Want to know one of the hottest marketing trends to watch for in 2011? QR codes. If you haven’t heard of Q.R. codes, you’ve probably at least seen them. They’re starting to show up everywhere — on fliers, brochures, business cards, magazine and newspaper ads – even on billboards. So what are QR-codes?
Quick Response (QR) codes are the funny black-and-white squares you most commonly see in printed magazine ads. They are a specific kind of 2D barcode that consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background. Descendants of the UPC codes on your groceries and the ISBN codes on books, Quick Response codes may look like gibberish, but when used effectively, they are one of the most creative and powerful marketing tools you can use to promote your business.
What’s so special about these strange little codes? Quick Response codes convert data (like a website address) into a form that can be easily scanned and read by mobile devices. They are a quick (and technologically snazzy) way to get customers to go where you want them to go – whether it’s your website, contest page, email form, menu, coupon, etc. (My local grocery store recently had these codes printed in their weekly sales mailer that, when scanned by my mobile smart phone, sent me to a website with recipes that used the food items that were on sale that week.)
To decipher a Quick Response (QR) code, all that’s needed is a mobile smartphone with a camera and a (usually free) QR-code reader app. With these simple tools, a potential customer can scan your business’ QR-code and be magically taken to the website address you embedded in the code.
So how can you use QR-codes to promote your business? Sites like GetUPCCode and SnapUPCCodes allow you to easily create codes for your business, products or services. You can then use your QR codes in your advertising and marketing to drive traffic to your website, special offer, coupon, your Google Places listing, and YouTube video, a contest you’re running or even display ads. The possibilities are endless! Just put your unique QR code in your company’s ad, business card, billboard or website. Using QR-codes to promote your company is a savvy way to get customers to visit your business or find out more about the products or services you offer.Gaurav and the small businesses have been featured on the TODAY Show, CNN, ABC Nightly News, Fox and countless other media outlets. He currently spends her time helping local small businesses get found on the Internet through her https://www.GetUPCCode.com website.
