QR Codes – Give Consumers A Reason To Scan

I would consider myself to be a fairly tech-savvy person but when I was first introduced to QR codes by a 40-something real estate agent, who had used it on the back of his business card, I had to ask – “What do I do with this?” The agent explained that if I scanned the code with my smart phone it would direct me to a website with his listings. A great idea, however the mere fact that he had to take the time to explain it was a huge drawback.

A recent study of college students found that many students found the QR code process to be cumbersome. Many were confused as to how to scan the code or tried apps that didn’t work and eventually lost interest. The study found:

• 81% of students owned a smartphone
• 80% of students had previously seen a QR code
• 21% of students successfully scanned our QR code example.
• 75% of students said they are “Not Likely” to scan a QR code in the future.

There are many other examples where companies have ineffectively used QR Codes because they leave the consumer in the dark. There is no direction, no call to action and/or no incentive for consumers to take action and scan the code. Too many companies have naively assumed that by simply using QR Codes in its marketing or on its product that they are now instantly hip and relevant, and consumers will want to participate. Wrong! Consumers are busy and with thousands of apps available to them on their mobile phone, scanning a companies QR Code is not likely high on their priorities.

Consumers need an incentive to scan the QR codes and companies need to think creatively to entice them to do so. Companies have to answer the key question most consumers will have, “What’s in it for me?” Simply redirecting your consumer to a mobile website or the company’s Facebook page is not worthwhile to most consumers, however providing them with coupons or entering them in a contest provides more of a draw. Other opportunities include provide a way for your consumers to interact with your company in a way that is more convenient through their mobile phone. A wonderful example of this is a grocery store in South Korea, that used QR Codes in transit advertising to promote grocery products that consumers can quickly scan the corresponding product QR code and instantly add the item to their online shopping cart, allowing them to get their grocery shopping done on the while commuting to or from work. It’s a creative use of QR codes with a clear purpose that adds value to the consumers experience and saves them time. Click here to see how it works.

J.C. Penney’s also gets high marks for its creative use of QR Codes this holiday season. The company has created a QR gift tag where the gift giver can record a mobile voicemail message for the gift recipient. The QR Code is placed on the gift, as a gift tag, and the recipient can then scan the code to hear a customized message just for them. It is an especially great idea for gifts for friends and family far from home. The concept is simple, yet unique and the call to action is clear. The company has given consumers are reason to want to interact with its QR Codes. Check it out!

The important thing to remember is that even though its new and hip, its still advertising and part of the daily clutter that consumers are exposed to (and trying to avoid). It MUST stand out , have clear purpose and be unique enough to capture consumers attention.

What is the Deal with Check-In Deals?

Most mobile Facebook users are familiar with Facebook’s Check-In feature. Facebook users can use the Facebook app on their smart phone, to let their friends know where they are, what they are doing and who they are with. Why is this important to businesses? Because there are  200 million active Facebook mobile users using Facebook’s Check-In feature and each Facebook user has an average of 130 friends, many have quite a bit more and that is a lot of word-of-mouth advertising.

In April 2011, Facebook experimented with Daily Deals, similar to Groupon, where users had to Check-In to redeem their Daily Deal on Facebook. After four months of testing, Facebook decided to do away with its Daily Deals but decided to keep the Facebook Check-In Deals program for businesses to use as a marketing tool to reach mobile Facebook users and gain more exposure. “Check-in Deals gives businesses the opportunity to reward customers when they check in on Facebook, and this helps generate awareness, encourage in-store traffic and build customer loyalty. And right now, check-in deals are free for businesses to create.” When a consumer visits a companies physical location, such as a retail store, restaurant, etc., that company can offer the users Check-In deal that will entice them to Check-In and spread the word to all of their friends. Voila – viral marketing! Consumers receive an incentive and companies receive free advertising.

There are four types of Check-In Deals:

Individual Check-In Deals is a one time deal for new & existing customers.

Loyalty Check-In Deals is a deal where you can reward frequent customers after a set number of Check-Ins.

Friend Check-In Deals is a deal to reward groups of up to 8 people, when they check in together.

Charity Check-In Deals can be set up to help companies build community by donating a set amount of money to a charity of their choosing when a customer Checks-In at their business.

Check out Facebook’s Check-In Deals guide to learn how to set one up for your business. Get in on the action early though, Facebook is not yet charging for this service but that is subject to change.

Here is how it works for consumers:

Mobilizing Your Website with Google Sites

“According to data from Google and the market research company Ipsos, almost a third of all mobile phones are now smartphones (including many using Google’s Android operating system), and 89 percent of smartphone owners say they use them throughout the day. Also, eMarketer predicts that marketers will spend $4.4 billion on mobile advertising by 2015, compared with $1.2 billion projected for this year.”  It is clear that more consumers are looking to their smartphones to stay connected and this is an obvious opportunity for businesses. Ebay, for example, averages one sale every second through its mobile site. Despite the overwhelming demand and opportunity in mobile advertising, 70% of companies have yet to create a mobile friendly site. “There is ‘enormous growth, explosive growth’ the use of mobile devices, said Jason Spero, head of mobile ads for the Americas at Google, but ‘businesses aren’t ready’ for those changes because too many are still offering consumers ‘desktop Web sites for mobile.'”

Google is making it easier for companies to create a mobile website with Google sites to engage with customers on the go and the best part is it’s FREE. You do not have to be versed in coding to create a mobile optimized site with Google. Google offers several templates and incorporates the suite of Google products to enhance your page. Want to include a map? Add a Google Map. Want customers to be able to call you on the go? Add click-to-call button. Want to collect emails for your newsletter? Add a Google form for lead generation. Companies can also include their social media links to YouTube, Facebook and Twitter for further engagement. With the Google Checkout feature, companies can increase sales revenue through mobile phones. It is a win-win situation – companies can reach the growing number of mobile consumers at no additional costs and Google can promote its suite of products. Google analytics can be added to measure the results of the companies mobile marketing efforts.

It is simple, quick and FREE so companies have no excuse but to go mobile!