I was just reminded of this mental blog post I had going on, when Stephanie Filer asked if QR codes are less frequently used or if we are just used to seeing them.
Maybe a little of both. For one thing, we are starting to use them in a smarter way. When they first started catching on (and they’ve been going strong in Asia for something like 16 years already) everyone wanted them. They showed up on billboards (not a good idea) and they often pointed to pages that were not either
a) Mobile Friendly
or
b) Set up to convert to a sale or contact for the company
Let’s face it – we shouldn’t be putting QR codes out there without a goal of making a sale or generating a lead.
So yes, we are seeing a few fewer codes, but we are seeing them used in better ways. When you decide you want to use a QR code for marketing, think about the following things:
1. What is the goal of having them scan the code? Awareness? Action? Both? Capture their data? DOwnload an app? Provide an offer? Think this step through and plan accordingly?
2. Are they going to your home page? It doesn’t do you a lot of good to send them to a site without specific direction. Consider building a special page just for this promotion.
3. Is there a call to action that prompts them to scan it? (“Scan this code to see our full beer list.”) Codes that don’t give you a reason to scan are often treated with suspicion.
4. Are you tracking the scans? You can use your analytics or the QR Code tracking function to measure this.
5. Once they get there, and you have an action for them to take (Sign up for alerts?), are you tracking the conversions? This is where you want to test your verbiage and graphics to evaluate why or why not people are taking the suggested action. Why? So you can get better at it.
6. What’s the follow through? Ok, they converted. They are now on your email list. Oh, which email list? Segment your communications to the audience. If they scanned a code for whiskey, don’t send them an email branded for some other product. Keep it segmented and relevant.
Takeaways:
1. Be mobile friendly.
2. Be consumer-relevant.
3. Plan to make a sale or lead.
4. Lead the consumer to the action.
5. Don’t leave money on the table. Nurture the contact.
6. Close the sales cycle.
Need help? Just ask.
