When starting a new business, bagging the first set of customers is the most challenging feat to achieve. It is also the most vulnerable time in the life of a newly opened business. This is why picking a quick and efficient strategy like QR code marketing is the way to go, whether you’re a B2B or a B2C business.
A QR code marketing strategy is a mobile-first, experience-driven way of building and mobilizing demand for a startup fresh on the scene. Let us see why.
Why startups should be investing in QR code marketing
Today, QR codes are everywhere. Since the pandemic, people have become used to scanning codes for all sorts of transactions, including codes printed on packages and pinned on social media pages of different brands. This is because familiar behaviors are repeatable behaviors.
QR code marketing campaigns are, therefore, solid mediums for attracting the intended audience and promoting in a modern, forward-leaning way that helps you stand out.
In just a second, and with only a scan, you can redirect the customers to a specific promotional material and enable faster decision-making on their part. Not to mention, you also get the benefit of convenience, higher engagement, and measurable performance to market your products and services.
Here’s a QR code 101 for startup marketing with 5 QR Code marketing strategies to help you get started.
#1 Add a custom QR code to social media pages
Nearly 50% of the world’s population is hooked on social media, where they actively engage and interact with both branded and non-branded content. Plus, most of them access the platforms using their smartphones. This presents a golden opportunity for using mobile-first technology like QR codes.
Add QR codes to your LinkedIn page banner, pinned posts on Instagram and other social media pages to capture audience attention online. This is a simple way of instantly directing traffic to your website or landing pages with promotional offers or product details.
Since custom QR codes are also editable, you can update information at any time, without going through the whole process a second time. This way, QR code image marketing saves you time and effort to pursue other growth initiatives as well.
#2 Use QR code CTAs for landing pages
To a startup, landing pages are sacred microsites for prompting visitors to take action and nudging them towards a sale.
One of the best ways to get people to click and check out a promotional or landing page is through a QR code CTA like “Scan to get a sneak peek.” They’re instantly accessible and incredibly versatile, after all.
You can experiment with interactive elements and formats for landing pages, and keep visitors engaged by providing immersive and memorable experiences. For example, many finance institutions feature free loan calculators on their product pages.
Moreover, the best QR code generator will not only help you create brand-matching, dynamic QR codes, but also capture first-party data with every scan. As we move towards a cookieless age of the Internet, such customer data will be key in running successful advertising and retargeting initiatives later on.
#3 Share direct access to product tutorials and instructional walkthroughs
There’s only so much text customers like to (or actually) read. This becomes a point of friction in the customer journey, often resulting in a drop off.
To maintain a smooth flow of information, as potential customers get to know and use your product or services, you can use QR codes to provide value-added content. This can include video tutorials, instructional guides, walkthroughs for specific tasks, troubleshooting, and more.
This QR code marketing idea is also easy to implement. Just use Beaconstac’s QR code generator to generate a dynamic QR code and add it strategically to social media and website content like product-specific blog posts or Ads.
#4 Boost engagement for cold outreach via direct mail or email
No startup in the history of the business kind has ever survived without a cold outreach strategy. But when coupled with an equally effective QR code marketing strategy, you can cleverly make a good first impression and drive engagement.
As you know, cold messages are usually a hit or miss. So, when reaching out to prospective buyers through direct mail, email, or LinkedIn emails, use QR codes linking to some type of promotional offer or landing page. It can be a CTA to get a glimpse of the upcoming product release, a product demo, early access to sale items, or simply booking a sales call.
This is a proven method of demonstrating the value you’re providing to the customers and standing out from the competition.
#5 Provide a consistent omnichannel experience at every touchpoint
Through QR code marketing, startups can effectively bridge the gap between physical and digital touchpoints in the customer journey. This can help in providing a seamless and consistent experience to potential customers, which is known to drive trust and interest at the early stages of a business.
Since QR codes are medium-agnostic, they can be linked to a variety of multimedia like videos, audio, forms, landing pages, and more. They can be used across marketing channels to curate diverse, immersive experiences for customers based on where they are in their journey and encourage them to keep going.
You can dole out promotional content in a variety of formats, such as podcasts or giveaways, and find out what works best. This will help you lay down a strong marketing foundation for your startup.
Final thoughts
To conclude, QR codes can work the charm in multiple ways. As far as QR code marketing ideas go, you can try and be as creative as possible. The five strategies shared above are only the starting point. From here on, you can experiment and test based on the QR code’s performance data.
Just remember to use QR codes customized with patterns, colors, and eyes matching your brand palette so you can keep every customer touchpoint experience consistent and memorable.
