QR Codes Can Help Your Small Business

Chances are, you have either seen or used a QR code recently. In 2022, Statista reported that 89 million smartphone users in the United States scanned a QR code on their mobile devices, and it is expected to grow to over 100 million users by 2025.

What is a QR Code?

QR codes were originally created in 1994 as a way to track automotive parts in Toyota. It is a 2-dimensional barcode that stores more information than a traditional barcode.

You can use it to store the following:

• Website URLs

• Contact Information (vCard)

• Calendar Data

• Email Address

• Phone Numbers

• SMS (Have a message ready to be sent via text)

• Text

• Location

How Can You Use QR Code Marketing to Your Advantage?

QR Code marketing can come in handy for your business, whether it is for data organization or to encourage your customers to follow you, sign up for email, or see more promotions related to your business.

If your small business attends local events, you can display QR codes around your tent set-up and use QR Codes to help you with the payment of goods. The code will take your customer to a payment page and they can enter their credit card information for an easy, secure transaction.

A quick way to ask someone to follow you on social media can be to have a QR code that links them directly to your social media account. This allows the customer to scan and follow your account without worrying whether the customer found the right account on social.

You can use QR codes on stickers and add them to your current product line without the worry of printing all your material. Add them to your packaging materials to encourage sign-ups or visits to a location.

If you attend networking events, chances are that you can run out of business cards. A QR code in your badge can easily help you connect with other professionals by sharing your contact information and ready to save on their phone, saving time for you and them.

Create Your Own QR Codes Easy!

Creating your own QR codes is easy nowadays, and below, I will give you some resources to create your own QR code for free. Note that these are not sponsored, and you can find the tool that works best for you and your business.

• VistaPrint QR Code Generator

• QR Code Generator (Powered by Bitly)

• Adobe Express QR Code Generator

• Canva QR Code Generator

Tips from a Marketer

As your unofficial marketer, I recommend having a strategy when using QR codes.

• If you are sharing a link, be sure to track campaigns and links, this can be done easily and free with Bitly.

• Data is your friend. When you manage your QR codes, you learn which are used most and make changes accordingly. Remember to create an account with the website you choose to create QR codes with.

• Don’t use them on everything, all at once. Take your time to test it and see how your customers respond to it.

• Have fun and use it in creative ways to help your customers and your business.

What I’m Listening to This Week: