QR Codes – Top 5 Creative Ways to Use QR Codes

QR Codes - Top 5 Reasons to Use QR Codes

Top 5 Creative Ways to Use QR Codes

QR Codes, short for “Quick Response Code”, could be the next wave of the future. But just what are these digital doo-hickeys? Are they just another Universal Product Codes (UPC)? A strange logo? Part of a super secret government plan to track your every move? Nope, no sir, and thankfully not.

These funky codes can be scanned with your iphone, a co-worker’s blackberry, or that personality impaired tech guy’s android apparatus. Scanning a QR Code allows you to obtain instant answers and links you directly to whatever you may need.

So without further ado, here are our Top 5 Uses for the Modern Day QR Code Marvel:

use QR Codes for more information

Get Informed

Picture this–You’re walking along a nature trail and you spot a really cool area with a sign post that has a QR Code on it. You whip out your phone, scan it, and instantly you’re able to gather information about the trail, the park, the flora and fauna of the location, park and trail history and other interesting spots to visit.

Take that one step further and imagine you’ve traveled to a new city. Instead of following a crowded tour, you can self-guide yourself with the use of QR Codes you find along your journey. By doing this, you make your trip an adventure of your own rather than taking the route and pace that most tourists follow.

The availability of acquiring information within seconds is something that QR Codes are incredibly efficient at and will be increasingly productive in the future.

QR Codes can convert someday actions to immediate actions

Convert Someday to Right Now

Most print campaigns leave money on the table. Even well intentioned buyers are likely to forget or lose the initial enthusiasm created by your campaign if it requires remembering to do something in the future. Our on-demand society already has a jam-packed schedule that makes even the most emotionally charged buyer difficult to reach unless you can give them a way to take swift action now. QR Codes can direct an otherwise passive viewer to take immediate action–make a purchase, register for an event, or take a survey.

Ta-Da! Instant action.

use QR Codes to drive web traffic

Traffic to Websites

Instead of posting a long website address that your audience is likely to forget by the time they get to their computer, place a QR Code on your printed piece. Whether it’s an advertisement, direct mail, business card, flyer, or exterior street signage, your potential consumer can immediately gain access to what your company is about, what you’re promoting, and you can nudge them to act now instead of the dreaded “maybe later.” And to top it off, you can track and analyze the results of your printed pieces. After all, if you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it or repeat it. Marketing shouldn’t be guesswork.

use QR Codes for catalogs - make online purchasing happen

Turn a Printed Catalog into a Storefront

What if your customers could check inventory and purchase 24 hours a day right from your printed catalog? QR Code your catalog and they can!

Coding your catalog doesn’t limit a customer depending on their time zone, company business hours, or their busy schedule. Not only does this help increase usability but also expands the productivity of your potential sales. So whether your shopper is an early bird or a night owl, the opportunity is there!

QR Codes can make smarter real-world objects

Make Smarter Real-World Objects

Now that you know more about QR Codes, imagine all the other ways they can be used. Downtown Menu Signage, Window Shopping, Magazines and Newspapers, Product Packaging, Real Estate Signs, Techy T-Shirts and Merchandise, and Public Transportation Signage are just a few other ideas.

Heck, beer and soda manufacturers are even toying with this concept by bridging the offline/on-line socialness of their beverages. You can use QR Codes on concert tickets for quicker admissions or create a QRCode scavenger hunt contest. The opportunities are boundless!

So, put your noggin to the test and figure out how to use a QR Code for yourself. And, if you want to use one in your next mailing, give us a holler. We’d be happy to help!