Marketing with QR Codes...not your grandfathers marketing tool!

1- Placement: where and how do you want to use your QR code
Put it on a poster, decal on your front window, maybe a direct mail piece or directly on your products? How about on your business cards? Accessibility is key make sure your clients can see it and access it from all angles.

2- Branding: what is your message: Where do you want to send those receiving the code and what do you want to give them? What do you want to tell them…’Like us’, sign up for our newsletter, view our special of the day, enter our contest to win or even better place an order.

3- Create your code: There are lots of sites that offer QR code creation service for free. No reason to pay to create a QR code. The sites or apps that do charge are marketing services to accompany the QR code creation..maybe something to look at after you gain experience with QR codes.
I use and recommend: http://qrcode.kaywa.com/

4- Call to Action and Marketing your QR code: Have fun with it and be creative but remember you want consumers to not only receive the information quickly but also to take action.

5- Track your progress: You need to take the time to measure the outcome of your QR code campaign. When you create your code, make sure that analytics or tracking will be available, whether it’s measuring the number of scans or another activity by the hour or day. Some forms of tracking allow you to see what type of device people used for their scan as well. If you are using a URL for your QR code, you can make it one specific for this campaign and then track it with Google analytics.

Conclusion:
Whether you decide to implement QR codes into your marketing plan, they are definitely worth experiencing as a user. Scan a few offered by other businesses or check out some examples online to see how they work for you as a consumer. This is an excellent way to become familiar with the medium and get those creative marketing juices flowing.