Skip to content

We’ve refreshed our brand. Same graft, sharper edge. Explore the refresh.

Ketchup logo
9 min read
Opinion

QR codes for marketing.

qr codes for marketing

How to successfully use QR codes for Marketing in 2021

Much like fidget spinners, Fortnite and the catchiest summer hits, QR codes for marketing have gone from ‘popular’ to ‘overdone’ and ‘rarely talked about’ over the last few years. But does it mean they’re no longer relevant? Not at all!

When used correctly - and sparingly - QR codes can actually complement your marketing strategy and give it an even more appealing twist.

Let’s see how.

What is a QR code and how does it work?

A QR code is a unique two-dimensional barcode not too dissimilar from the ones used to scan your food shopping, except that it consists of squares against a plain background (usually black on white) rather than vertical lines.

QR codes are placed on printed materials but designed to be read by imaging devices just like your phone camera. Once scanned, they direct you to a specific online location like a website or prompt you to complete a task with your phone, such as call a number.

In other words, a QR code can make your printed materials interactive and facilitate the execution of your call to action.

Types of QR codes

There are two types of QR codes that you can create online:

  • Static QR codes: this basic type is always free, and it allows you to direct someone to a specific page or location, but the information that it contains is fixed. This means that you can’t change its destination address nor track its usage data;
  • Dynamic QR codes: this is the best type of QR codes for marketing purposes. As well as allowing you to change the destination address whenever needed, it lets you track its scans, giving you valuable information that you can use to analyse the success of that campaign. While some software and websites ask you to pay for them, you can often find free trials or services that let you create a set number of dynamic QR codes without charging you.

Do QR codes work for marketing?

Yes! Even though they aren’t as popular as they used to be, we’re confident that QR codes can still work for marketing.
Actually, the fact that they aren’t as overused as they were a few years ago allows yours to stand out even more… if you use them wisely, that is!

The reason behind the importance of QR codes for marketing lies in their several benefits and useful features:

  • Dynamic: QR codes allow you to bridge the painful gap between print media and the online world;
  • Interactive: these little codes encourage further action by getting people involved and making it easier for them to follow the call to action that you’ve presented them with;
  • Versatile: you can use them for different campaigns and across several types of physical media;
  • Cost-effective: as well as being free most of the time, QR codes allow you to save money on printed marketing materials by limiting them to what you actually need in order to deliver your core information. Instead of requiring additional pages, QR codes give customers the chance of finding out more about what you have to say online;
  • Trackable (for dynamic QR codes): you can forget about guesswork and start relying on measurable data.

How to use QR codes for marketing purposes: 13 ideas to stand out

We don’t recommend going overboard by implementing all of them. Just focus on the ways to use QR codes for marketing that align with your specific business and strategy.

1. On business cards

In other words, one of the oldest ways to introduce ourselves in the professional world meets more modern technology!

  • First of all, you can’t fit everything on your business card. It’s much easier to incorporate a tool that can send your future connections or clients to a website that tells them more about you and your business;
  • Sadly, it’s easy for business cards to end up being forgotten inside someone’s wallet: when they receive them, they often think ‘I’ll just call this person tomorrow!’ with ‘tomorrow’ being the magical land where nothing actually gets done;
  • If you give them a QR code that, when scanned, dials your number directly on their phone, it’ll be a lot more immediate.

2. On brochures 

‘I love receiving long brochures from companies I know next to nothing about’… said no one ever.

Long blocks of text can actually put off your potential readers and clients. 

By using QR codes for marketing, you can focus on grabbing their attention with a few meaningful lines and then direct them to your website for more details.

3. On posters

Whether they’re in-store or you’ve paid to have them displayed along your target audience’s commute, posters don’t have to be something they glance at quickly and forget about. 

Thanks to a strategically placed QR code, they can be the means to get your potential customers onto your website (or wherever you want them to navigate to) straightaway.

Now that we’ve looked at the best places to add a QR code, let’s see what their destination can be, starting with the most obvious one.

Regardless of what type of printed media you place it on, this is still one of the most popular uses of QR codes in marketing.

Whether that’s your home page, one that’s specific to a campaign or your online store, there are countless ways in which you can use QR codes for marketing by linking to your website.

5. To send an email & complement your email marketing strategy

If you’re trying to encourage your potential customers to interact with you by sending an email, you can direct them to a pre-typed message.

This will also allow you to collect email addresses for future campaigns. Don’t be cheeky, though: respect the GDPR law by adding a box that allows them to opt-in and out.

Another way of doing so is to add a short prompt that, whenever the QR code is scanned for other reasons (e.g. to access a website), asks the user to insert their email address to access it.

6. To send a text

Much like with emails, you can even use QR codes for SMS marketing if that’s something your business has been focusing on.

7. To view your location (not in a creepy way!)

Let’s say that you want someone to pop into your store, drop by your office, or check out where your next branch will be.

Wouldn’t it be much easier to present them with a QR code that automatically opens this address for them rather than asking them to type it manually?

8. To download an app

Has your business got an app? Excellent! 

Then you know how ineffective it is to tell people ‘just type this and it should be the first result… or maybe the second one.’

Instead, you can direct them to the actual download page of your app through a QR code.

9. To grow your social media channels

One thing is telling your customers ‘be sure to like us on Facebook’ when they have to manually find you on that platform, another one is creating a QR code that automatically drops a like when scanned!

Social media have actually welcomed the integration of QR codes, with some platforms even going the extra mile by introducing their own.

For example, that’s how you can find your friends on Snapchat, whereas Instagram had created Nametags which have now been turned into traditional QR codes.

 10. To offer a unique discount

This is an excellent way of encouraging people to scan it and follow through with a purchase: use a specific QR code to offer a unique discount. 

In fact, it’s estimated that, by 2022, around 5.3 billion coupon codes will be redeemed via QR Codes.

By tracking their use, you’ll also be able to measure the success of that campaign.

 11. To encourage reviews

From word of mouth to reviews, there’s no way around it: people often trust other people more than what a business has to say about themselves. 

However, it’s not always easy to convince them to ‘please, go on TripAdvisor and leave a review’. What’s easier, you ask (perhaps when you present them with the bill)?

Dropping a thank you card with a QR code that takes them straight to a page with a new five-star rating.

 12. To add an event to someone’s calendar

Are you hoping for someone to come to one of your events or schedule a call with you? 

Then create a QR code that will automatically add this to their calendar and send them a handy reminder a few hours or days before the actual start time.

 13. Be disruptive!

Finally, we want to encourage you to think outside the box. 

While people have obviously seen QR codes thousands of times, you can still bring something new to the table.

For example, you could:

  • incorporate artwork or graphics instead of sticking to the usual black and white design
  • direct users to something more personal and quirkier like a video.

Are you looking for ideas on how to use QR codes for marketing that are more tailored to your small business? Book a free consultation with the Ketchup Crew: we can create the right marketing strategy for you!