WHAT ARE THEY?
A QR code, also known as a Quick Response Code, is a two-dimensional code with fast readability and large storage space for microsites, links to Facebook pages, product marketing, commercial tracking, direct purchasing, photos, and videos. You may be wondering how someone can activate information from the QR code. The user would use their smartphone reading device, most likely the smartphone camera, and scan the code with an application designed to read QR codes. The content is immediately uploaded to the phone, meaning you have direct access to your consumers.

3 STEPS TO CREATE AN EFFECTIVE QR CODE

1. Target Audience – Understand your target market and direct them to an exclusive offer tailored to them. To understand your audience, ask yourself if they know what QR codes are? Where would they scan them? What are the incentives or end results that they would respond to?

2. Call To Action – Define a call to action that will entice your consumers to scan the QR code. What will motivate your consumers to scan your QR code? Decide where the QR code will forward you audience. You can direct them to a mobile site, Facebook page, video, text, and photos.

3. Placement – Your target audience will help in determining where the QR code should be placed. QR codes can be featured online and in print. Put QR codes on websites, business cards, t-shirts, company products, posters, storefronts, advertisements, and other creative places you can think of. Offer multiple places to display QR codes where your audience can find it and scan the code.

WHY QR CODES?
Using QR codes opens to door for direct consumer communication opportunities. For a business striving for close and relevant consumer relationships, one of the most effective channels for your business are QR codes. With QR codes, consumers can control their interaction with a product or service and control how they gain relevant information from a business. Who wouldn’t want that control? If you are trying to engage your customers on a significant level and without spending a lot of money, then QR codes are for you. Here is some further insight into how large the market is for QR codes. According to InternetRetaling.net, in June 2011, 14 million smartphone users in the United States scanned a QR code.

Click here to learn more about these statistics.

Now that you know what QR codes are and have the steps to use them effectively, integrate them into current or new marketing campaigns! Be creative and focus on the habits of your target market. What are other innovative places that a business could display their QR code?