Marketing With QR Codes

QR codes (quick response codes) have been around for almost 30 years. They were developed in 1994 by an engineer in Japan to track components in automobile factories. Since then, they’ve become a powerful marketing tool.

Despite the fact that QR codes are not new, their use increased during the Covid-19 epidemic. They were used by restaurants to create contactless menus at a time when we all resisted getting close to each other.

But the hype isn’t over yet. QR codes continue to grow. Before the pandemic, it appeared that QR codes were going away. But last year 75.8 million U.S. Smartphone users scanned one, an increase of 15.3% over 2020. It’s predicted that by 2025, 99.5 million Americans will be using QR codes.

Why Use QR Codes in Your Marketing?

QR codes are an easy way to streamline the customer journey. They can direct potential customers directly to the online location you desire. It can be your website, a landing page for promotions and giveaways, or a page that offers a free download to increase engagement and build an audience. You can even go further and use QR codes to provide tutorials, informational videos on how-tos, or exclusive content for events.

QR codes make it easy to measure the success of a campaign, or an ad in particular. For example, a magazine advertisement. These codes can also help you collect your data. This is important, as many marketing giants such as Google are moving away from using third-party information.

You can get a 10% discount by scanning your QR code at Whole Foods if you are an Amazon Prime member.

Visitors can also learn more about nature preserves by scanning QR codes. This reduces the use of paper.

Note: If you need to create a QR code, use a free QR code generator for a quick and easy solution.

Best Practices for QR Codes

You can find a variety of resources online that create QR codes. Just search “QR code” to see all the options. Before you use these codes on your marketing materials, you should know how to best utilize them.

• The days of the black-and-white QR codes are long gone, and now you can add your logo and brand colors. Be careful not to over-customize. You can make your QR code more difficult to scan, if you add too many customizations. This is especially true for older phones.
• Do not invert colours on your QR codes (for example, a black background and a white code), as some smartphones cannot process them properly. It’s also a good idea to avoid blurry or pixelated QR codes. Make sure they are easy to read and not blurry. They are meant to be easily accessible, isn’t that the whole purpose?
• Keep your QR codes as dense as possible. Make sure that the link used to create your QR code is not too long. The longer the link is, the more complicated and darker the QR code will be, making it harder for smartphones to scan.
• Make sure there is a white space around the QR code. I recommend a minimum of a quarter inch of space on each side.

Final Thoughts

QR codes can be a very effective way to advertise your business. It took years before they shot into the spotlight but now, they are a part of marketing and technology’s future. QR codes are a part of everyday business operations. They were not inevitable as it took an epidemic for people to engage with them.