How Small Business Owners Can Use QR Codes in Marketing Campaigns

In this digital-first world, users no longer have the patience for anything slow and time-consuming. Seeing that all it takes to use a QR code is a smartphone, which 85% of American adults already use, it makes a lot of sense to incorporate QR technology into your marketing strategy to give people the instant gratification they want.

QR codes are all about being instant and fast. You can use them to give your customers the ability to access information about your products, services, or campaigns, by simply scanning your code on their mobiles.  

As the leading digital marketing agency in Miami, we believe that QR codes are here to stay. In fact, QR codes are currently being used in different ways everywhere you go – from instantly downloading apps to easily leaving reviews up to quickly viewing a menu at a restaurant, and many more!

Top 4 Benefits of QR Codes in Marketing

Provide your customers a one-of-a-kind experience by allowing them to transition seamlessly from an offline experience to an online one, and make the most out of every interaction with the help of QR codes!  

Here are the benefits of incorporating QR codes in your marketing efforts:

• Allows you to do more with your print ads. You can add a QR code that consumers can scan and direct them to a webpage. This can then show your product catalog, video tutorials, and other engaging forms of content.

• Improves your customer experience. QR-accessible information enhances the experience you provide for your customers. For instance, they allow for paperless menus.
• Saves you costs in the long term. What’s great about QR codes is that you can repurpose them. This means that if your campaign has ended, you don’t have to take down the QR codes you’ve put around town. All you have to do is update its content so consumers are directed to a new landing page for a new promo or campaign. No need to keep printing new flyers or posters.
• Keep track of your campaigns. Before, there was no way of measuring who was reading your ads in magazines, newspapers, or billboards. With QR codes, you can now find out which form of the print ad really does drive results.

4 Ways QR Codes Can Modernize Your Business

As your go-to digital marketing agency in Miami, we suggest that you do something as simple as using QR codes to modernize your business.  This is a great way to differentiate yourself and make your business stand out from your competitors. Here are the different ways QR codes can modernize your business:

• Rate / Review QR Code – A lot of customers don't need to leave a review or rate a business unless they've had a negative experience with you and want to warn everybody else. However, positive reviews are important for bringing in new business. Your goal is to make it easier for happy and satisfied customers to rate or review your products or services right after receiving them. Instead of asking them to fill out an online form, have them scan a QR code that will allow them to automatically rate your business.  
• Digital Business Card – Make it incredibly convenient for customers and prospects to reach you by making sure your contact number is saved directly on their phones. Instead of giving them your business card, which can easily get lost, create a QR code to serve as your digital business card.  
• Collect customer data through contactless forms – You can use this for event registration, visitor check-in, health & safety checks, contact tracing, and more. The data you collect from your customers is securely stored in the cloud. It's convenient, and you can use it to customize the experiences you provide your customers.  
• Provide specific direction to your business location – Instead of manually typing your business address on Google maps, your customers can simply scan the QR code on your website and it'll provide the direction to your location.  

5 Ways You Can Use QR Codes in Your Marketing Campaigns

1. More App Store Downloads

Are you trying to get more people on your app? Then you need to make it as easy as possible to download!

Create a QR code that will automatically direct users to your app in the Play Store (for Android users) and App Store (for Apple users). Then, they can download it on the spot. They no longer have to go through the process of going to the App Store, manually searching for your app, and clicking download.  

Angry Birds has successfully used QR codes to boost its marketing campaign. By simply scanning the codes placed on physical products, like toys and clothes, people can see elements of the Angry Birds universe and play mini-games.  

McDonald's has also adopted a similar gamification concept with their happy meals, allowing parents to simply scan their child's Happy Meal toy using an in-app scanner to access game content. Because the games are entertaining and educational, it motivates parents to download the Happy Meal app and urges them to buy more Happy Meal.

2. Boost Social Media Marketing Campaigns

Urging your customers to support your social media accounts is much harder than you think. Most of the time, people don't have the patience to search for your account or don't want to bother you at all.  

However, one surefire way to motivate your customers to participate is by incorporating QR codes into your social media marketing strategy. With a quick scan of their smartphones, they can easily like and follow your pages.  

This is an effective way of growing your following, keeping them engaged, and increasing your sales in the process.

You can also use QR codes to give your one-dimensional social ads a virtual twist and spur fun campaigns like giveaways, scavenger hunts, promotions, and limited-time offers!

As your trusted digital marketing agency in Miami, we are going to share the different ways you can use QR codes to boost your social media marketing campaigns:

• Link QR codes to your social media profiles to promote brand awareness and boost recognition.  

• Use QR codes as a two-way communication channel where consumers can respond to your campaigns and promotions.
• Utilize QR codes to create editable and trackable social media campaigns.  

• Motivate people to join, sign up, and attend contests, promotions, giveaways, and event registries by allowing them to participate with a quick scan of the QR code.
• Give customers the ability to quickly access all the information they need to know about your products by adding QR codes to your items. You can also use QR codes to provide your customers with more options to search, shop, and pay.  

3. Boost Landing Page Design

There are two types of landing pages: reference and transactional. Reference landing pages are for informational and educational content, like e-books, white papers, and special reports. Transactional landing pages, on the other hand, are focused on trying to get visitors to make a purchase right away.  

Depending on your campaign’s goal, you can customize the content of your QR code to help you achieve the results you want. For example, if you want to urge interested visitors to make a purchase right away, then you can use QR codes to check out and make cashless payments easily.  

Landing page design is crucial for determining your campaign’s conversion rates. The key is to arrange the elements and incorporate your QR code in a way that conveys your brand, effectively communicates your message, and motivates leads to take action.  

Photo from QR Code Generator

Tips for creating landing page designs with QR codes:

• Add a clear CTA to your QR codes. QR Code Generator software provides you with the option to add a clear CTA to your QR codes.  

• Customize your QR Code. You can use your brand colors, put your logo in the middle, or choose custom frames so that the QR code looks cohesive with the overall design of your landing page. This also helps boost brand familiarity.  
• Include social media links on your landing page. This can boost your following and get more engagement from your intended audience.  

4. Boosts Your SMS Marketing Strategy to Reach a Larger Audience

You can use QR codes for SMS marketing to grow your subscriber list. Instead of manually typing an SMS keyword to a code like “Text JOIN to 443689”, all your intended audience needs to do is scan your code.  

What’s even more amazing is that you can automate the text message sign-up process by sending preselected opt-in messages to your SMS list, making it incredibly easy for them to register.  

5. Increase Email Engagement Rates

People love receiving personalized emails that are engaging and relevant to their needs.

Some of the most popular ways to use QR codes in emails include:

• Add a personalized coupon to your promotional emails in the form of a QR code. This motivates your subscribers to scan the code on their phones and use it anytime they want to shop with you, whether in-store or online.  
• Incorporate QR codes in your ticket confirmation emails to act as an entry ticket for your event. This provides hassle-free entry for your customers and enables you to keep track of the number of attendees.  

Aside from creating a seamless desktop-to-mobile experience for your customers, using QR codes in your email marketing campaigns also lets you monitor data for your email’s performance rates.  

Are You Using QR Codes to Your Advantage?

You can use QR codes to take your marketing campaigns to the next level!  

Incorporating them into your email marketing, SMS marketing, social media marketing, landing page design, and app installs provides you with the data you need to measure and improve your campaigns to achieve the best results.  

Digital Resource is a digital marketing agency in Miami that specializes in helping small businesses succeed in their niche. If you need help creating effective marketing campaigns that drive traffic and sales, we're the best agency for you!

Our digital marketing experts and SEO specialists will work together to create a custom plan that will put your business at the top of the competition! Contact us today to get started!

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