We’ve all seen bar codes and know what they are for, but have you ever seen a QR code? Chances are you have but didn’t pay much attention to it. This morning on Market Place Morning Report via National Public Radio (NPR) these QR codes were discussed and now we finally know what’s behind those little black squares.
QR stands for Quick Response and these codes can open up more content to your employees and customers. Smart phones these days do everything and QR codes are one more thing that bring customers closer to their product. When the QR code is scanned with a smart phone, the user is led to more content on the internet such as a web page, video our even an audio file.
Just imagine the possibilities that come along with using QR codes. Car companies or car dealerships can put QR codes on cars ready to be sold and can take you into a preview of what your life will be with this car before you even get in it. Art museums or galleries can take you deeper into the world of art; musicians can link to live performance or even larger snippet of their new single. And movie goers can learn more about their new favorite film before they’ve hit the theaters with just a click. The possibilities are large and all it will take is a creative imagination to reach your customers.
QR codes will open up a new wave in social media, advertising and marketing for the people who use it correctly. Chipotle has been using QR codes on menus to send customers to videos of celebrities talking about healthy eating. The only problem with QR codes, people just don’t know what they are. They probably have seen them before but didn’t pay much attention to them. Or chances are, they haven’t seen them at all. What will it take to have these codes become the forefront in marketing? This is start, just by getting the word out there. People will start to catch on, but companies need to use it correctly. Great content must grab the attention of the customer to keep them coming back and passing the information on to people they know. After the QR code freshness wears off, the message still needs to grab the customer so content is key!
This is something every company should take into consideration because this is just another facet of social media. If you want to read more about QR codes or the story on MMR, click here.
Wait! Have you seen a QR code on a business card or in the store but don’t know how to use it? Here are some apps that will help you navigate the QR code world:
If you want to find out more about QR readers, CNET did a great write up on the QR readers.
