QR Codes

How can Russell Johns help with a QR code campaign?

QR Code

Russell Johns can help you plan and execute a creative advertising campaign that leverages the benefits of a QR code. Our team will review your ad and help you determine the best call-to-action to effectively integrate a QR code into your campaign, enhance the reader’s experience and help you gain more responses.

Not sure what a QR code is or ways it could benefit you? Keep reading.

What is a QR code?

Simply put, a QR code makes existing and potential customers more engaged with your brand, product or service.

A QR code is a way of transferring information from an advertising channel (print, online, billboard, etc.) to a mobile phone. It works like a barcode that is scanable by a mobile phone’s camera and read by a QR code reader application. A QR code can lead viewers to many different types of information: your company webpage, contact information, video, or downloadable file.

Check out this video from CBS to learn more.

Why use a QR code?

A QR code can be placed anywhere to tie advertising channels together and to encourage direct response. Use a QR code in a print advertisement to direct visitors online or place a QR code in your online banner to have web browsers save your contact information on their phone. However you choose to use a QR code, remember that the keys to success with QR codes are to provide added value for the reader or make responding to your campaign easier.

How can a QR Code help my business?

QR Codes are commonly included in advertisements and direct mail pieces to connect print promotions to digital content.

Advertising a job opening? Add a QR Code and send interested readers directly to the application screen of your online job listing.
Advertising a product? Add a QR code that allows interested readers to “buy now”.
Have a display ad that doesn’t fit everything you want to say? Add a QR Code and easily send readers directly to your website to learn more.
Advertising an event? Add a QR code that allows interested readers to automatically add the event to their calendar.
Are you trying to sell a product that cannot adequately be promoted with words and a photo? Add a QR Code to a video demonstration.

A QR Code is a great way to interact with your target audience and get them to take action. Contact our advertising specialists to integrate a QR code today.

Getting started with QR codes

Here are a few good resources where you can start creating your QR codes:

To read the QR codes, you will need a smartphone. Go to the app store marketplace on your phone and download a QR code reader. Here are a few good ones to try out:

Google Goggles
QuickMark (iPhone)
Optiscan (iPhone)
QR Droid (Android)
Barcode Scanner (Android)
Mobiletag (Blackberry)
I-nigma (Blackberry)

Best practices for using a QR code in your ad

Below are a few guidelines to make sure your QR codes are effective and engaging in your advertisement.

Size

The longer your url is, the more dense your QR code becomes. This makes the code more difficult to scan. A good rule of thumb is to make sure that your code is at least 1” X 1”. If the code is still not easily scanning at this size, try using a URL shortener like bit.ly or goo.gl.

Track your codes

Before you shorten your url, why not add tracking to it? Set up a custom url in Google Analytics so you can see how many people are scanning the code. If you are unable to set up a custom url, sign up for an account with bit.ly to create your codes. Your bit.ly account will track some basic but very useful information like clicks and referring sites so you can see how often your code is being scanned.

Call to action

Make sure you include a message with each QR code that tells why they should scan. A few examples of good QR call to actions: “Watch a behind the scenes video on your phone, scan here.” or “Use your smartphone’s QR reader to scan and sign up for our free contest!”

Longevity

If you want your QR code to be effective for any amount of time, make sure that you are linking to a page that is going to be online. If someone comes across your QR code a few months after your campaign, the same page should still be available. For recruitment, QR codes can send readers to a job description, just make sure that once the job is filled, to redirect the page to your careers home page instead of deleting it.

Mobile friendly

Make sure the page you are linking to is mobile friendly. Since readers will be scanning the code with their phones, make sure the page you are sending them to is optimized for small screens, the navigation still works and page load times are not too long.

Stand out

Make sure you do something creative and memorable with your QR code. The reader took an extra step to scan your code with his or her phone because they are interested in what you have to say. Engage, entertain or inform them and take advantage of receiving this attention with some creativity that they will remember and share.

Test

Test your QR code! Make sure it sends people where you were expecting. Mistakes happen and you want to make sure that before you submit a QR code to be included in your advertisement that it is working exactly how you expect.

Examples of QR codes in advertising

Below are a few examples of QR codes used in mainstream advertising:

Target used QR Codes to send readers to tutorials on decorating with their exclusive home collection. *

eBay used a QR Code to send viewers directly to their mobile auction website. **

The American Red Cross used QR Codes to send readers directly to a donation form webpage. ***

Contact a Russell Johns advertising specialist today to learn more about how a QR Code can enhance your marketing goals.

Source – QR code examples were found on the following pages:

* mobilemarketer.com/cms/news/advertising/9191.html
** fingerfood.5thfinger.com/2010/12/09/placement-size-of-qr-codes/
*** atissuejournal.com/2011/03/18/japanese-red-cross-qr-code-appeal/