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November 20, 2023Use QR codes to Link Digital Marketing to Your In-Person Efforts
QR codes are for more than just restaurant menus. When used as a marketing tool, they can link digital and real world efforts and increase interactions with customers.
A QR code is a scannable barcode that holds digital data. Usually, it’s used to direct a person to a specific URL or social account.
In the 1990s, QR codes were invented as a way to track the movement of vehicles and parts through assembly lines. In 2017, Apple added a QR scanner into the iPhone camera and QR codes took off as a part of the digital landscape.
Today, QR codes are a valuable tool to link your online marketing with your offline presence. It’s much faster to scan a QR code than to type a web address into a browser. The code can also direct people to a specific landing page instead of your home page.
Use a QR code to direct people to your newsletter signup or social accounts, offer a special discount code, or prompt a review.
Here are some great examples of QR codes for farm and food business marketing:
How to Make a QR Code
QR codes are simple to make and easy to use. The best way to make a QR code is through an online generator.
You choose the URL that you want the code to lead to, input it into the generator, then customize the colors and shape of the code.
Finally, save the QR code as an image file and use it wherever you want.
Our favorite QR code generators are:
https://www.qr-code-generator.com/
https://www.canva.com/qr-code-generator/
https://www.qrcode-monkey.com/
https://www.flowcode.com/
QR Code Dos and Don’ts
Do:
- Use QR codes to enhance your calls to action
- Put QR codes on easy-to-see items such as banners, signs, business cards, and postcards.
- Send users to specific landing pages
- Make sure all QR codes link to pages that are optimized for mobile
- Use a link shortener to create the URL for your QR code
- Use a link that can be redirected as the URL for your QR code. This way, you don't have to make an entirely new QR code if the link changes.
- Track your QR code scans and data
Don’t:
- Put a QR code in an app or other media only viewed on mobile - someone needs to use their phone to scan the code
- Use a QR code in a physical location without wifi or cell service
- Put a QR code somewhere that people can’t scan like the side of a vehicle or a highway billboard
