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The "Do's" and "Dont's" of QR Codes in Marketing

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Remember when you were a kid and your neighbor said "Hey, do you want to come over to my house to play? I got a new toy!" Well, in today's world of marketing, QR Codes are like the invitation to come play, and the destination they arrive at when they scan the QR Code is your new toy. The problem is that when prospects and customers come over to your house to play-or in this case, scan your QR Code, they are often sorely disappointed by what you have to offer when they arrive.

For savvy marketers like you, it's no longer enough simply to include QR Codes in your marketing and to get customers to scan them; you need to reward people for scanning your QR Codes. This short post will explore different ways to reward your friends for making the trip to your house.

QR Code Scanning is Exploding: According to a recent report from Mashable more people now own a smartphone in the U.S. than have a college degree. Additionally, statistics from 3GVision show that as smartphone penetration has grown, scans of QR codes have jumped by 80.2% in the U.S. from just the first quarter of 2011 to the second quarter.

Where do people want to be delivered when they scan QR Codes? This is perhaps the most important question to ask. Remember, it's not about where you want to take them, it's about where they want to go.

Customers and prospects LOVE exclusive items. One of the most common QR code special-offers is a coupon. Imagine that, actually rewarding your customers for scanning a QR Code! That's right, you're providing a small incentive for them to interact with you.

At the same time, what you're really doing is training your customers to pay attention to your marketing messages-what a great idea! Really, half the battle with any successful marketing campaign is not just providing a compelling offer, but getting people's attention so that they notice your great offer in the first place.

An exclusive item does not have to be a coupon or discount. An educational video, white paper or timely statistics are all viable ways to incentivize your target audience to interact with you using QR Codes. For example, the Custom QR Code on the mail box below will deliver visitors to a brief educational clip about QR Codes.

In terms of other examples that work, I discovered a post this week that I wanted to share titled 10 Ways to Use QR Codes for Better Conversion Rates.

What are the most common pitfalls to avoid? Of course one of the most important rules of thumb is to test your QR Codes to make sure that they not only work, but that they also deliver you to the desired destination. When testing, it's also a good idea to test on more than one smartphone platform; for instance you could test your QR Code using both an Android and an iPhone.

Even with the dramatic growth in QR Code scanning, there are still many consumers who aren't educated on what a QR Code is and how to use it. As a result, it's always a good idea to include some sort of an educational prompt next to your QR Code as we've done in the example below that appears on the back of a business card.


I also wanted to share this helpful post titled 6 Things to Know About Using QR Codes in Content Marketing that highlights some important pitfalls to avoid with your QR Code marketing.

Finally, if you're looking for an example of a clever use of a QR Code then this short video provides a really creative way to engage with a target audience using QR Codes.

 

What's next with QR Codes? Last year's fourth quarter saw QR Code scanning jump by an astounding 1,200%! This was driven by both holiday shopping and increased smartphone penetration. This year, you can expect the QR Code scanning frenzy to continue. Will you be prepared?

To position yourself for success, of course you need to include QR Codes in your marketing, but you also need to make sure you put thought into where smartphone owners end up after the scan your QR Codes. Remember, if they come over your house to play and you don't have anything exciting to share with them, there's a real good chance that they won't be coming back again anytime soon.

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Where do you send people when they scan your QR Codes? Thanks for sharing your comments below.

Why Aren’t You Including Video In Your Marketing Mix?

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Many smaller organizations that I work with don’t even consider including video in their marketing mix because they think it’s too expensive and complex. Do you fall into this category?

I recently shot my first marketing video, and I was amazed at how cost-effective it was to add this to my own marketing mix, and how easy it was to incorporate with my other marketing channels.

I want to share tips with you about video, and since I’m not an expert in this area of marketing, I decided to interview someone who is. Hope Daley from Guerilla Media was gracious enough to share her answers to my questions about video marketing for smaller organizations.

Here are my Questions & Answers the corresponding answers from Guerilla Media:

Can you share any data that supports the growth in video consumption on mobile devices and online?
Mobile video viewing was up 41 percent in 2010 versus 2009. If that’s not enough to convince you video is everywhere and gaining popularity, check this out: online video viewing saw a large growth rate with almost half of all U.S. citizens (143.9 million) viewing some video online in January 2011, Nielsen reported.

Why should you use video? Click here for our answer which includes some interesting statistics about how people process information and why that matters for your marketing.

What's the best way for small businesses to incorporate video in their marketing?
Here’s what we believe are the most important ways for smaller organizations to incorporate video into their marketing:

QR Codes: If you have an existing print campaign, you can create (for free) a QR code. You can then link that QR code to a video of your product or your special offer – making your print or direct mail materials interactive too.

Video Testimonials: If that’s a bit too techy for you to start with think about the power of a good referral. Now imagine you can capture that client who can’t live without you and they can tell anyone and everyone about you, that’s a video testimonial.

Post that testimonial on your website and social media sites and potential customers who you may have never gotten to touch have just heard from your best client about how fantastic your services are. But they didn’t just read it, they actually saw the person saying it so they pick up on the emotion and sincerity and they feel like they just heard it from a friend – that’s powerful word of mouth marketing with a digital twist. Immediately below is an example of a simple yet very effective video testimonial.

 

Biographies: You can also easily add a video bio about yourself so that people get to know you and like you which increases the chance of them wanting to do business with you plus it saves you time and money because that first meet & greet meeting is already out of the way. Best of all you can showcase what your business does, whether it’s a unique process you do or a basic product demo, with video easily and inexpensively.

Want to work smarter not harder, cut costs and shave time off your entire sales process? Video is the answer you have been looking for because it lets you SHOW and tell people what you do and why you are the best at it, creating the customer experience right from the start.
 
Smartphone proliferation has caused video to grow exponentially. QR Codes offer a free way for smaller organizations to connect their traditional marketing with Smartphone users via video. Videos provide not only a unique way to share your biography, but also allow your best customers to offer passionate testimonials for working with you. Video marketing is no longer limited to large organizations.

If you found this information helpful, please check back. Hope will be returning for a future guest post where she’ll share secrets for creating a compelling marketing video.

Oh, by the way, in case you want to take a peek at the short video that Hope created for me, here’s a link.

Like what you're reading?  Have you signed up for my weekly e-newsletter yet or are you following my blog's rss feed?

How are you using video in your marketing mix?  Please share your comments below.

About The Author: Hope Daley, Executive Producer of Guerilla Media, LLC, is a seasoned, award winning professional with a sales, marketing and national television broadcast background.  Her clients have ranged from fortune 500 companies to non-profit organizations, on a local, regional, national and international level.  Having run three nationally broadcast satellite and IPTV channels, multiple television production companies and having created innovative television programs makes her knowledge of media and all that it encompasses an unparalleled asset to have in your corner.

She and her husband Matthew Dykes started Guerilla Media in 2011 specifically to serve the local business community, entrepreneurs, inventors and people who have previously not been able to venture into using video to grow their business due to the costs. Having grown up in Naples helped Hope to identify this underserved market and to have a heart to help keep the local, unique businesses going strong by providing an affordable way for them to integrate video into their marketing and advertising – just like all the big guys do.