According to ScanLife’s Mobile Barcode Trend Report, QR scans in the last quarter of 2011 were up 300% from the previous year. Savvy PR pros should take note of this growth and look for ways to include QR codes in their campaign strategies, says Tricia Steele Seifert, president & CEO of SAI Digital. Here are some do’s and don’ts from Seifert on how to ensure a good QR code experience:
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DO create a mobile-friendly landing page that gives scanners a course of action: These formatted sites direct users to register for an event or giveaway, sign up to receive something, make a purchase, see a video, become a Facebook fan, etc.
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DON’T, under any circumstance, just point your QR code to a home page. “This is an absolute waste of your visitor’s time, says Seifert. “It leaves them not knowing what they are supposed to do, and they are more likely to just exit.”
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DON’T create a QR code that leads directly to a download unless you have told the user in advance. These are cell phones, not computers. “Downloads should be reserved for mp3s, phone wallpapers or phone-specific information that will add directly to the users phone book or calendar,” says Seifert.
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DO take advantage of the ability to track mobile access of Web content. “Make sure in advance that you have a way to track each scan and to analyze scans by day, date range, time of day, general location, as well as by campaign,” says Seifert.
PR News Subscribers can read about how the Consumer Electronics Association used QR codes as part of their PR strategy in the case study: "We Hold This Truth... 'Innovation' Effort Drives Fans in Person and Online to Declare on the Dotted Line."