BlogmyQuery – BMQ

What do you know about a QR code, the little white and black square you see everywhere today? This basic pattern has a powerful ability to link physical and digital worlds. QR codes are digital barcodes that store tons of information. With almost 5 billion smartphone users in the world, you can only imagine how many times QR codes are scanned daily!

However, QR codes’ potential is much bigger than pure data storage. They enable businesses to create immersive experiences, drive customer interactions, and provide instant access to information or services. With the widespread adoption of smartphones, QR codes become a powerful marketing tool. Let’s explore how exactly they change modern marketing.

When and how QR codes appeared

It may seem that QR codes have been with us for a while! However, Quick Response codes were invented only in 1994 by a Japanese automotive company called Denso Wave. They were used to track vehicle parts during manufacturing processes. QR codes are associated with barcodes, but they store much more information and can be instantly scanned. You just need a smartphone equipped with a built-in camera or a special QR scanning app.

At first, QR codes were not widely spread; however, the 2020 pandemic gave them another birth. The need for touch-free solutions literally propelled QR code technology. Today, QR codes are practically everywhere—they are found on product packaging, advertisements, tickets, business cards, and more.  QR codes and branding can be a powerful combination. By placing a logo in the center of a QR code, businesses can create a stronger connection with potential customers. The company logo design instantly identifies the brand and builds trust, encouraging people to scan the code. This bridge between the physical and digital worlds allows for easy access to a company’s website, social media, or special offers, all while reinforcing brand recognition.

Diverse applications of QR codes in marketing

QR technology has reshaped digital marketing, and its impact will only keep expanding. As technology around us advances and consumers become increasingly tech-savvy, QR codes can be used for building groundbreaking marketing strategies. Here are a few examples.

• The power of augmented reality. When you see an ad, it is enough to scan a QR code and see a 3D product model come to life on your smartphone screen. AR technology allows you to merge the real world with the virtual in just a click. Incorporate QR codes into your marketing materials to allow your users to enjoy interactive product demonstrations, virtual try-ons, or even games related to your brand. This creates a more immersive and engaging experience for your audience.
• Geo-location targeting. QR codes with geo-location technology enable businesses to guide users to nearby locations. Geo-targeted QR codes sync with smartphones’ GPS to deliver location-specific content. Use this approach to promote local stores, highlight nearby places of interest, or offer targeted discounts to customers within a specific reach. Such a personalized approach makes marketing campaigns more relevant and impactful.
• Social media engagement. QR codes already help businesses connect with customers via social media platforms, and the possibilities are limitless. Use QR codes to automate social media sharing of your promotional content. It works like this: a user scans a QR code on a product package and instantly posts a picture to their Instagram story with a branded hashtag. This encourages user-generated content and fuels viral marketing campaigns.
• A new level of interactivity. QR codes can transform your marketing campaign from static to interactive. Gamification always adds special appeal to a marketing campaign. QR codes provide access to exclusive video content, hidden messages in scavenger hunts, or even interactive polls and feedback mechanisms. This two-way communication not only captures attention but also gathers valuable customer insights, allowing you to refine your marketing strategies and build a stronger connection with your target audience.

Tips to remember when using QR codes

If you build your marketing strategy with QR codes, here are some rules for success:

• Add a clear call to action. It is crucial to include a clear and concise message next to your QR code. The message must tell users what they will gain by scanning it, such as “unlock a discount” or “get a discount code”.
• Make your content mobile-friendly.  All the information behind the QR code should be optimized for different screens to provide a seamless user experience.
• Track and measure results. Use QR codes with tracking capabilities to see how many times they are scanned to see whether these help you in achieving your marketing goals.

How companies utilize QR code power

Many companies have realized the unparalleled power of QR codes and implemented them in their marketing campaigns. Let’s see how they do it in practice.

M&M’s, the famous candy brand, used QR codes to add an interactive element to its marketing campaign. QR codes can be found on packaging and promotional materials. Customers are encouraged to scan the codes and access exclusive content. For example, a user may unlock a digital game or get access to the behind-the-scenes process of candy production. Additionally, M&M’s added QR codes to social media promotions and advertisements, redirecting users to interactive landing pages where they could learn more about the brand and its products. This approach enabled M&M’s to transform passive packaging into a gateway for immersive brand experiences and boost sales.

The Home Depot, a leading home improvement retailer, used QR codes to enhance the customer shopping experience and provide valuable product information. You can find a QR code on product labels. Once you scan it, you access detailed product specifications, how-to videos, and DIY project guides. For example, scanning a QR code on a power tool will lead you to instructional videos demonstrating proper usage and safety tips. This approach empowers customers to purchase more DIY projects and reduces unnecessary returns due to a lack of user knowledge.

HBO, the renowned entertainment network, introduced QR codes into its marketing campaign to promote its TV shows and movies. QR codes appeared in posters, trailers, and social media posts to encourage viewers to unlock exclusive content. For example, viewers can watch extended trailers and even participate in interactive quizzes. Additionally, HBO allows its customers to scan codes to receive special offers or enter contests. This QR code experiment helped HBO transform traditional advertising into interactive experiences and create buzz around its content.

Key takeaway

QR codes have quickly become essential tools in the modern marketing arsenal. They efficiently fill the gap between the physical and digital worlds. Just with a simple scan, customers can seamlessly access a wealth of information and interactive experiences. QR codes help brands make their marketing campaigns interactive and engaging. Modern tech-savvy consumers appreciate the ability to quickly get data-driven insights. What is more important, QR code technology not only enhances customer engagement but also allows marketers to track campaign performance and gather valuable data to refine their strategies for more results.

Featured Image by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

The post Unlocking Possibilities: The Impact of QR Codes on Modern Marketing appeared first on noupe.

Over the past decade, attitudes toward social networks have changed dramatically. Now it is not just a means for friendly communication and acquaintances, but also one of the channels for attracting customers and developing business. But this statement is relevant only when a professional SMM specialist works in the team. Below are a few key criteria that distinguish such a professional. It will be useful for both specialists and companies to get acquainted with them. For the former, this will provide an opportunity to test themselves for compliance with the main requirements of the industry, and for the latter – to find out the criteria for hiring such a professional. Let’s start.

1. Ability to create interesting and engaging content

If this skill is there, then all other abilities will be much easier to train when it comes to a beginner. Probably, many can remember from their environment at least one person who knows how to tell exciting stories, thereby keeping people’s attention. Such talent is also needed for an SMM specialist. Internet users are now overloaded with information from different angles, which makes attention scattered. To focus on one thing, it must be really engaging content that can attract an audience.

2. Competent oral and written speech

Literacy is not the same as being able to write and tell interesting things. If the first talent mentioned above may be natural, then the second one needs to be trained. It complements the ability to be an interesting conversationalist. Even if the content has interesting storylines and tells people exciting stories about the brand, this is not enough for the company to be truly respected and considered respectable. Errors in texts or the construction of sentences in oral speech are what you need to work on if there is such a problem.

3. Ability to plan

Companies whose content is chaotic usually do not achieve great success in their activities. They try to communicate with their audience about everything at once. As a result, there is no emphasis on specific products and services that should first attract potential customers. It is also important that before advertising a product, you always first need to talk in detail about it. This is the so-called acquaintance. If a person begins to obsessively offer something that he does not even know about, the effect will be the opposite. He does not want to deal with such a company. Perhaps even cease to be a subscriber to her page on the social network.

In order for the content to really do its job, the social media specialist must develop an effective content plan. This does not mean that he should ignore other informational occasions or be inflexible. It’s just that in this case, it is significant that the plan sets a logical sequence of presentation. And if, between planned texts and videos, you periodically highlight the company’s reaction to current events, this makes the content on the page more natural and dynamic but does not allow you to plunge into chaos.

For those looking for effective planning tools, Freelancer Planner is the way to go. So the specialist will always have at hand the necessary records that you can focus on.

4. Ability to analyze

Analytical thinking is a soft skill that an SMM specialist cannot do without. This skill is needed in several aspects at once, including:

• Ability to track trends in your industry. This area is very dynamic. To ensure the prosperity of the client company through well-built content, you need to constantly update it, making it interesting for people.
• Ability to analyze competitors. This is not to mindlessly copy other people’s strategies. With this method of action, it would be impossible to build your own recognizable style of presenting information on social networks. This skill must be used wisely. When an SMM specialist analyzes the successful strategies of competing companies, this makes it possible to understand which tools work well. Synthesizing such information from different sources, you can develop your own strategy, which will consist of different work items.

Analytical thinking makes the SMM specialist more successful. It allows you to understand the surrounding context and develop relevant strategies for the development of the company using social networks.

5. Empathy

An SMM specialist often stays behind the scenes and does not contact people directly. But how he leads the page depends on their good attitude towards the brand. To win the attention and then the trust of the audience, you need to understand their needs, interests, and pains. People feel good when they are treated formally or insincerely. The content strategy clearly shows how much the SMM specialist likes his work and how he relates to the audience. A person who simply performs duties without desire and inspiration will not be able to build effective communication and achieve customer loyalty.

6. Multitasking

The ability to plan content in advance, make publications on time, communicate with the audience in real-time, and analyze the feedback received are the key tasks that should always be the focus of attention of the manager responsible for the direction of SMM. There are no trifles or anything secondary in this work. Everything that has been named is equally significant.

7. Ability to learn on the job

The dynamics of the work of an SMM specialist require him to be able to constantly learn. In this area, it is impossible to predict everything in advance. It is necessary to be able to quickly navigate unforeseen situations, respond to current information occasions, and communicate with company customers who will not always be in a good mood. To do this, you need to have a developed skill of reflection, and a meaningful approach to various situations, not to get lost in them. When a specialist learns to treat his activity in this way, he quickly gains experience, trains to rely on his strength, and not be afraid of new professional challenges.

8. Creativity

SMM is a direction in which you can unleash your creative potential. This is an interesting job with which you will not be bored. The main thing is to correctly adapt your creative skills to a specific content strategy that will work for the client company.

Conclusions

The work of an SMM specialist is considered one of the most sought-after freelance jobs. And if you look at the general statistics for various specialties, then the annual earnings of freelancers are 1.3 trillion dollars in the United States. This figure is clear evidence that the sphere will continue to develop. It has many prospects – both for specialists and for companies that are looking for them.

Featured Image by Adem AY on Unsplash

The post 8 Signs of a Professional Freelance Social Media Marketer appeared first on noupe.