QR codes, those little, black and white square bar codes that you scan with your smartphone, have been appearing everywhere in recent years.
You will find them on products in the supermarket, on store displays, posters, catalogues and brochures. But, should you also consider using them in your direct mail campaigns?
The benefits of including QR codes with your automated direct mail are there to be tested, here’s a few things to ponder:
VERSATILITY
QR codes are highly versatile and can be used to help the recipient interact with your campaign material in a variety of ways. Depending upon your campaign, a QR code could be used to:
- Open your web page.
- Sign up for your newsletter.
- Watch a video.
- Visit your company’s social media.
- Request more information.
- View your product in augmented reality.
- Send your company an email.
- Call your company.
- Enter a competition.
- Get a discount voucher or coupon.
A QR code enhances the perceived interactivity of your static mail piece. Here’s a study.
CUSTOMER CONVENIENCE
The majority of modern smartphones have QR code scanning as a native feature, meaning that no additional apps need to be downloaded so scanning the code is quick and easy for your customer.
This convenience makes the recipient far more likely to interact with your campaign material there and then, rather than putting your mailing to one side to look at later and potentially forgetting about it. A QR code also eliminates the possibility of typing errors, making sure that the reader ends up in the correct place every time.
PERSONALISED CAMPAIGNS
By combining a QR code with a personalised URL for each customer, you can boost the effectiveness of your campaign by making it more relevant to each customer. When the customer scans the QR code, they will be taken to a microsite that can greet them by name and provide them with personalised and relevant offers and recommendations.
TRACK YOUR CAMPAIGN PERFORMANCE
Using QR codes allows you to track the effectiveness of your campaign easily. Reports can be generated to show how many of your recipients interacted with your marketing material, making tracking response rates and calculating your ROI easy. If you choose to use PURLs, then further information can also be gathered on each individual customer’s actions, for example, how long they spent looking at your website and if they interacted with website features such as watching videos or downloading product specs.
The giant shoulders we stand upon:
- Shin, D.-H., Jung, J., & Chang, B.-H. (2012). The psychology behind QR codes: User experience perspective. Computers in Human Behavior, 28(4), 1417-1426.
