Tag Communications

How much do you know about QR codes?

Whether you’ve just heard about them or known about them for years, Quick Response codes -those black-and-white 2D graphic squares - are showing up big these days.  They represent one of the quickest ways to put “Bonus/Extra” content in your print ad, direct mail, printed brochure or any visual communication. The audience engaged is the smartphone user – one of the fastest growing audiences today. Nearly a third (31%) of Americans carry a smartphone now, according to Nielsen Research.

Anyone carrying a handset running one of the major smartphone operating systems (Android, iOS (Apple), Windows (Phone or Mobile), BlackBerry) - or even not-so-major operating systems (webOS (Palm), Symbian (Nokia)) can download a free scanning app that reads QR codes (i.e. ScanLife, Red Laser, etc.). Some may even have one pre-loaded. The truth is that many of them don’t know it yet. Heck, even the QR code generators are free!

What QR codes do very well is give very quick access to anything from virtual business cards to web pages – or any other link, image or video. It’s bonus messaging that you don’t have to figure out how to cram into your visual space. This will likely get your head spinning with ideas for linking all kinds of messaging to these funny-looking squares. Before you go crazy, there are a few things to consider.

The major caveat is that the content received by scanning a QR code needs to be helpful and/or valuable to the customer scanning it. Something like a unique discount or offer not available elsewhere…or video content that offers an inside look at whatever that neat thing is that you do.

Remember – unique, exclusive, easy. Another important thing to remember is that QR code messages will only reach people who carry smartphones  – so keep your audience in mind when deciding what content to deliver.

One more important thing – be creative & have fun!