced version of the bar-codes which we have become accustomed to seeing on products in supermarkets and stores. BlackBerry users should by now be familiar with their own QR Code which can be accessed from the ‘My Profile’ option in BlackBerry Messenger. They are referred to as Quick Response codes because of how quickly you can access the information stored in the code and with just a scan of the image.

Unlike its one dimensional bar-code predecessor, the QR Code is a two dimensional bar-code which allows it to encode data horizontally and vertically therefore allowing for much greater information storage. Any smartphone with a QR Code reader can read these codes. They are most commonly seen in print ads and on billboards and websites. QR Codes are relatively new in the Western Hemisphere, but have been in use for some time in Japan and China. The use of QR codes has been spreading rapidly throughout North America.

The most common use of the QR code locally is to exchange contact data between BlackBerry devices but there are many more uses that businesses can take advantage of. Let’s examine some examples of how of you can market your business using QR codes.

Business cards

This is probably the most common example of QR codes in action. You can create a QR code that leads prospects to a website with all the relevant information that you want to share with them about your products and services. However, remember that the more contact information you pack into your QR code the denser it will be. This may result in some QR code readers taking a very long time to read the code, if at all.

Real estate

Add a QR code to all your marketing material, including lawn signs for each property you have for sale. When prospective buyers scan the code they can be directed to a website that showcases all information for that property. Another option is to direct customers to videos that you have created and uploaded to your YouTube channel or to other video-sharing sites.

Promote your Social Media presence

Build your Twitter followers or Facebook fans by using QR codes. When the QR code is scanned, send persons to your mobile website landing page with Facebook “Like” buttons or direct them to your Twitter page. The Facebook “Like” process via this method is not as user-friendly as it could be, so ensure to test thoroughly before launching. It is always a good idea to incentivise persons to complete a call to action; a discount code via email may suffice.

Make a phone call

You could create a QR Code to dial a specific number when it is scanned or generate a SMS text message. This is a great way to instantly generate leads. There is usually a prompt for you to confirm any such action in order to avoid any surprises. I have included here two examples of a QR code, one takes you to a mobile web page and the other initiates a phone call. You can scan the code from the “Scan a Barcode” option in the App World app on a Blackberry or search your smartphone’s application store for a free QR code reader. Go ahead, give it a try.

Closed but virtually open

There is always the late shopper who arrives when your store or office is closed. Placing a QR code on your “Closed” door sign that directs the shopper to a mobile website could prevent you from losing a sale. You can either direct the shopper to a mobile e-commerce website or to a mobile Contact Us web page for you to follow up by the next business day.

Coupons

Imagine reaching the checkout counter at your favourite store and presenting a QR code displayed on your mobile phone’s screen to receive a 20 per cent discount. Retailers are doing this now. In this example the QR code would have been sent to you via email or by some other medium. The person at the checkout counter would use their cash register scanner to scan the QR code displayed on your phone’s screen. Note that your target market would not need a smartphone to receive the QR code.

Apparel

Place your QR codes on T-shirts, caps and any other form of clothing that you can use in a creative way. Send out your employees clad in T-shirts with large QR codes imprinted on them to your next corporate event. Remember that you have the option of creating different branding messages in each code.

QR codes can be effective in both your online and offline marketing. As you have seen they can be placed anywhere as long as the surface is flat enough, including on motor vehicles, clothing, and store windows. Companies have been editing their QR codes after they are generated using an image editing tool that place their logo or brand in the code. You are limited only by your creativity in using this new form of digital marketing. However, always be sure to test your QR code before putting it into mass production Also, don’t forget to measure the success of your QR code campaigns. This can be done by using analytics tools which can also provide data on the type of phone that was used to scan the code.

Also remember that, before engaging in any QR code campaign, you must first determine if your target market are likely to be smartphone users, even though we know this market is growing rapidly. You must also be specific as to the objectives of the campaign and it should be aligned with your overall marketing plan. Good luck.

Wayne Marsh is an Internet Marketing Consultant and can be contacted at marshwa@ebusinessSolutionsJa.com or www.ebusinessSolutionsJa.com or Twitter.com/JamaicanTwits