As demand skyrocketed for touch-free transactions, QR codes — recently considered near extinction — began making a comeback during the pandemic. Now they are back, and it appears that they are here to stay.
Brushing Up On Basics
First, QR fittingly stands for “quick response.” At face value, they’re essentially matrix bar codes that when scanned by your smartphone, bring you to a specific piece of information integrated into the code. While they may look like pixelated hieroglyphics, QR codes can store an immense amount of data.
Comeback Trail
In the wake of the pandemic, QR codes became darlings of the service industry. In our newly touchless society, you may have seen QR codes occupying the tables of your favorite brewery, plastered on billboards peering over city streets, and taped to the front door of a local grocery store to address COVID-19 updates. Even PayPal jumped on board by rolling out QR codes for mobile payments after finding out two-thirds of consumers said QR codes were their preferred contactless payment method.
Their usage is spreading like wildfire. And interestingly enough, this is one of the positive outcomes of a global pandemic.
Role in Digital Marketing
As any good marketer would agree with, constructing a successful strategy means capitalizing on targeted popular trends while the water is high and the wave is gnarly enough for Garrett McNamara. And like the surfing aficionado, marketers are becoming increasingly creative with their processes.
Not only are QR codes safe and hygienic, but they can also help businesses track their campaigns at a low cost and help initiate direct customer engagement. Here are a few ways you can take advantage of the QR code resurgence in the year 2021:
- Drive traffic to your website by using print media and other relevant content. For instance, placing them on something akin to a coupon or sale ad brings consumers straight to your website with a ready-to-pull-the-trigger attitude. Make getting to your website simple and easy — society loves simple and easy.
- Pump up your social media by incorporating QR codes that link to the social media channels of your choosing. Add them to menus, magazines, newspapers, or any other print materials you see fit so consumers can easily give you a like, follow, or review.
- Show off your work by linking the QR code to your profile or portfolio. Whether it be a business card or additional tattoo samples, attracting new clientele is made easier when you have more proof that your craft is worthy of their business.
If you’re unsure how to use a QR code or interested in building them into your marketing strategy, reach out to us by pulling out your phone and…
*drumroll*
…scanning the QR code!
