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View Full Version : QR codes (quick response) anyone using them? How are they doing for you?



Russ in Vancouver
06-19-2011, 01:47 PM
We are starting to print out QR codes onto our advertising materials. It has been a fun experience.
I was wondering if anyone here at SBF has been using this method, if so how has it been working out for you?

Sample QR code. If you need an app to try it out, visit:
IPhone App (http://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/scan/id411206394?mt=8") Blackberry App (http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/13962) Android App (https://market.android.com/details?id=la.droid.qr)
http://www.tradeshowbox.com/QR/images/ASDpromotions.jpg

greenoak
06-19-2011, 06:06 PM
we are considering it.... how have YOU done it?
it sounds so wierd!!!!

Russ in Vancouver
06-20-2011, 03:02 AM
Hi Ann,

There are many free to use online code generators (http://www.google.ca/#hl=en&source=hp&q=free+qr+code+generator&rlz=1R2GGLJ_enCA421&aq=0&aqi=g10&aql=f&oq=free+qr&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=97d78a10ebd9b043&biw=1259&bih=849). There are many reader/scanners available as smartphone apps as well. Some of these apps will do both scan and generate. It's fun to fool around with, I hope it become more main stream here in North America.

greenoak
06-20-2011, 07:43 AM
thanks russel....we can find the hows....just wondering about the whys and whats........i havent heard any users talk about it yet...do many of your customers use it?

tylerhutchinson
06-20-2011, 12:02 PM
I use it with my marketing firm. We put these on fliers and business cards so that someone can take a picture of them and it takes it to our clients website.

So far we have seen traffic to the sites from these codes. More and more people are getting smart phones, so this method is a great way to advertise and it is still growing!

KristineS
06-20-2011, 01:07 PM
We haven't used them yet, but I have a friend with an embroidery business in New Mexico that has been having a lot of fun with them. He even embroidered one and it worked. Very cool.

greenoak
06-20-2011, 06:48 PM
we set ours up today...and will be putting it on our brochures and our card.... its sure is odd...
maybe put it on a bracelet or dogtag or tatoo or the bill boards....lol
so many of my customers use their phones in such diferent ways now im glad i found out about this......
thanks for posting the links russel...my web person did it in just a few minutes....

Russ in Vancouver
06-21-2011, 04:20 PM
Hi Ann,

awesome!!

We have been putting the codes on tradeshow signage, direct mail and business cards. Just started marketing to realtors and retailers through bulk mail with a QR code.

Best of luck with your ROI

Georgias Gifts
06-25-2011, 08:03 PM
Ann and Russell,
What did you put into your QR? Your website url? Can you add words also along with the url?

greenoak
06-26-2011, 08:12 AM
we just did the url...

Russ in Vancouver
06-26-2011, 01:21 PM
We created QRs with URL's that will lead a prospect to a specific page (example. who would want to type "http://tradeshowbox.com/index.php?main_page=specials" with a tiny little keypad on their smartphone),

map locations (shows exactly where a tradeshow will be),
http://tradeshowbox.com/QR/images/map.jpg

contact info (prompts to enter as a new contact),

phone number (auto loads to call),
http://tradeshowbox.com/QR/images/tollfree.jpg

A text based message a reader can see on their phone
http://tradeshowbox.com/QR/images/qr-marketing-info.jpg

and an SMS msg ( scan the code and it enters the vendors tel. number and a subject title, redy for you to compose a text body and then send.
http://tradeshowbox.com/QR/images/text-prompt.jpg

Business Attorney
06-27-2011, 01:20 AM
I have been seeing them on a lot of direct mail pieces and there is one on a Chase Bank poster a block from my office.

greenoak
06-27-2011, 05:05 AM
im glad to have gotten ours...maybe the benefits will be in the p.r. realm / that it just looks cool , for a while before it really gets used a lot ...it might cause some fun buzz, and some suprise in our target people... or be a neat facebook post..
russel...we might use your map location idea too.....thanks

Georgias Gifts
06-29-2011, 07:08 PM
I'm probably about to ask a very stupid question, so please be kind. I set up a QR - can you only open it with a smart phone? You can not click on it online to see what's on it?
I set one up (I think) but I have a "dumb" phone.

greenoak
07-09-2011, 08:07 AM
im not sure but i think you have to have the qr app on your phone to be able to read them......... someone on here will know better than me....
can you read anyone elses qr thingy?

jdhopkins
09-07-2011, 05:44 PM
These codes are popping up everywhere and in all kinds of businesses. I don't have a smartphone so I've not personally used them, but an Indianapolis electrician (friend of a friend of a friend type of thing) was one of the first to use one in our area. He had increased traffic immediately upon putting it on a flyer he handed out at a local fair booth. Great idea!

Noelle
09-08-2011, 02:05 PM
QR Codes are great! A lot of our clients use them on business cards, window displays and even create stickers and t-shirts. We also have a feature where someone can scan a QR code that automatically creates an opt in text message to send to a short-code so that customers can be added to their favorite business lists and business automatically add numbers to their text list.

mobile resolutions
09-14-2011, 01:52 AM
QR Codes are an excellent way to market just be mindful that only about 25%-30% of cellphone users have smartphones. As stated earlier this number is growing, but make sure you don't alienate non-smartphone users in your advertising. I have had great success using QR Codes in my advertising.

jdhopkins
10-01-2011, 08:51 PM
These codes are popping up everywhere and in all kinds of businesses. I don't have a smartphone so I've not personally used them, but an Indianapolis electrician (friend of a friend of a friend type of thing) was one of the first to use one in our area. He had increased traffic immediately upon putting it on a flyer he handed out at a local fair booth. Great idea!

Update: Just talked to this gentleman today about his experience with the QRs code on his flyer. He says it's very effective and worth trying! Just fyi for anyone who may be interested.

KristineS
10-03-2011, 05:04 PM
It's nice to hear that he had good success with QR codes on his flyer.

As with anything else, QR codes are becoming a bit of a cool thing to have on your promo pieces and companies are adding them without really knowing how to use them. The thing to remember is that there has to be a payoff for the person who bothers to follow the link in the code. Linking to your home page is not enough. Make following the code worthwhile.

Blessed
10-04-2011, 12:06 AM
We just used them on a couple of brochures we handed out at three Children's Consignment Sale events this fall - we had the QR code direct to the client's Facebook page. It seemed to work well! We added several followers on all three of the Facebook event pages and had good discussion going on during the events on Facebook - where we posted the most recent up-to-date information (of course!)

MobileMarketness
11-17-2011, 05:07 PM
Hi everyone, great discussion!

I'd like to chime in and offer a quick list of best practices for QR codes. I hope this will help some people:

1) Make sure you are instructing people on what to do with the code. You can either tell them verbally, or have it in print. Many people don't understand how to scan them.

2) Offer a reason for people to scan it. Reward them with a voucher, or for best results, something free right away.

3) If you're using a code to forward to a website, make sure the website is a mobile website; the less scrolling and zooming people have to do, the better.

4) On that website, make sure you're giving up the reward AFTER they give you their email address or cell number. You want to build a marketing list, otherwise, you're leaving a hot prospect on the table.

5) Have a great loyalty program in place to continually reward those on your marketing list.

6) Encourage sharing of your loyalty program by offering even bigger rewards when people "bring a friend."

7) Provide an alternative for those that don't have smart phones. Have cards to collect names and email addresses so you can manually add them to a list that evening and send out their reward.

8) You can even have QR codes online. They bridge the gap between mobile and other media / tools, not just print and online. Use codes on Facebook, YouTube and your website. You can even have a code on a special page on your mobile site to make it super easy for smart phone users to share your mobile space with each other.

Hope that helps ! :D

KMcVey
11-17-2011, 06:15 PM
I will also add that I think QR codes are great, and like Mobile Marketness said, directions are helpful to the people who don't know how to use them. Those people will be the best people to use it with too because they will probably be as excited as I was when I first saw them. I read recently that there are only a few points of the QR code that are essential to the functionality, so there might be some wiggle room for creativity.
My fiance and I are planning on using one for our wedding invitations that will direct our guests to a video.
They have so much possibility, it will be exciting to see what people do with them.

MobileMarketness
11-20-2011, 08:24 AM
LOL that's a great idea! Put a little Paypal Donate button under there and ask for Honeymoon contributions, too :D