The use of quick response codes -QR, for its acronym in English- can bring a large number of benefits to businesses. Therefore, it is not surprising that more and more Internet users ask Google “how to create a QR code for my company”. It is also not uncommon to find them in many everyday objects, since they can be placed on practically any surface or screen regardless of their dimensions.
In addition, they do not require sophisticated software, just download a QR code generator to get a personalized one. For these reasons, they are widely used symbols in marketing campaigns through websites, social networks, emails, mobile applications… But the benefits just mentioned barely represent an iota in comparison with the benefits described below.
Why QR codes are everywhere
- It is incredibly easy and inexpensive to implement (on average, creating a QR code costs US$0.50);
- The versatility of QR codes allows them to be placed and printed on a wide spectrum of objects: tickets, product packaging, bottle caps, brochures, restaurant menus and supermarket lists, among many others;
- It is easy to share them through text messages, posts on social networks or on any digital platform;
- You only need a smartphone or tablet to scan them;
- It is possible to create QR codes in Microsoft Word;
- QR codes can be transformed into stickers;
- They have no size limitations: from 2 x 2 millimeter micro-codes to gigantographs of the height of a building.
The great benefits of generating a QR code
According to the portal businessnewsdaily (2023), QR codes can bring countless benefits to businesses of any size. Between them:
QR codes are great for analytics
Dynamic QRs have a quality highly valued by marketing specialists: tracking ability. Thanks to these symbols, it is possible to know precisely when, where and how often consumers of a product or service use a brand’s personalized QR code.
Likewise, user interactions are revealed, which facilitates the identification of trends along with the planning of new offers and special promotions. This information is extremely useful when designing marketing strategies tailored to the needs of the company and the market.
QR codes facilitate secure data collection
The use of the personal data of the users of a brand is one of the most common concerns today. However, by implementing QR codes, the data collected is first-hand instead of being provided by third parties or stored by tech giant platforms (Google being the most universal case).
In contrast, QRs directly collect person-specific data that can be leveraged for trend identification, targeting, and other marketing purposes. But, unlike the information collected on the vast majority of websites through resources such as the cookiesthe QR can be configured to not share it with third parties.
QR codes help optimize the user experience
One of the most widespread uses of QR codes is observable in restaurants, specifically in fast food business menus. This, technically, amounts to a form of self-service. Additionally, QRs allow customers to make reservations, order or pay for their orders through a simple scan.
For this reason, some transnationals —such as Amazon, for example— use QR codes to manage returns. Thus, customers do not require the direct assistance of help personnel, because when the code is scanned, the instructions appear (if necessary) and the return process is automatically activated. Ultimately, companies can increase the efficiency of many tasks through the use of these symbols.
How can companies determine the success of their QR code marketing campaigns?
A survey conducted in 2022 by the American Consumer Survey, revealed that 43% of Americans have ever scanned a QR code. However, that number is expected to rise due to the increasing number of businesses adopting QR code marketing campaigns. In this sense, the advertising specialists of a company can know if an advertisement was successful or not through a tracking tool that reveals the details listed below:
- The number of scans the company receives;
- The geographic location of the scans;
- The type of device (make, model, carrier) used for the scan.
By classifying and locating the data, the company can assess whether the campaign objectives have been achieved. Then, in case the results are not as expected, the available information helps to identify the weak points of the planning in order to apply the necessary changes.
Other creative ways to use QR codes
- Add QR codes as part of a plan merchandising (for example, when scanning a QR, a video about the character of a toy or a video game is played);
- Insert QR codes inside books or magazines that give access to animated illustrations and/or additional information;
- Place QR codes on stickers, decals and stickers (both physical and digital);
- Add QR codes to brochures as part of exclusive promotions (accessible only to those who scan the symbol);
- Put QR codes on walls, walkways and billboards, since mid-range or high-end smartphones can scan these symbols even from a hundred meters away if these symbols have the appropriate printing quality and measurements;
- Sell QR codes that grant access to exclusive events;
- Paste QR codes on billboards (installed on one of the faces of a building, for example);
- Attach QR codes to bus and truck advertising;
- Give away QR codes at conferences;
- Integrate QR codes to the logo of a brand;
- Distribute QR codes in stadiums and sports arenas;
- Send by mail in email marketing campaigns;
- QR codes can be delivered through snail mail;
- Include QR codes in social media posts;
- Offer accessible prizes through a QR code as a prize for completing a survey.