People are talking about QR codes and QR marketing. QR codes are codes that allow you to tag on your mobile devices. They look like 2-D barcodes and the partnering of them with social media will cause a business revolution.
QR codes have actually been around for many years; however, their new connection with social media has not been around for very long but is gaining a tremendous momentum at a very rapid pace.
Resources, rate of adoption, and valuable numbers
- A large percentage of people who own smartphones have downloaded applications to their phones that will scan barcodes.
- In the second half of last year, there was a huge increase in the number of people who scan QR codes. There is a prediction that the increase in their use is cyclical (or at least peaks around holidays). However, the increase of use during non-holiday times is also exponential.
- The scanning method has become more sophisticated than it once was. Millions of people have code readers on their phones; however, the new feature, which allows you to scan and send allows a much greater of QR code accessibility, which can now reach the majority of phones with built-in cameras.
The usefulness keeps increasing
Once a QR code is scanned, one of three things will appear as a result: a link (one that you have defined), a record of contact information, or a text field. It is essential that you have the ability to reroute people from one unique URL to another for QR codes to really work in partnership with social media. This approach is revolutionary because it will put valuable information at people’s fingertips where once they would have to wait almost indefinitely to get any answers. In the near future, there will be no end to the type and amount of information that can be obtained through the bar codes.
How do QR codes work effectively with social media?
- Enhancing an already-excellent idea: This concept applies to any and all businesses and this approach is doing a great deal to dramatically increase business revenue. When it comes to consumers getting involved with social media, they will be far more inclined to buy products and/or services once their social relationships have been established, strengthened and maintained. The question is how can QR codes entice people into buying? The reality is that once people have made a purchase, there is a much greater likelihood that that they will become loyal. The existence and use of QR codes makes it tremendously easy for people to continue in that manner.
- Helping to solve business issues: One of the tremendous advantages of pairing QR codes and social media is that people have a direct, easy and fast connection to social media through the codes and the mobile devices. They can make instant decisions to commit to social networks.
What is the potential of QR codes and social media?
There is a large variety of uses and potential uses for QR codes and social media:
- Links to maps
- Scavenger hunts
- Landing pages for customers/web traffic/blog readers
- Confirming that someone is actually at a specific event (a type of check-in)
- Business cards, labels, stickers, etc
Conclusion
The approach of using QR codes connected with social media should be strategic and should always go in the direction of research. This partnership really lends itself well to instant gratification. The more people get involved, the more usefulness will be discovered. It is a grave error to assume that QR codes and social media are a fleeting fancy. Their usefulness and value are most definitely here to stay.
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