November/December - Albany Colonie Regional Chamber of ...

QR Codes Are
EVERYWHERE!
What Are They and How Should I
Use Them for My Business
QR codes are popping up on everything
these days, and if you’re an avid smart
phone user, you’ve probably scanned
them. Once you learn to recognize the
quirky square of black and white pixels,
you’ll see them everywhere—on product
displays, magazine ads, newspapers,
brochures, posters, airline tickets and more.
Each unique pattern holds a multitude
of alphanumeric characters, allowing
marketers to convey a lot of information in
a tiny space. When scanned using a smart
phone, the code quickly connects the user
to digital content on the web.
Microsoft tags are another code
type comprising a series of multi-colored
triangles arranged in rows. USA Today
makes frequent use of MS tags to connect
interested readers to additional online
content. Because these tags require
proprietary software to scan them, they
have not taken off as quickly as the black
and white (and sometimes colored) QR
codes.
The Quick Response (QR) code
was invented in Japan over a decade ago,
originally intended to track auto parts for
Toyota. The codes, which are ubiquitous
in Japan, are gaining popularity in the U.S.
where usage has grown nearly 4,600%
in the last year. With sales on the rise,
it is estimated that more than half of
mobile phone subscribers will own a smart
phone by the end of 2011, translating
to a potential market of 142 million
users. Studies indicate that the
audience for QR codes is equally
split between men and women,
with nearly 70% of users falling
between 25-54 years of age.
“It’s a simple way to get
people engaged through the use
of their smart phones,” said Stephanie
Brown, interactive lead at Fingerpaint
Marketing in Saratoga Springs. “They
wave their phone at the code and get
connected instantly to a web page or online
promotional content. It’s a neat novelty
now, but as smart phone usage grows, it
will become an accepted facility for using
technology at the right time and the right
moment to touch your audience.”
Home Depot was one of the first
major U.S. retailers to roll out the use
of mobile barcodes to its customers.
The codes appear on shelves, signage,
product tags and advertisements allowing
consumers to access how-to videos, product
demos, relevant accessories and buying
guides. With each scan, the company
gleans information about its consumers, the
products that interest them, where the scan
occurred and other useful demographics.
“QR codes have a lot of traction these
days, especially among people who consider
themselves tech-savvy,” commented Cindy
Herrmann, principal at Mogul Marketing
in East Chatham. “I put a QR code on the
back of my business card to take people
directly to my LinkedIn page where my
image has been carefully crafted. The QR
code lets you direct your audience to a
specific message rather than having them
filter through a list of search engine results
and forming their own opinion. The code
also helps keep your audience’s attention,
because it takes them directly to pertinent
information.”
It’s easy to create your own QR code
using an online generator, and it’s often
free. Just type “QR code generator” into
your search engine and find the one that
meets your needs. Two popular generators
can be found at kimtag.com or qrcode.
kaywa.com.
“There are several generators on
the market but some work better than
others,” informed Herrmann. “After
generating your code, test it to see how
well it works. If you want to measure its
effectiveness, Vizibility is the software
product I have been using. For a fee, you
can get a notification when someone scans
your code and find out who searched for
you or your product, and then use that
information to develop sales leads or gauge
the effectiveness of your advertising.”