Marketing with QR Codes, Motion Graphics Videos, and Mobile Apps

QR codes (or Quick Response codes) are popping up more and more in marketing campaigns. You have probably seen these codes on emails, postcards, billboards, advertisements, or packaging. As the adoption of smart phones continues to rise, so does the prevalence of these codes in marketing. QR codes allow marketers to link smart phone users to online media content, providing the opportunity to extend product or service information, special offers or unique content. In return, marketers are able to gain valuable insight about their customers — QR codes can be set up to capture emails, locations, and buying behavior.

If you are considering using QR codes as part of your marketing strategy, the most important guideline to keep in mind is to ensure that you are providing high value content to the people that scan your QR code. Don’t simply send scanners to a landing page or your website, which can be easily found on a Google search. Instead, deliver highly customized and relevant information that is not readily available anywhere else. If someone is going to take the time to scan the code, you must deliver value.

One of the popular uses of QR codes is to place the code on a traditional marketing medium (print, direct mail, outdoor) and link the code to a compelling motion graphics video. Videos can be a very effective marketing tool — they are visually engaging and can get more information across in a short amount of time than a print piece. Imagine linking your prospects to a persuasive video with a click of the smart phone. A motion graphics video could demonstrate products and services, provide training, or serve as an introduction to your company.

While sending audiences from a traditional marketing piece to a video is commonplace, QR codes can also be placed within videos to direct viewers to additional content. Innovative marketers are placing QR codes in commercials and other web videos as a means to interact with the audience and provide the audience with a more immersive, branded experience. A video leading to a video, but also a special experience only allowed through the QR code. Check out this video to see an example of what we are referring to. This idea could be applied to a motion graphics video playing in a tradeshow booth. The video playing in the booth would provide a general product overview. When the prospect scans the QR code in the overview video s/he is taken to a more informative product demo that explains the product in further detail. This in-depth product demo could even be viewed after the tradeshow has ended.

Whether your code is on an ad or in a video, you could direct your audience to a page where they can download your mobile app — a very relevant piece of content considering that the audience is already on their mobile phone. A great example of this is how Allrecipes.com used QR codes on ads in bus shelters to target evening commuters who were thinking about what to make for dinner. When commuters scanned the code, they were directed to the recipe for the dish shown in the ad and to a shopping list app that makes it easy to plan meals. Relevant, useful and valuable.

There are a number of ways to utilize QR codes in marketing, and many companies are successfully using them creatively. Whether you are planning to use a QR code to drive audiences to an informational video, mobile app, or other content, here are a few tips to help you make the most of QR codes:

Relevancy. Send customers to something that is pleasantly unexpected and customized to that particular audience.

Scale. Make sure the QR codes can be scanned. Place them at a size and location that is simple and convenient. Don’t oversize or make them too tiny to be seen.

Viewability. Because QR codes are scanned with mobile devices, you must ensure that the content you are driving audiences to is optimized for mobile viewing.