QR Code Internet Mobile Marketing Technology

Mar 9, 2011 by Holly Ralston-Oyler

They are suddenly everywhere. Those little black and white squares. The elite squares are sporting color and the really élite have custom designs. Who knew there would be a peeking social system when it comes to QR Codes?

Last week I received a trade publication from my old career (cosmetics/skin care)> I usually spend five or ten minutes flipping through it with my attention elsewhere.  However, this issue was totally different. It was a pretty standard 68-page publication with a front and back cover. Always a publication with an exciting and beautiful cover this issue had “added value” and was being described as their first “immediately inter-active” issue, with a strange looking black and white square on the cover.

Okay, I’m in. How can a magazine be immediately interactive? Very easy or so it seems.  In 70 pages of content there were over 65 QR codes. They were all over the ads, the by lines, the editorial and embedded in the articles. They were like ants…they were everywhere! I had only three questions.

• What are these odd looking things?
• Why are they being embraced by a normally not-real-quick-on-the-start-up industry (the beauty industry)?
• What purpose did they serve?

A brief article tag-line on the cover suggested that I “learn and play”. Learn and play…now there is an Internet Marketer’s dream term – even as a newbie I knew a good thing when I saw it.  QR Code Internet Mobile Marketing.  The QR codes are fairly new and, are being perceived as a novelty by many. However, for those in the know, pulling out their Smartphones and scanning the code to see where it leads has become a contact sport.

Big box stores like Best Buy and Target has tremendous success with the interaction between the customer and the codes. Of course, the longevity of the QR Codes and client/customer relationship will depend on the quality of the content the code leads to and only if it provides usable information for the client/customer.

Luckily I have a Smartphone, which is a great thing because I am really too dumb to use it correctly. I downloaded the QR Code reader from the shopping area on my phone (before I realized it was already included on the phone – don’t say I didn’t warn you) and started scanning away. I found links to everything from website URL listings, business cards, invitations to trade events,  free giveaways, discount coupons and of course, product information.

Okay, the IM mind-set has set in and is going a zillion miles a minute. It’s time for some serious research.  Just mere 24-hours later and it appears there is enough information to fill ten books. Are you ready for it?

Coming soon: QR Code Internet Mobile Marketing eCourse from http://qrcodeinternetmobilemarketing.com

3/24/2011 UPDATE: eCourse Registration is now open for the QR Code Internet Mobile Marketing eCourse.