QR codes are a current buzzword and increasingly being leveraged by B2B brands. Rik Barwick, director at Creativitea, provides top tips on integrating them into your campaigns
QR codes (short for Quick Response) have been in circulation for years. America and Japan were among the earliest adopters of this technology, and the UK is now among the top 10 largest users of QR codes in the world.
When scanned with a smartphone, like an iPhone or Android device, these 2D matrix barcodes can be used to redirect your business customers to a mobile-optimised website that includes virtually any kind of content you’d like to deliver. As such, QR codes are becoming an increasingly popular way of providing businesses with instant information retrieval without the need for any typing or forms to fill out.
However, that doesn’t mean that QR codes are suitable for every business. To effectively integrate QR into your overall marketing strategy, you’ll need to think very carefully about the experience that you’ll be offering. Without this level of forethought, you definitely won’t get the ROI that you’re hoping for.
So, in order to achieve the best results, you should follow these three key steps:
1. Educate your audience
You’ll need to encourage your customers to download an app for their smartphones that will allow them to read QR codes, as most smartphones still don’t have a native QR reader installed as standard.
A quick search of the app store will give you details of some of the most popular QR readers – and many of them are free. Make sure to include these details in any of your QR marketing efforts, as without a reader your customers won’t be able to access any of this interactive content.
The good news, however, is that once this software is downloaded, you will have easy access to a captive audience of business contacts who already have QR on their radar – and who actively want to interact with other businesses in this way. Once a relationship like this is established, it will be very easy to add additional content such as discounts and special offers in order to build customer loyalty and improve retention.
Some hotels are already conducting QR trials with their corporate customers, so that any company employees travelling on business can check-in, submit payment, access their rooms and/or conferencing facilities, pay for internet access, and then check out, simply by scanning the appropriate QR codes. Any charges are passed on to the employer, who in turn benefits from an at-a-glance view of its employees’ expenses.
2. Make it purposeful
Think through your QR content very carefully, as there is nothing worse than scanning a QR code on a business card to just go through to the company’s website. Likewise, a simple link to your company’s Facebook page is a total waste of time – unless your business customers will find something special waiting for them when they arrive there.
There is also no point putting a code in an in-flight ad or on the underground rail network, aimed at business travellers, where there is no phone signal or WiFi. Instead, think about using QR codes to create mobile sites, small downloads and content that can be accessed from anywhere. There has to be some incentive for users to scan a code, whether that means exclusive content, important product information, or automatic data sharing.
For example, why not use the QR code on a business card to upload all of your contact details to a potential customer’s address book automatically? Or include codes in your company’s trouble-shooting guides, so your resellers can follow the link to an online video that shows them how to solve some of the most common problems their customers face.
3. Monitor and react
Be sure to set up your QR codes so you can change them dynamically and monitor them easily throughout the campaign; that way, you can see at a glance what’s working and what isn’t, and respond accordingly. By using special analysis software, businesses can achieve this goal by seeing exactly when their codes were scanned, which were most successful, and which medium had the best ROI.
It’s only by having this information available that a campaign can be adjusted and improved upon. As such, this ability for businesses to know who has interacted with their campaign is paramount for measuring the success of campaigns and – when used correctly – can help to break the divide between offline and online marketing.
Many B2C brands are already driving greater awareness of QR codes in the consumer market by placing them in their TV, print and online advertising.
This surge in popularity will present many exciting opportunities for the B2B sector, since QR codes can be a dynamic and flexible tool for marketers. However, in order to bridge the gap between offline and online marketing successfully, you will need to plan your QR strategy very carefully, right from the start.
