3 Tips for Using QR Codes in Your Marketing and Advertising Signage

If you say the words “QR Code,” the average person probably won’t know what you’re talking about. However, if you show this same person a picture of one of the black and white barcodes, they will likely know what it is and how to use it. Although QR codes are still a relatively new form of advertising, we’ve gotten past the point where we need to educate the public about what they are since most smartphone users are already somewhat familiar with the technology.

With the public on board, it’s time you start implementing QR codes into your advertising campaigns. They are a great way to engage mobile consumers, drive conversions, and keep your brand relevant. Also, they are extremely flexible as you can use them for all types of purposes, which include directing users to a website, dialing a phone number, providing a coupon, or as a way for people to quickly store your business’ contact information.

However, if you’re just getting started with QR codes, it’s easy to overlook some simple strategies that can make your campaign much more efficient. To save yourself some frustration and possible wasted effort, follow these three tips:

1. For Tracking Purposes, Use Multiple QR Codes

Since QR codes are free, you can create as many as you like and not worry too much about the costs, which is incredibly helpful when it comes to tracking how your codes are being used. For example, if you put the same QR code on all your printed advertisments (signs, posters, flyers, business cards, car wraps, etc.) it becomes difficult to tell which method is getting the most interest. You can see how much traffic the whole QR code campaign is bringing to your site, but not what item consumers are actually scanning.

A better approach is to put a different QR code (all leading to the same landing page) on each type of printed advertisement. That way, you can track each code separately and take notice of which strategy is getting the best results. With this information, you can focus your energies on the medium that is most appealing to your audience.

2. Set Up a Separate Landing Page

Another way to get more out of your QR code campaign is by setting up a separate landing page within your website dedicated to QR users. This will provide you with much better analytic information since you know all traffic to that page is coming specifically from people scanning your codes, and you can easily track their on-page behavior.

Also, since QR codes are a mobile-based technology, make sure your landing page is mobile-friendly. This means, among other things, having a fast loading page, easy navigation, and not too much content.

3. Print Codes Separate from Signs

Since you never know how you might change your advertising campaign, it’s always a good option to print your QR codes separately, and then stick them to your signs later. This is especially useful for someone, such as a realtor, who needs a bunch of the same sign, but with each one having a different QR code (leading users to various home listings). It wouldn’t make financial sense to print individual signs to accommodate the different codes, and is much easier to add a removable QR code sticker on standard, reusable signs.

To truly get the most out of these three tips, it helps to have an experienced marketer and web designer on your team — someone who knows how to engage consumers with both printed ads and online marketing.

Has your business used QR codes in your advertisement? If so, how has it worked for you?