You can take your marketing efforts beyond the traditional and into the mobile world by using quick response (QR) codes.
QR codes are those barcodes you see on print ads and posters that can direct smartphone users to a website.
Matthew Fair, CEO of 14 Theories Inc., a web marketing and design firm based in Kingston, Ont., says mobile tags, such as QR codes, can be an effective tool for marketing a financial advisory practice.
“It’s one of those things that an advisor could use to set themselves apart,” Fair says, “and make them look more technologically advanced than many of their counterparts.”
And it can help you reach more prospects with your message. Fair offers these tips to help you get the most from a QR code:
> Take them to something specific
QR codes are best used when you want to take your audience to a particular place on your website — not just your home page. Your prospect can probably type in your basic web address in less time than it would take to fire up the QR reader on his or her smartphone.
But, Fair says: “The real benefits come when you are taking somebody to a subpage in your website, where the URL is much more complex.”
For example, consider sending prospects to a page that provides a virtual sales pitch or a way to contact you.
(Show your general web address as well, for the benefit of prospects who may not know how to use a QR code or don’t have a smartphone.)
> Track the effectiveness of your ad
One of the biggest advantages of employing QR codes is that they can provide you with valuable metrics on who visited your page.
The ability to obtain that tracking information, Fair says, allows you to evaluate how well your ad was received and can help you make other decisions about your marketing strategy.
> Make it mobile-friendly
Before deploying QR codes, ensure that you are directing your prospects to a mobile-friendly version of your website.
That means that your site should appear as a single column when viewed on a smartphone. You don’t want your clients to have to zoom in and out and pan in order to see what you are presenting.
“I see lots of organizations make that mistake,” Fair says. “They just have to make sure that the website is designed with mobile in mind.
“It’s little things like that,” Fair adds, “that make the difference.”
> Take it outside
QR codes have proven, Fair says, to be effective in outdoor environments, such as on placards in parks, on transit posters and on displays that can be read through windows at places of business.
So, he says, think about the following as a general rule of thumb for QR codes: “If it’s a printed ad, the person is actually holding onto it and can take it with them. But if you are doing an ad on a bus, nobody can take the bus home with them.”