In this extremely modernized and rapidly evolving era, it has become necessary for businesses to create unique, effective, and user-friendly advertising practices.
From attracting potential leads with creativity to developing easy-to-use solutions for trouble-free customer experience, keeping marketing strategies fresh and effective has become crucial for brands’ success. This is exactly where QR code technology comes in.
QR Codes have brought revolutionary transformations to the marketing industry. Initially used in production facilities only, these specialized barcodes have become the epitome of the modern world, connecting people’s physical lifestyle with digital experiences with only a single scan of a few seconds.
Therefore, in this guide, we will dig deeper into the basics of using QR Codes for Digital Marketing and how marketing can use this technology to produce favorable and result-driving outcomes for their brand.
QR Codes and Digital Marketing – A Basic Summary
QR Codes are an updated and special version of traditional barcodes. Abbreviated for Quick Response Code, they have more data storage capacity, a maximum of 3 KB for alphanumeric, special symbols, and Kanji characters in the encoded form. Users can easily scan them with their smartphone’s camera or a special QR code scanner tool to access the information in decoded, human-readable form.
Initially, QR Codes were developed by Denso Wave, a subsidiary of Toyota Indus, a Japanese automobile manufacturer. Their purpose was to track the status of auto spare parts in the manufacturing process.
However, today, QR codes have become a significant part of the marketing campaigns of leading global brands in different industries, including finance, tech, sports, healthcare, and marketing.
For example, Pizza Hut, a leading worldwide food chain, has printed QR codes on the rear windshields of its delivery cars to promote its newly launched cheeseburgers. Similarly, Audi’s “Dynamic Destination” CTV campaign was another highly successful marketing strategy that integrated QR codes. Its outcomes exceeded the performance goal with 93% video completion rates and 23K+ engagement with the brand.
QR Codes have significantly impacted and entirely changed the concept of digital marketing. From directing your targeted audience to your website to facilitating them with a secure cashless payment method, their integration, both for in-store and online experiences, can increase customer engagement, all thanks to their convenience and user-friendliness.
Lastly, the tracking feature is one of the most significant aspects of using QR codes for digital marketing. Whether you are targeting social media growth or want organic traffic to your website, a QR code can help you continuously monitor the performance of your campaign.
Here’s what type of marketing information QR Codes can lead to:
- Company’s website
- Landing pages
- Product or Services pages
- Users guidance blogs
- Social media profiles
- Vouchers or promotions
- Limited-stock products
- Newly launched service details
- Surveys and feedback forms
- Contact details
5 Ways How Brands Can Use QR Codes In Their Digital Marketing Strategies
The future of QR Codes is undeniably promising. By scanning these small square codes with a QR code scanner tool or smartphone camera, a brand can easily and quickly connect with its targeted audience and lead them to profitable and result-driving actions.
The potential of QR codes in digital marketing is limitless. Here are five ways businesses, whether newly startup or enterprise-level, can integrate QR codes into their digital marketing strategies.
1. Advertising Products
Marketing aims to increase the reach and create brand awareness among the targeted audience. Thus, integrating QR Codes in large-scale marketing campaigns, whether targeting limited-edition products or newly launched services, can significantly increase the outcomes.
Marketers can print QR codes containing the contact details about their brand, products, services, pricing, and contact details on billboards, magazines, banners, pamphlets, and visiting cards. It makes the advertisement attractive and engaging and makes the company’s details easily accessible.
Your potential lead will only have to use the camera to scan the QR code, and they will be redirected to your website, eliminating the need to type the URL and search it on Google manually.
2. Providing Sales Price on Limited-Edition Products
Providing vouchers, sales, and promotional prices on limited-edition or stock-ending products and services, particularly by accessing QR Codes, is another tactic for digital marketers to sell their products and get direct organic traffic on their websites.
Displaying the voucher QR codes on ads with an attractive CTA will create an urge for emergency in the customers, and they may end up buying from you. Eventually, you can quickly sell your newly launched or limited-stock product along with having a steady flow of traffic.
Thus, QR codes are a great strategy for quickly grabbing the attention of your customers and potential leads, from engaging them with your brand to providing quick access to your website or social media handles.
3. On Products’ Packaging
Unlike traditional barcodes, many leading brands of various industries have started providing QR codes on product packaging. The consumer can use the QR code scanner feature of their smartphone’s camera to scan and access the product guide or information from the company’s website or blog.
Moreover, you can customize the QR codes, based on their shapes and colors, to match your brand’s theme or product’s design. So, if you run a specific digital marketing campaign or advertise a new service, you can print the personalized codes and engage your customers.
4. Social Media Promotions
Popular social media platforms have started paid advertisement systems and digital marketplaces where brands can run campaigns and showcase their products and services. Their target is to reach a broader spectrum of targeted audiences along with easy and quick marketing efforts.
It is impossible for a lead to remember all of your company’s social media handles and search them manually. Thus, integrating QR codes into marketing strategies is beneficial as they can store all the links to your social media profiles and enable users to access them quickly.
By scanning the QR Code, your customers can access the list of your social media profiles and move to the one they want to visit. Your company pages will gain instant followers from your potential audience through this.
5. Marketing with Augmented Reality
Augmented Reality is the new normal of today’s technical era, and many leading global companies are integrating it to enhance their customer experiences. From fashion and jewelry products to interior designing firms, QR codes are combined with AR technology to provide potential buyers with exceptional and exciting mobile services.
For example, IKEA stores use QR Codes that enable customers to use AR technology and experience how their products will look in their homes in terms of size, color, design, and theme.
Through these comprehensive interactive experiences, you can boost your customer’s engagement with your brand and experience a skyrocketing increase in your sales.
Conclusion
The benefits of QR codes in digital marketing campaigns are endless. From complete customizing experiences to integrating additional technologies, the flexibility and user-friendly concept of QR Codes has certainly opened infinite opportunities for marketers to improve their marketing strategies and produce revenue-generating results.
Therefore, instead of struggling with traditional advertising tactics, it is time to modernize your digital marketing campaigns with QR Codes and benefit enormously from this new revolutionary technology.
