Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Direct Mail Marketing, QR Codes, and You!

As Direct Marketers, we devote oceans of ink, megawatts of electricity, and countless hours of creativity to generate responses.

The advent of “Quick Response Codes,” or QR Codes, is music to our ears. The speed by which responses can be generated from the funky 2-dimensional bar codes you now see in so many places, exceeds that of any other known response mechanism. By simply taking a photo of these 2-dimensional bar code pictures using a smart-phone, users are invited to link directly to a website, to receive a text, or to learn more information about a product or service.

With the proliferation of Smart Phones and snazzy apps, the QR Code is destined to become the pre-personalized BRC of the future. Mailers should quickly get on-board with this new technology. A recent study by ScanLife indicated that mobile bar code use is up by over 700%! The growing presence of smart phones is one of the reasons that QR Code use is taking off, and by 2013 it is estimated that one-fourth of all phones sold in the United States will be smart phones.

How are these QR Codes best suited for direct mail marketing? Inviting the user to join your mailing list, view your website, or link to a specific landing page or social media site are some of the easiest ways to swiftly integrate this new technology into your existing marketing mix. Links to contests, coupons, product reviews, or YouTube videos are all possible with this easy to use technology.

It’s important to remember that however the QR Code is used, its purpose should be a “call to action.” Keep in mind that the QR Code is normally viewed on a mobile device with a small screen, so the destination should be specific, simple, and discernible on a small screen. The prospective customer should get to destination quickly, navigate easily, and complete the action smoothly. The metrics available to track and report on QR Code responses will excite even the most seasoned direct mail marketer.

What uses does your company have for the implementation of QR Codes? How might you like to use them in your marketing campaigns? Give us a call at GT Marketing, Ltd to brainstorm about how QR Codes might apply to your marketing plan, or scan the QR Code above and let your phone initiate the connection.