It’s nearly impossible these days to avoid seeing an image like this:

   Or this…

They are everywhere!  Outside restaurants in the window.  On billboards.  In magazine and newspaper ads.  On websites, or in the signature line of an email.  So, for the uninitiated, what the heck are these guys?

These are QR codes, and they are one of the latest tools that you can use from the social media toolbox. They are also one of the coolest and least expensive tools available.

What Should I Do When I See One of These?

Here’s a real-life example.  In January, my husband got the new car bug and zeroed in on the Nissan Juke.  Have you seen these cars?  If not, here’s a picture of his car on the left.  (I know, I know… that’s a QR code!  What did you expect in a blog post like this?)  Cute car, isn’t it?

We went to the Nissan dealership and in the brochure on the way home, I saw a QR code.  No explanation, just the code.  I used an app on my iPhone called “Scan.”  Using the camera on my phone, I scanned the QR code, and a video started playing which showed me lots of neat features about the Juke.  Suddenly, Nissan was able to continue selling to me on my way home from the dealership.

It was a fun video, but I was impressed that Nissan had embraced this new technology in their marketing.  One could draw the conclusion that Nissan would likely make a car with the latest and greatest technology too.  Perhaps I’m a sucker, but so what?  As a social media professional, this was one of the first uses of  QR codes I had seen.  And it was really cool!!!

How Do I Use This for My Business?

Perhaps you have some content to share with your customers or clients… and you want to give them a special treat, just for jumping through some hoops to look at this content… don’t you want your customers and clients thinking about you the way I thought about Nissan? 

Imagine you’ve taken your kid to the doctor, and there’s a QR Code on the wall in the reception area, with a note that says, “Parents, don’t let your children try this at home.”  Beneath the QR code is a note to “Turn down the volume”. (Go ahead and check it out now… I promise, it’s worth it) Admit it, wouldn’t that crack you up?

As a pediatrician, perhaps there’s a more serious video (not necessarily one your company produced) about how to avoid heat stroke in the summer… what a great time to show it to parents.  After all, you’ve got a captive audience.  Hang up QR codes in the exam rooms… seriously, while waiting, what else do these parents have to do (besides trying to keep their naked kids out of the drawers with the Band-aids and sharps)?

How Do I Get a Code?

This is so simple. 

In case you haven’t checked out the QR code directly above, here’s a hint: it’s a very famous YouTube video.  I took the video’s URL and went to the blog of my friend, Jamie Turner who runs the fabulous 60 Second Marketer website.  On the bottom right-hand column of the Blog page, he has a widget that looks like this:

Enter the URL into that box, click submit, and voila!  There’s your code!  It’s free and so easy.  You’ll need to use a SnipIt or Snagit program on your computer to capture the image, but that’s simple enough.  Then, save the image and put it to work for you.

Best Practices

(1) DON’T BE BORING!!!  Ideally, you should share something fun and unique… don’t just send people to your website.  Once, I saw a QR code on a website, pulled out my iPhone to scan it and guess where it took me?  You guessed it, right back to the website!!!  What a waste of time.  You can send people to a video or an image,  What if you went to a yogurt shop and saw a QR code on the wall… you scanned it and the content was a coupon for 50% to be used immediately?  Definitely NOT a waste of time.

(2) Explain… While you should assume people know what QR Codes are and how to use them, be prepared to give some basic instructions.  I had one client who used the very first QR code in this blog post in her email signature, along with this note:

(1) Download a QR Reader on your Smartphone, such as BeeTagg, ScanLife, or QR Code Reader and Scanner,

(2) Use the reader on your Smartphone, to scan in the QR Code above, and

(3) Enjoy the video!  Think this looks like fun?  Ask me for some info!

Even if you decide to post only the QR code on the wall in your office (for example, check out the 2nd QR code at the top of this blog post – I created this for a client), your employees should be prepared to explain when customers ask, “What is that?”

(3) Test out the QR code before publishing it.  I realize this sounds like a no-brainer, but the worst thing that can happen is people scan your QR code and then it doesn’t work.  Please note that Jamie’s QR Code Generator already has the “http:” in the submit bar, so carefully edit your link before clicking Submit.

(4) Optimize. If you want to send people to a webpage designed just for your customers using the QR code, be sure your web developer optimizes that page for Smartphones.  Also, track the analytics on this page, to see whether this mode of marketing is working for you. 

(5) Get creative!!!  There are so many fun uses for QR codes.  Add them to your business cards.  Use them on “Hello, My Name Is” nametags at your next business meeting (as an organizer, you can ask registrants to send you a link to their website, then create the QR codes for each website and add them to the nametags). Museums can add them to exhibits to give additional info.  How about adding a QR code to a real estate flyer for a house, which gives people standing outside the house a video tour of the inside?  Here’s an article Jamie Turner wrote that comes up with some more ideas.

Finally, here’s another article worth checking out… Jamie’s 10 Commandments of using QR codes.

If you’re considering using these codes, I say go for it.  It’s inexpensive, fun, and cool.  And they can help your customers to feel that way about your business too.