8 Effective Ways To Use QR Codes To Market Your Business

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I was recently sent a fascinating infographic on marketing your business on mobile. You'll find it below.

While checking it out, it occurred to me that I had no information on my blog on how to use QR codes to market your business. So I asked Max Chekalov to produce a guest post for me on QR codes in marketing.

Who Is Max Chekalov?

Social media and Max is a match made in heaven. Prolific digital marketer with considerable skill in graphic design and writing, his endless thirst for knowledge and communication can be sated only by the dynamically changing world of social media.

Always on top of the latest trends and development in social media marketing, Max's curiosity and vision bring invaluable insight and value to any project.

But first…..

What Are QR Codes?

According to Wikipedia, QR codes are made up of black squares arranged in a square grid on a white background which can be read by an imaging device such as a camera, and interpreted. They are usually used to take someone to a certain webpage without having to type in the URL. But see Max Chekalov's article below for more uses.

QR codes are certainly everywhere these days and when you see the big names in the infographic below, and read these ideas, I hope you'll be inspired to use QR Codes to market your business.

Here in Norwich they're used on the bus stops so I can scan them with my phone and thereby see the timetable for the next bus.

Wherever you go you are likely to spot QR codes all around you: on posters, print advertising, business store fronts and more. QR codes could be described as ‘the next big thing’ in advertising and present a modern way to give customers information about your business. The mobile marketing experts at appgeeks.org list QR codes as one of the most effective communication endpoints between a seller and a customer, purely because of their ease of use.

There are many ways that QR codes can be used to market a business, some of which will be more effective than others. Take a look at a few ideas below.

Local businesses – If you are a local business, a good way of giving customers information quickly is by placing a QR code on your door. This could take customers to a file which includes information such as your phone numbers, opening times, website, and even products that you sell.

If your business has an app, then you can send your customers here instead. Or, if your store or business is closed, your QR code could take people to an online store so you don’t miss out on a potential customer.

Merchandise – If you have merchandise for your business, then you could think about including a QR code on some of it. Some examples of this could be including them on T-shirts, keyrings, placemats, and other similar trinkets. You should do it in a creative way though, so you don’t make the item unattractive and stop people from buying it.

Competitions – If you include your QR code at events or on advertising, a great way to get more people to scan the code is to incorporate it into some sort of competition. Let people know that if they scan the QR code, then there is a chance that they could win a prize.

Advertising – Wherever you place advertising, be it in a magazine or a poster in the form of a banner, there is no harm in including a QR code that people can follow to have access to more information instantly. That way they can scan it if they are interested and take a look at the information at a later date if they are in a hurry or on the move.

Newsletter signup – A good way to get people to sign up to an email newsletter is by using a QR code. Put it on receipts or in advertising that will take people to the newsletter signup page, with the promise that if they do sign up they will be sent offers and freebies.

On business cards – This is likely to be one of the most common uses for QR codes. Rather than filling a tiny piece of card with a lot of information, you could simply include a QR code that will take people to your social media accounts and other profiles that you have online.

Product labels – If, for example, you sell fine wines to restaurants, it is likely that someone out there is enjoying your product. By putting a QR code on the label you could encourage people to find out more about your products and what else you can offer them.

Phone calls – What some people don’t know is that QR codes can be used to make a phone call directly. You are able to create them so that when scanned it dials a predetermined number, which is a good tactic to get your phone ringing regularly.

These are just a few of the many ways that QR codes could be used to market your business and connect with your customers. They can lead to a range of locations online, be it directions, photos, webpages, and more. The options are endless.