CAI-NJ Jan. 2022(w)

Utilizing Quick Response (QR) CODES to Advance Your Business By Sarah Camey, RIZCO • A Creative Campaign Agency

I f you’ve been to a restaurant in the past year, odds are a cheerful server has told you to “just open your camera, scan the code, and your menu will appear!” This new digital trend has been a life-saving trick for restaurants, bars, and events during the pandemic, but with some marketing tweaks, Quick Response (QR) codes can work wonders for other businesses as well. What is a QR code? QR codes are a wealth of digital knowledge placed in a compact, nifty square. When scanned by a digital device, users can access the information they contain instantly, hence their name. While you may have only recently heard of them, according to Kaspersky, 1 QR codes have actually been around since 1994. Big businesses have tried to imple- ment the codes in the past, but users previously needed to download a third-party app, and not everyone had access to the high-speed internet we have now, so the initiative flopped.

After Apple made it possible to scan with just a phone cam- era, QR code usage took off. According to Statista, 2 an esti- mated 11 million households scanned a QR code in 2020. The pandemic has undoubtedly given the codes their fifteen minutes of fame by utilizing them for everything from menus to virus tracking. And due to their convenience, it is all but certain they’ll stick around for a while longer. People love QR codes because they’re easy to use, sanitary, more eco-friendly than paper, and downright fun. There’s something about scanning a mysterious code and finding what it has in store for you that’s reminiscent of a childhood treasure hunt. Businesses can use QR codes to direct traffic to their website, social channels, collect email addresses for future drip campaigns, stimulate reviews or to direct individuals to contact-free payment sources like Venmo. Placing QR codes in stores and around your business increases the CONT I NU E S ON PAGE 36 How can QR codes help my marketing strategy?

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