How to use QR code experiences effectively for your business

QR codes are everywhere nowadays. The tech behind QR codes is relatively old. It was invented in 1994, under a team led by Masahiro Hara from the Japanese company Denso Wave. 

The impact of QR codes has been growing steadily over time. QR codes are now an enormously powerful tool for reaching and impressing your audience, thanks to engaging QR code experiences.

By combining storytelling, gamification and even technologies like AR and VR, QR code experiences can become extremely powerful tools, for a variety of purposes.

In this article, we’ll guide you on how to use these experiences effectively for your business.

What is a QR code experience?

A QR code experience is the digital experience that a person receives after scanning a QR code. QR codes are short for Quick Response codes. People can access a direct link to a webpage by scanning these codes with their smartphone's camera. 

What comes next could be a static landing page or a full-fledged interactive content experience designed with a technology like Intractive.

These interactive QR code experiences are extremely powerful because they allow you to communicate stories in a never-before-seen way.

Creating these experiences has a lot of advantages for your organization, especially if your target audience is a digital generation like Gen Z.

Benefits of QR code marketing for businesses

Using a QR code is one thing, building a full experience is something else altogether. QR codes can cut out some steps in the customer journey and bring your audience to the exact online place you want them to be. 

Doing it right will lead to quite a few benefits for your business:

• Higher engagement rates
• More dedicated attention to your message
• Staying top-of-mind thanks to unforgettable experiences
• An increase in ROI of your digital material

Now, you know what QR code experiences can lead to, let’s dig into how you can create them. 

Storytelling through QR code experiences

People don’t buy products, they buy stories. When you feel connected to a brand story, you become a fan of a brand.

Believe it or not, but QR codes are the means to tell that story. This can be any type of story, a story about a product, a brand, an employer or a university. 

It is a method of combining the actual and virtual worlds. The best thing is that QR codes may be used on top of various marketing platforms that are less good at explaining themselves.

Think about static channels such as flyers, banners, or product packaging. You can send anyone to an online space for more information by using a basic black-and-white QR code.

That's why branded QR codes can serve as a perfect storytelling tool. You can capture and retain attention by crafting an engaging experience behind the QR code.

How to use QR codes effectively

QR codes are popular, but they aren't always used effectively. This is not related to the QR code itself, but because it isn't utilized completely. As a result, individuals just neglect to scan them or drop out immediately after scanning.

So, how do you use them effectively? Let us give you some do’s and don'ts for QR code marketing.

QR codes can be highly effective in the discovery journeys of customers, students, job candidates, or employees, but only if you use them correctly. 

QR codes with Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality

The developments in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are progressing rapidly, presenting a major opportunity for QR code marketing.

QR codes with Virtual Reality 

QR codes can initiate a VR experience. VR headsets, however, are required for VR experiences. You can nevertheless deploy mobile-based 360-degrees features, which allow everyone to get started right away.

Consider showcasing a classroom, production facility or office with 360-degree photos or videos. With Intractive, you can even create interactive 360-degree content.

QR codes with Augmented Reality

You can achieve some pretty cool things with AR too. Consider creating 3D models that pop up after scanning a QR code, flyers that come to life, or even a virtual host that engages and tells you a story.

This will become even more exciting as QR code experience adoption grows. Some brands are even developing complete interactive AR games that allow users to play after scanning a QR code.

Making QR code experiences more effective with gamification 

Even if you don't want to create an entire game behind a QR code, you can still use gamification techniques to enhance the experience. 

Consider implementing a game with quiz questions about your brand, to help users discover your USPs or offering discount codes when they reach the end.

There are numerous gamification techniques that can be applied in a QR code experience; however, using them effectively is crucial.

Gamification can be incredibly powerful, but it can also have adverse effects. Want to know more about gamification and how to use it effectively? We wrote a full article on what gamification is.

Alternatively, if you're interested in becoming a professional, we recommend reading the book 'Actionable Gamification' by Yu-Kai Chou.

The success formula of QR code experiences

At Intractive, we believe we’re only at the beginning of a massive QR code revolution. 

These simple codes serve as the gateway from the real to the digital world. When you create a user experience that is engaging, it can be very powerful and create true fans of your brand.

We strongly recommend breaking your story into different types of content. Use a combination of video, text, and enhance it all with interactive elements like quiz questions, polls, or even AR and VR components. 

Always start with a compelling call to action to get people to scan your QR code, and provide information that’s suitable for the specific phase of the customer, student, candidate, or employee journey.

If you need help with or are looking for the right type of technology to create your own QR code experiences, simply schedule a demo with the Intractive team.

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