If you are reading this, you already know about QR Codes. You are just not convinced enough about its application in marketing.
And I got it, even though I wasn’t ready for it. But one fine day, I decided to really explore it. And by this, I mean, reaaallllly understand its use cases, pros and cons, and whether we can do it without these codes.
So, here’s what I found.
From 2021 to 2023, there was a whopping 323% growth in the usage of QR Codes in marketing. Businesses of all types and sizes have been using QR Codes for a wide range of reasons.
I’m not just talking about the basic sharing of information and payments. Brands took marketing to a whole new level with QR Codes, especially in advertising. Coinbase’s bouncing QR Code ad for Super Bowl is just the tip of the iceberg.
Recently, I came across a newspaper ad by an Indian e-commerce brand called Flipkart. They leveraged QR Codes to drive traffic to their website during one of their sales. And it received an astounding number of scans!
The crazy part is that marketers are using QR Codes anywhere and everywhere. And they are always finding a new way to use them. Whether it is for a customized landing page or the package of your parcel — QR Codes are everywhere.
But is the QR Code technology meant for the future? Here’s what I think.
As a marketer, I know we are always on the hunt for something unique. And as time goes by, the lines between online and offline experiences are blurring away.
A successful marketing strategy is one where you strike the right balance between both modes, and QR Codes can do exactly that.
Want to influence offline customers to download apps? QR Codes on storefronts.
Want to request new customers to rate your products? QR Codes on product packages.
Want to make an offline campaign successful? QR Codes on billboards.
There’s a lot more to why QR Codes are being actively used in marketing and will probably continue to remain the go-to technology for marketers.
Early-stage startups and small businesses are always looking for solutions that are cost-effective. They have budget restrictions, and the last thing they want is to invest in a technology that dries out their banks. And QR Codes can definitely address this problem.
Most QR Code solutions are free and let you generate unlimited static QR Codes for one-time use. But scalability is much beyond a static QR Code. Taking from my own experience, I feel dynamic QR Codes are way better than static ones. While they may require some investment, it saves you from a lot of hassles in the future.
Top QR Code generators like Uniqode only cost $5 a month and let you generate 50 dynamic QR Codes that are editable multiple times. So, even for startups, QR Codes are worth a shot.
As of 2022, there were over 4.5 million smartphone users globally. And there’s no way that marketers can ignore the importance of mobile phones. You don’t expect people to be walking around with their laptops all the time, right?
For marketers, these smartphone users are their potential customers. That’s why there’s so much focus on creating mobile-friendly websites, applications, emails, and so on.
QR Codes are designed specifically for mobile use. Hence, they are definitely the first step to fill this gap.
When I say QR Code, many of you will still picture it as a boring, black-and-white code waiting to get scanned. But, they don’t really need to be just black-and-white, you know.
Thanks to some of these QR Code makers out there, you can now customize your QR Codes with logos, colors, fonts, frames, borders, etc. By adding these elements, you can personalize your QR Codes and build your brand authority in a pool of similar-looking competitor QR Codes.
And oh, there’s now QR Code AI art that lets you create hyper-realistic QR Codes. I mean, it can only get better from here!
Dynamic QR Codes are editable. That means you can edit or delete URLs, landing page information, and any other branding elements within the QR Code as often as possible. You don’t have to create QR Codes from scratch for last-minute changes or urgency.
Most QR Code generators also offer extensive template libraries so that you can pick the suitable ones. Plus, they’re trackable. You can easily monitor KPIs like the number of scans, scanability score, etc., to identify how well the QR Codes perform. Such insights can help marketers generate targeted strategies to scale marketing campaigns.
The world is divided into two eras of the COVID-19 pandemic — Pre-Covid and Post-Covid. And trust me when I say that, like any other organizational function, marketing has changed drastically in these two phases.
If we go back to 2011, QR Codes were still there. However, the way it was being incorporated in marketing changed. For instance, back in 2011, internet speed was slow, smartphones were not that popular, and QR Codes were boring and unoptimized.
QR Codes became particularly popular in 2020 when Covid-19 hit the entire world, and marketers were looking for contactless technologies to connect digital and physical experiences. That’s when we started observing too many applications of QR Codes in marketing. Brands would incorporate QR Codes in marketing collaterals, websites, restaurant menus, packages, and any other place where customers can easily spot them.
And with each passing year, the popularity of QR Codes is increasing. In fact, in 2023, QR Codes are not just about ads. Brands are using QR Codes in the most innovative ways possible to launch creative marketing strategies. According to this report by Uniqode, QR Code trends are on the rise, with a 247% increase in QR Code creation this year from 2021.
That’s fantastic, I’d say!
Now that you know why QR Codes matter in marketing and how it has evolved over the years, it is time to note some of the QR Code best practices that never fail in marketing:
Which QR Code would you click from the two?
I will click the one on the right because:
- It catches my attention immediately and doesn’t provide the “same old” vibe
- It adds the brand-specific personality by adding the two different brand colors in the right proportion
- The QR Code eyes are placed in a unique way
Now, I understand that when a user has no choice, they will scan the other one. Plus, it looks more like the conventional QR Code. Hence, it is easier for people to recognize and understand! However, if they are given the choice, they will likely opt for a visually compelling QR Code.
So, make your QR Code look good. It doesn’t have to be an over-the-top design, but a decent presentation that reflects your brand can make a lot of difference in your marketing campaigns.
When placing a QR Code, ask yourself — will the users spot it?
Suppose a retail store plans to nudge the users to visit their online store. Placing the QR Code on the storefront windows can be a good idea.
But if your QR Code is sitting alone on one of the corner shelves where no one goes, how do you expect it to be noticed and scanned?
QR Codes can grab maximum attention if you place them in the following places :
- Storefront — loud and clear
- Points of sale — checkout counter, social media, website homepage
- Emails
- Product packages and shopping bags
- Flyers
- Billboards
- Digital and physical business cards
That being said, you can be creative and place your QR Code anywhere. Just ensure that your existing and potential customers hang out there.
Sometimes, your marketing campaigns don’t work because the users don’t like where they land after scanning a QR Code. This could be a messy website/landing page that’s not mobile-optimized, confusing social media profiles, etc.
The best way to deal with this is by defining your goals and action items. For example:
- If your goal is to convince the users to make a purchase -> direct them to the product page of your online store, where they can learn more about a product, its features, and usage.
- If your objective is to retarget the users -> direct them to their abandoned shopping carts, and throw in a discount, they cannot resist.
- If you want to collect more ratings for a product -> direct the users to the review page, where they can easily submit their reviews and ratings.
My point is to make the transition from QR Codes to the destination website easy.
- Keep the websites and landing pages mobile-optimized
- Reduce the number of steps involved
- Align the QR Code and destination correctly so that there is no expectation mismatch
Use a reliable QR Code generator, as these applications are carefully designed to meet all your marketing requirements.
A good QR Code generator will ensure:
- QR Codes are customized as per the brand presence
- Allow you to access template libraries to scale easily
- Provide access to a dashboard where all critical QR Code metrics can be measured
- Help you create simple, mobile-friendly landing pages on the same platform
- Let you edit QR Code design and texts as many times as you want
Basically, a QR Code generator simplifies your job as a marketer. I recommend Uniqode, The QR Code Generator, Scanova, and QR Code Monkey. I have tried all these solutions, and they are totally worth it.
Also, if you want to learn more about QR Code generators and the difference between free and paid QR Code makers, head to this article of mine — Paid vs. Free QR Code generators.
Believe it or not, many of your favorite brands are already killing it when it comes to QR Code marketing. Here are three of our all-time favorite examples:
L’Oreal is an OG when it comes to launching QR Codes the right way. There are plenty of examples where this brand leveraged QR Codes to boost the purchase of certain products or increase app downloads. One such example is this brand’s Kérastase product promotional campaign.
L’Oreal used QR Codes and augmented reality to help customers connect with specialists so they can discover everything related to ingredients, formulas, and packaging of Kérastase.
Starbucks has also leveraged QR Codes multiple times to boost coffee sales. Once this brand partnered with People Magazine to incorporate QR Codes for their promotional campaigns. Starbucks’s outdoor ads with QR Codes are also pretty famous, as you can notice flyers and billboards in all major cities of the US.
American-style casual dining restaurant Chili’s uses QR Codes for multiple purposes, including food menus, educating customers with nutritional information, fundraising, sharing coupon codes, and so on.
Marketing is evolving every day. Smart marketers develop their marketing strategies with time, leave behind the old tricks, and embrace the new ones to survive in the long run. The latest stats and facts show that QR Codes are the “hot thing” in marketing.
There are various ways QR Codes can be helpful for brands. It all depends on your business goals, target users, and your efficiency with using QR Codes.
