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code QR, codes QR, QR code, QR codes
(Want to learn more about how to succeed in mobile marketing? Please download my free “Secrets to Successful Mobile Marketing” video now)
QR codes are a great way to take your prospective consumer to something like a website. But QR codes can do much more.
Here are some of the things QR codes can do:
QR codes also let businesses collect information about who scanned the code. So if you use a free online code generator, a person can create a unique code for print ads, another one for billboards and another one for digital signage. By tracking each code, the business can determine which medium is working the best.
If you work with a third-party QR code specialist you can collect other information like where the buyer was, what time of day it was, what device they used, what operator network they were on and which operating version they were using.
The best thing to do is to drive your visitor to some kind of online action like a coupon, a link to a discounted ticket or a click-to-call. A link to a website with no kind of action wastes the potential power of the QR code.
If you create your QR code yourself, you can do it for free. If you work with a third party, prices start around $250 for a single code and basic user analytics. A larger retailer that wants thousands of codes and detailed analytics, the cost can run as high as $50,000/month.
Click here to learn more about the Secrets to Successful Mobile Marketing!
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(Want to learn more about how to succeed in mobile marketing? Please download my free “Secrets to Successful Mobile Marketing” video now)
Have you noticed some rather strange black and white symbols on print or computer ads? These are called QR codes which stand for Quick Response. QR codes are the perfect way for you to get extra information to your consumer. It is the same principle as a bar code (the ones you have seen for years in supermarkets) but instead of giving a price, it gives you information the company wants to share with you. QR codes were invented in Japan in 1994 as a way to track inventory but have now been developed into an advertising tool. You can promote anything with QR codes from special discounts to extra information. It is a super quick and easy way for a business to get a message out to its customers. QR codes are a favorite with real estate agents. You can put the QR code on a flyer about a property or even a ‘For Sale’ sign and with one quick snap of your mobile camera you can discover everything you need to know about the house: a map of the property, photos, a real estate agent contact and all the details about the size and features of the property. You can generate your own QR code online and download a free QR Code Reader on line for any smart phone. |
Click here to learn more about the Secrets to Successful Mobile Marketing!
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(Want to learn more about how to succeed in mobile marketing? Please download my free “Secrets to Successful Mobile Marketing” video now)
The best way to determine if your QR campaign is going to be successful is, as in all things mobile, to put yourself in the shoes of your consumer. Would you want to pull out your phone for this campaign? Would you be happy with the result?
Here are six important QR tips:
1. Test your code. You must always test your code with a variety of smartphones and scanning apps before you release your campaign.
2. Use a short URL. For example, if you have a small placement (less than one inch) it will normally be too dense to scan if you have encoded a long URL. All you need to do is shorten your code either by using bit.ly or goog.gl. Either one will allow you to generate a short URL QR code.
3. Keep it simple. The best way to think of the QR code is that it is a physical hyperlink (just like the ‘blue’ links we are all used to clicking on in the web). You want to be sure that every barcode scanner should be able to access it with an immediate ‘click’. If your QR code requires the user to do more than point and scan to arrive at the intended content, you are doing things wrong.
4. Go from mobile to mobile. 99.9% of QR codes are scanned by a mobile device. So it only makes sense to then take them to a mobile page, not a ‘regular’ desktop website page so that the viewer can navigate the information you want them to see easily.
5. Place your ad where they can be read! Make sure that your QR code ads are placed somewhere where people can get Wi-Fi. Placing a QR code in a place where there is no Internet access has the word Failure written all over it. Make sure exactly where your ads will be placed. Run tests to ensure their visibility and that they function.
6. Make sure that whatever you have on the ‘other side’ of the QR code actually adds value! This is an obvious point but nevertheless important. Try to avoid the exact same message that you are putting somewhere else, an irrelevant message or something that just isn’t that interesting (i.e. the address of your company).
a. Exclusive or time-sensitive messages
b. Rich media, video or photos
c. Free downloads
d. “Instant Win” contests
e. Special offers, coupons or gifts
f. “Secret’ Information
g. Social media integration (with potential to go viral
h. integration with social media to activate viral loops
Click here to learn more about the Secrets to Successful Mobile Marketing!
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Here are some mistakes that you will want to avoid making when it comes to your QR Code campaign:
• Don’t make the barcode too small. Anything less than 1 inch X 1 inch cannot be scanned by most phones
• Don’t put your QR code inside reflective product packaging that will cause glare.
• Don’t put your QR code in a subway where there is no internet connection
• Don’t attach your QR code to the end of a 30-second TV spot that won’t give any normal human being time to scan it
• Don’t put a barcode on a highway billboard; the motorist zooming by will never be able to scan it. Think instead about placing your QR code where people are waiting in lines and have a lot of time. Or what about the bathroom stall? Statistics prove that a lot of people bring their smartphones with them (literally) everywhere. And of course you can’t get more personal—or local—than that!
Click here to learn more about the Secrets to Successful Mobile Marketing!
(Want to learn more about how to succeed in mobile marketing? Please download my free “Secrets to Successful Mobile Marketing” video now)
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(Want to learn more about how to succeed in mobile marketing? Please download my free “Secrets to Successful Mobile Marketing” video now)
The Pittsburgh Zoo is now offering up QR codes to create an innovative learning program for children. IQZoo will give children access to audio clips, videos and other information about the animals by using QR codes. The kids simply scan the QR codes on their smartphones and they get ‘educated’ in a fun way.
Who says QR codes don’t have interesting applications?
Click here to learn more about the Secrets to Successful Mobile Marketing!
code QR, codes QR, QR code, QR codes
(Want to learn more about how to succeed in mobile marketing? Please download my free “Secrets to Successful Mobile Marketing” video now)
The Pittsburgh Zoo is now offering up QR codes to create an innovative learning program for children. IQZoo will give children access to audio clips, videos and other information about the animals by using QR codes. The kids simply scan the QR codes on their smartphones and they get ‘educated’ in a fun way.
Who says QR codes don’t have interesting applications?
Click here to learn more about the Secrets to Successful Mobile Marketing!
code QR, codes QR, QR code, QR codes
(Want to learn more about how to succeed in mobile marketing? Please download my free “Secrets to Successful Mobile Marketing” video now)
They are mobile barcodes, also known as 2D barcodes or Quick-Response (QR) codes. They are a fun, cool new way to provide an engaging and interactive experience all from a consumer mobile phone.
The consumer takes a picture of the QR code and then is taken to ‘the other side’: a website, entrance to a competition, a video, a landing page or just more information.
Here are a list of some ‘must dos’ when it comes to QR Codes:
1. Plan ahead. Don’t add your QR code as an afterthought. Make sure you integrate your mobile barcode in as a campaign element from the beginning.
2. Always put yourself in the consumer’s shoes. Don’t offer a low-quality scan. Make sure that you offer things that have high value such as coupons, discounts, information or entertainment
3. Make sure that you place your QR barcode where it is easy for customers to scan. For outdoor ads, make that eye or arm level. For print ads, make sure it is on a flat surface and surrounded by enough white space to be easily scanned. For a screen, make sure you display your QR code prominently for at least 15 seconds. Also make sure that the size is appropriate to the screen size (will your consumer see it on TV or a movie theatre?)
4. Print your mobile barcode in black and white to ensure successful scanning.
5. Print your mobile barcode without branding or images either included or overlaid. Every time you add a graphic, it makes the QR code more difficult to scan.
6. Educate your consumer. As a new technology, make sure you inform your consumer about the QR code, how it works and what it offers.
7. Make sure you are careful about where your consumer goes after he scans. Don’t send them to a PC-designed website but to a mobile-friendly one.
8. Test carefully to make sure that our QR code doesn’t have a ‘dead link’ or codes that lead to the wrong URL. Also test your QR code with a variety of mobile devices and applications.
9. Make sure you have clearly defined your objectives for your barcode. 10. Measure your results and track a full set of analytics so that you can increase the ROI of future campaigns as well as engage your customers with great interactions and experiences.
Click here to learn more about the Secrets to Successful Mobile Marketing!
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(Want to learn more about how to succeed in mobile marketing? Please download my free “Secrets to Successful Mobile Marketing” video now)
Ok. Just came across this article which is a must-share.
Here is a unique way to ‘show’ your QR code. Why not contact Qwerk Apparel in Anaheim? They will create a T-shirt with your very own unique QR code and message.
A QR (or Quick Response) code is a two-dimensional barcode. It can share a lot more information than the traditional barcode and without the use of a computer database. All you need is a smartphone and a QR reader app (which can be downloaded for free).
While there are other companies creating QR code-related apparel normally you have to choose from a pre-set selection of codes. Qwerk distinguishes itself by allowing its clients to create their very own unique message. The QR code is then applied to a T-shirt with an oversized inkjet printer.
You can put their Facebook account, Twitter account, a special quote or pretty much anything on it.
The T-shirts are available in 10 colors for men, 9 for women.
Plans for the future? People can buy their unique QR code and then go in every month and simply change what the code means.
According to the company’s president, Tracy Warman, “The QR code invites people to take action-scan the shirt- and engage. It’s a perfect concept for teenagers and young adults because they love technology and flirting”
Click here to learn more about the Secrets to Successful Mobile Marketing!
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(Want to learn more about how to succeed in mobile marketing? Please download my free “Secrets to Successful Mobile Marketing” video now)
For those naysayers that barcodes are ‘not going to take off’, I suggest they look at some of the numbers.
For example, between July and December 2010 barcode scanner use jumped 1000%. 57% of Facebook and Twitter users say they have scanned a barcode at least once while 40% say they scanned a barcode at least five times.
The great thing about barcodes is they can link to so many things: videos, apps, text, emails, mobile coupons, phone numbers and websites. Barcodes offer consumers an element of intrigue and surprise. Just like a present, everyone wants to know what’s inside.
It is important however to capitalize on this. So when the consumer goes to the ‘other side’ make absolutely sure they are not disappointed. Make the payout count. Give them exclusive content, mobile-only promotions or product trials that offer immediate interaction with your brand. This is a call-to-action tool with muscle.
Also, make sure your barcode campaign is mobile. If you send people to a ‘regular’ site, you have only annoyed your prospect who will have difficulty reading this on his mobile phone.
Finally, remember to explain the QR code to consumers unfamiliar with the technology. Spell out how to use it, i.e. how to download and launch the reader app and how to take a picture of the code.
A QR code shouldn’t just be ‘added on’. Make sure you understand how your QR code fits into the context of your entire marketing campaign.
(Want to learn more about how to succeed in mobile marketing? Please download my free “Secrets to Successful Mobile Marketing” video now)
code QR, codes QR, QR code, QR codes
(Want to learn more about how to succeed in mobile marketing? Please download my free “Secrets to Successful Mobile Marketing” video now)
Smartphones are mobile devices that combine voice capabilities with email and Internet browsing tools. They also let you scan QR codes.
So what is a QR code? Developed initially in Japan by a Toyota subsidiary in the 1990s, they are those funny little black and white symbols that are starting to show up everywhere: on billboards, in newspapers and magazines, on mugs, clothes and even cans of coda.
There are multiple uses for a QR code. Businesses can use them to advertise specials, offer coupons or simply to interact with their customers. For the user, it is a way to get to the destination (website, video, and contest) without having to type.
A QR code on a real estate sign could take a potential buyer to a site or video which will let them know everything about the property without even getting out of the car.
Why do QR codes work so well?
Unlike ordinary bar codes, QR codes can hold thousands of individual characters: a Web Address, contact information, a text message, a video or any information the business wants to supply. A QR code can be created by anyone with a computer and read by anyone with a smartphone and a free app that can be downloaded in seconds.
The best part about QR codes? They are 100% free and can be created in a few minutes. Even better, a QR code can be printed on anything all the way from paper to a T-shirt.
Some QR code generators can track usage so the owner of the code can figure out whether the QR code is actually driving traffic to their door.
Here is how you can start right now today:
To Create a QR Code:
1. Google “QR Code Generator”. Make sure you find a free generator. (Hint: Kaywa and Delivr are good. Delivr will give you analytics).
2. Follow onscreen instructions
3. Save or print the resulting code for use as you choose
To Read a QR Code
1. Download a free QR reader/generator app for smartphone:
a. iPhone: QR App or ShopSavvy
b. Blackberry: QR Code Pro
c. Android: AR Droid or ShopSavvy
2. Find a QR code to read
3. Click the Camera icon
4. Center the code on the screen. Hold still and wait for it to read.
Click here to learn more about the Secrets to Successful Mobile Marketing!
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