Use of the humble QR code has surged since it became a go-to option for contactless marketing (especially for restaurants) during the pandemic. In 2021, nearly 76 million Americans scanned codes, a number expected to top 99 million in 2025. Users worldwide scanned codes over a billion times in 2022.
The question is, how can they be leveraged in your marketing? Easy to use and able to connect to any digital asset, their potential is limited only by your imagination.
They Connect All Your Marketing Efforts
With a QR code, a piece of print media can connect your prospect to a website landing page or form, even a specific YouTube video. These codes do so more quickly and easily than a printed web address and can’t be misspelled. With a click, the prospect has what they want, and so do you.
A QR Code Transforms a Given Marketing Piece Into Another Type of Content Entirely
Because it instantly connects prospects to digital media, a QR code essentially transforms your printed piece into digital media content. A bus stop ad becomes an explainer video; a targeted postcard campaign or trade show banner becomes a lead generating Ebook. At a minimum, a QR code allows you to say far more in a given space than would otherwise be possible.
This isn’t limited to print; codes can also be used in TV spots.
Your code can link to nearly any content you can think of. Typical options include:
Best of all, a properly constructed landing page can present any of these elements in a combination that works for your campaign.
They Encourage, Begin, and Reward Engagement
By definition, a prospect who uses a QR code has engaged with your marketing effort. Its very presence encourages them to do so, simply because it’s so easy to use. It also gives them an immediate reward and can begin a long-term relationship.
They Leapfrog Over Survey and Security Reluctance and Are Not Seen as Spam
Studies show the more information prospects have to provide to get a lead generator or complete a survey, the less likely they are to complete it. With its ease of use, and the capability of the prospect’s phone to fill in details like name, phone, etc., a QR code eliminates some of those hoops, making a completed survey more likely.
QR codes are also seen as a secure method of contact. Prospects who might be suspicious of email or text contact (or see them as spam) will use one. This is partly because they’ve initiated the contact and partly because the code is presented in a context (printed media, signage, TV ad) which seems more trustworthy.
They Streamline Ordering and Subscriptions
Just as they speed up the process of becoming a qualified prospect, QR codes can be used to take a buyer right to the point of sale. Another potential use is to place a subscription CTA on product packaging with a QR code that takes the buyer to a subscription page where they can set up regular delivery.
They Allow Collection, Segmentation, and Tracking
Thousands of people may pass a typical bus stop ad per day; thousands more will see a magazine ad. A QR code gives you a chance to collect their emails and other demographic information you might not otherwise have. In addition, you can easily send prospects to different pages as they respond to different ads, aiding in segmentation and in tracking what efforts are drawing the most response.
Digital Marketing for Businesses in the Rockford Area
Not every company has experienced digital marketers in house or the time to create regular content. We follow the most up-to-date practices and achieve the metrics that matter. Get in touch with Cain & Company for thoughtful, strategic marketing that boosts your bottom line.
