Grow My Company

10 ways to use QR Codes in your marketing

2D codes, or QR Codes, as they are becoming more commonly known, are two dimensional barcodes that are easily generated through a variety of web services and can be scanned with a barcode reader on a smartphone to take the user to a web page. 2D is the general category, but there are many kinds. Among them are Microsoft Tag, Datamatrix, EZ Code, QR Code, and others. Calling them all QR Codes is like calling a bandage a Band-Aid or a tissue a Kleenex.

Most people have probably seen them, but many still don't know what they are. Marketers are finding ever-greater ways to incorporate them into marketing by making it easier for a user to reach a particular page online. Let's face it, it's easier to scan a code than type a URL, so let's review some of the practical applications for QR Codes.

1. Add one to your business card. Think about how many cards are handed out at events and tradeshows for example. If yours contains a QR Code, later on, when the user scans it, you might have an advantage over the rest of the business card stack when the contact lands at your LinkedIn profile, and sees your photo and complete skill set.
2. On printed product literature. Think about the added convenience when you make it easy for a potential customer get more information and/or place an order.
3. Make it worthwhile. Entice the user to scan the code for a special message, information, video, or giveaway.
4. Within webinars or presentations. Use them for a little something extra that isn't accessible to non-atendees.
5. On t-shirts. My first experience with QR codes was a couple years ago at PodCamp Western MA. The code on the t-shirt given to all attendees lead us to a webpage where people uploaded all their media following the event, including videos, photos, and blog posts.
6. In ads. This is a great, easy way to get prospects to a particular web page from within a print ad. I've seen them on billboards too, but I wouldn't encourage you to do something that entices drivers to take their attention off their primary responsibility.
7. In a retail store. How great would it be to be able to go to an instant coupon while you're in a store? That's so much easier than clipping coupons and remembering to bring them with you.
8. For events. A QR Code can send potential attendees right to the EventBrite sign up page or a place where they can get more information.
9. For reservations. A hot, new application at 2011 SXSW makes it possible to users to scan a QR code to save their place on a restaurant waiting list.
10. For instructions. Think about how much greener it would be for people to read, for example, instructions for something they purchased by simply scanning a QR code on the product packaging rather than having to print and insert instructions within the packaging.

One very important factor however; if you plan to use a QR Code in your marketing, make sure that the landing page is optimized for mobile use. Little will frustrate your users more than a busy page with lots of unnessary images.

- Christine Pilch

How your social media identity affects your brand

Most adults seem to be fairly cautious about what they post on social media sites, as they understand that it can affect their reputation, but I sometimes see eyebrow-raisers that make me wonder, "What were they thinking?" (Charlie Sheen, anybody?)

Like it or nor, your online identity is an extension of your brand on both a professional and personal level, but for the purposes of this post, I am referring to your personal brand. Getting back to basics for a moment, remember that your brand is the way people feel about you. It's the sum total of their experience with you. Everybody has one, whether they realize it or not. And social media extends the brand that you've created for yourself in your day-to-day life.

Your social media identity provides an opportunity to extend that brand much further than might have been possible before. It also provides an occasion to craft that brand by reshaping perceptions. The content that you put out there will influence your reputation, so be careful about that. People are on social media for a variety of reasons, some of which are to be educated, entertained, and informed. You may choose to be the one who brings wit to your friends', fans', and followers' day, or you may want to be perceived as a resource for good information. Perceptions certainly evolve, but you are likely perceived in a particular way, and that's your online brand.

Because of this, it is important to remain true to yourself. You are who you are, and you can't effectively fake a passion for something that you don't actually feel. Your online brand should be your authentic self because it won't take people long to loose interest in a phoney. In addition, people will quickly learn whether you're a giver or a taker by the way you interact with others, and that will greatly affect your brand.

So, getting back to those eyebrow-raisers that we all sometimes see in social media, "Danger, Will Robinson, danger!" A good rule of thumb is to think twice and post once. You can delete something, but in reality it never really goes away in the age of instant Googling of most social media content.

It's usually better to call a close friend when you need to let off steam, rather than venting publicly via social media. Many people are put off by profanity, bad attitudes, aggression, and nastiness, no matter how justified you feel.

Now, I'm not saying that you need to be eternally happy in social media, (that is phoney in itself,) but just be careful in your delivery of a negative message. For example, it's likely that you'll find lots of company in a complaint about a rainy day, but publicly chastising a cheating spouse just might generate more shock for your behavior than sympathy for your situation. 

You are in control of your social media identity by choosing the content that you share. Be careful. Protect your reputation.

 

- Christine Pilch

Photo credit: Microsoft

Friday Favorites: 4.8.11

Here are 5 of my favorite or most helpful things I read on the web this week:

1. 11 Pro Tips for Better Business Blogging: This is a quick, easy read full of good advice.
2. How To Avoid and Prevent Facebook Spam: It's not just beginners who get caught up in these traps. This article provides a great overview and refresher.
3. Drive Traffic to Your Blog With LinkedIn: The info here not only pertains to your blog, but also also your online identity in general.
4. How to Improve Engagement on Your Brand’s Facebook Page: The statistics here are very helpful when considering such things as what day to post for particular industries.
5. Top 5 Slideshare Marketing Tips: In my opinion, Slideshare is a hidden gem of social media. It carries a strong Google ranking and provides another venue for your presentations and videos to get them seen. It also intergates nicely with LinkedIn.

Well, that's it for this week!

- Christine Pilch

How to stop Facebook Questions emails & auto photo tagging suggestions

   

 

If you're annoyed by the emails that you've been getting from Facebook when someone comments on a Facebook Question or Poll after you, this video will show you how to disable that. Also, you'll learn how to disable your friends' ability to auto-tag you in photos. Christine Pilch, Christine@GrowMyCo.com, 413.537.2474

© 2011, Christine Pilch, Grow My Company. This video is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License.