Have you ever been to a restaurant and instead of passing you a menu, your waiter presents you with a code that directs you to the menu section on your phone? This is referred to as a QR code.
QR codes have been around for a long time but gained immense popularity since the Covid-19 pandemic. In a period when we were all so hesitant to go close to one another, restaurants employed them as a quick way to create contactless menus.
Given how easy and effective it is to employ QR codes, marketers have started implementing this strategy in their businesses. Just take your smartphone, scan and you’re in!
FUN FACT: Did you know that QR codes have been used for about 30 years? They were first created in 1994 by a Japanese engineer with the intention of tracking components in auto manufacturing.
What are QR Codes?
A QR code, also known as a "quick response" code, is a type of barcode that can be read by a scanner, smartphone, or iPad. It employs pixels set up in a square grid to contain data such as menus, music, social network profiles, connections to websites, and more.
The distinctive pixel pattern of the QR code must be gathered, analyzed, and translated into digital information by a digital scanner in order for it to function.
How Are QR Codes Being Used Today?
Download apps
The QR code will lead you to the app's download page and begin the download after you've scanned it. Companies have started being creative with their QR codes to make them stand out and interesting to customers. QR codes have been employed by well-known apps like Angry Birds in their marketing campaigns.
Moreover, applications themselves have been known to employ QR codes to encourage community engagement. For example, Snapchat, Whatsapp, and other social networking applications have produced distinctive QR codes so that users may add individuals quickly.
As for music platforms, Spotify has recently issued QR codes for its tracks. Now, users may share or suggest their music to others by just scanning a QR code, and it will instantly show up on their smartphone.
Identify business locations
Sometimes customers are interested in dropping by your store after coming across your ad or your website but they may be unable to do so if they do not know the location. By including a QR code of your location on your site or even brochures, customers can just whip out their phone, scan the QR code and visit your store.
Instead of having to manually search for the address on web maps, the QR code may offer accurate directions to your business's location, saving your customers one step.
Lead customers to your socials
For instance, if a consumer really likes your product or service, they may subscribe to your social media accounts to receive additional updates.
You can use this to your advantage by giving them a discount or a promotion if they used the same QR code to follow you on social media. You gain a follower, leading to more engagement and they receive a discount as well as more information.
Obtain business details
Let’s say you have a business conference. If you utilize QR codes at your booth or station, potential customers and even investors may simply scan the code to learn more about your company, including your phone number.
In some cases, you may even modify the QR code such that it immediately dials the recipient's phone number.
Send an email or text
As soon as the QR code is scanned, the visitor will receive the message. SMS marketing gains the most from message transmission via QR codes. Sales, customer service, on-demand product updates, and SMS registration with opt-in are all possible uses.
Similar to delivering messages, QR codes for emails will enable you to view and track information about newsletters, email marketing, and the success rates of your emails (e.g. open and bounce rates).
In addition, the user has the option of viewing the email in question on his smartphone by scanning the QR code. Your email will be available in this way across all platforms.
Payment platforms
The use of QR codes in payment platforms may be one of their most well-known uses. If you've used Venmo or CashApp, you've probably seen how simple it is to transfer payment by just scanning a vendor's individual QR code rather than gathering and entering all of their information.
Shopping and E-commerce
Business usage of QR codes for special offers and promotions is perhaps the most common.
For example: Going to a restaurant and being given a QR code instead of a menu, or going to a clothing store and seeing a QR code to access their online website.
What Are The Benefits Of QR Codes?
Data storage
Data may be stored in great quantities using QR codes. A QR code can hold about 7,000 characters, compared to the 20 digits that conventional barcodes can. Moreover, QR codes may hold alphabetic letters, binary codes, control codes, and more in addition to just numeric digits. Due to their versatility, QR codes may be used for a wide range of purposes, including displaying basic text, hyperlinks, and videos.
Monitoring campaign results
Since QR codes are digital, it's simple to track how much activity and interaction a particular code is receiving. Google Analytics, which may save information on user demographics and activity, is compatible with several QR code platforms.
Cost-effective
QR codes may help a number of businesses save money, but this is especially true in the restaurant industry, which employs QR codes to instantly update its digital menus without having to spend time and resources printing new ones.
The ability to order meals and make payments online is another feature of QR code menus, which can speed up table turnover and simplify the eating experience.
Last words
Advertising your business using QR codes is an easy yet effective strategy. They have become the forefront of technology and marketing, despite the fact it took them years to do so. QR codes have become a standard in efficient corporate operations, going hand in hand with the objective of any company: bringing in new clients.
SO, WHERE DO YOU FIND THIS PARTNER?
Well, aren’t we glad you asked! We at DigiCom are obsessive data-driven marketers pulling from multi-disciplinary strategies to unlock scale. We buy media across all platforms and placements and provide creative solutions alongside content creation, and conversion rate optimizations. We pride ourselves on your successes and will stop at nothing to help you grow.
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