Friday, October 19, 2012

The 5 Worst Mistakes of QR Code Marketing

By Pete Waterland


QR code marketing has definitely been in vogue for the last couple of years. So, you 'd think that marketers would have determined the best ways to use QR codes effectively by now. It's too bad how far from true this is. Marketers need to back away and examine the whole picture. It feels like we are too close to the tree sometimes to even see the forest, if that makes sense. Anyway, I'll avoid going off on a tangent.

Listed here are five reasons your QR code marketing sucks:

It goes to your main site. Unless you're running an advertisement for pure brand awareness, it's rare when it makes sense to steer people to the main page of your site. As a customer, it's remarkably frustrating to go through the tiresome process of firing up your QR code reader only to be dropped on a main site that is only slightly relevant to the advertisement. Marketers have to take into consideration the entire user experience when utilizing QR code marketing.

Your site is not mobile optimized. Come on people, think about it. People scan QR codes with mobile devices. Ensure you're supplying them a complete customer journey.

It's awfully positioned. Another fouled up marketing method that often boggles the minds of people-- QR code placement. Have you ever tried to whip out your phone and scan a QR code on a billboard on the side of a highway? Oh yeah, you probably would not be here to read this. Or how about virtually breaking your fingers to fish your phone from your bag once that QR code is streaked during that 15 second TV spot?

It doesn't provide value. Providing value to customers is marketing 101. Consider your marketing more of a method to interestingly serve your audience and prospects rather than a way of promotion-- remember this and your QR code marketing should stay out of difficulty. In other words, reward your customers and they'll return the favor.

It does not have a call to action. Just putting a QR code on your marketing materials does not shout, "scan me!" Advise people what the benefit will be. What is the value they'll be getting from scanning it? Make them an offer they can't refuse and the amount of scans you see will increase.

Consider yourself warned. Spread the advice. It is every marketers' responsibility to utilize QR code marketing responsibly because too much misuse will leave us all with a marketing tool that potential customers just do not respond to.




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