QR Explosion: How to Use QR Codes Effectively in Marketing

About two years ago, QR codes hit the advertising andsocial media market in a big way. Everyone was creating aQR codes for anything and everything without reallyknowing its effectiveness. Now that the frenzy has dieddown a little bit, QR codes are still useful if they are used inan effective way in a marketing campaign.

Why Use a QR Code?

Using a QR code can be effective when it’s used as a link betweenonline, print and a smartphone. Using a QR code for any otherpurpose is really a waste of space and time. It’s really only relevantwhen a smartphone user sees it in a print ad, poster or any otherprinted material and scans it for more information. If you decide tomake a QR code in your marketing campaigns, they should be usedin a way that those mediums are able to complement each other

Promoting Your App

Another effective way to use a QR code in a marketing campaign isto use it to promote your app. Rather than using a website on yourprint material, use the QR code to take people directly to iTunes orthe Google Play store to download your app. Keep in mind that themajority of QR code downloads will be coming in directly througha smartphone. Taking them to an app download is an easy way topromote your app but give them content they want.

Create a Landing Page

Depending on the purpose of the advertising, the QR code shouldbe relevant to what you’re promoting. If you’re just using it to takepeople directly to a page on the website that really has nothing todo with what you’re advertising or is going to make the usersearch around for more information, it’s a failure to make QR Codewhich is supposed to create a seamless link between marketingand advertising materials and a website or app.

Create a Coupon

People love discounts and freebies. So create a coupon or acoupon code that is accessible only through a QR code download.It’s easy to create that code within a landing page or an app and itencourages the download. Granted, the market has shown thatusers may not actually use your app or website for anything otherthan the coupon, but it is a secondary marketing tactic that canhave measurable results.