Many of you would be surprised to know that this "cutting edge" technology we're exploring - Quick Response (QR) codes - was actually invented in Japan almost 20 years ago. Denso Wave Inc., a subsidiary of Japanese car company Toyota, created this digital device to track vehicles during the manufacturing process.
QR codes are simply a two-dimensional bar code that is encoded with information. They are a lot like the traditional bar codes you see on the sides of cans and other products but they contain 100 times more information.
A user can scan the code with a camera phone and access a tremendous amount of information, either directly from the code or by being linked to an information source like a website.
The two-dimensional nature of these codes means that they have a greater surface area allowing them to hold thousands of alphanumeric characters that can accommodate web URLs, text or other information like photos, videos, graphics and more.
QR codes can even dial a number or generate text messages! It's like having the ability to control your prospective customer's smart phone almost anywhere in the world!!
Now that you know the technical aspects of what a QR code is, you will need to learn the most important aspect of QR codes... the use of this tool as an effective marketing tactic.
QR Codes: A Marketing Tactic
One of the great misconceptions about the secret to business success is the belief that once you have a fantastic product or service to sell your work is done.
Sure, it's important to have something your market needs, but that's just the beginning. You have to find a way to make that information known to the types of customers who really want what you're selling.
This may sound simple enough but connecting with your target customer is actually one of the biggest challenges that you will have and will definitely take up a lion's share of your time and efforts.
Here's why it's so difficult to be heard and noticed in the marketplace: There are millions of people, just like you, directing their messages and promotions at your potential customer.
Of course, you too are a target customer for those companies that create marketing products, so you should be able to identify. With that said, you need to find a way to cut through all that noise and clutter.
This article is about a marketing product called a QR code. But there are many other marketing products from which you will choose as part of your marketing arsenal. The challenge again is determining what you will use.
This section will show you why QR codes should be among the tools you pull from your marketing toolkit to get in front of your target market.
Here is why QR codes are a good choice for the business marketer: They work! Consumers are responding to the scan codes they see and taking action to get more information about products/services promoted by these codes. According to the market research firm comScore, there are 20.1 million mobile phone owners in the U.S. and two-thirds of that group is scanning QR codes to learn more about a product.
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