See part 1 of this series on QR codes: What are QR Codes?

As smartphones continue to increase in popularity, QR codes are an easy way to appeal to your tech-savvy customers while increasing the response rate on your direct mail campaigns.

The power of QR codes stems from their ability to provide customers with instant information. Rather than having to call a special number or type in a URL into their mobile browsers, users simply point and scan QR codes found on direct mail pieces, print advertisements or even TV ads. QR codes automatically direct their mobile browsers to a website with more information about your particular offer or product, giving you an opportunity to engage with them.

Incorporating QR codes into your direct mail brings together the effectiveness of smart phone technology and print advertising for improved conversion rates on your direct mail campaigns and higher ROI. For best results, follow the steps below:

Call Attention to Your QR Code – If you’re including a QR code in your direct mail piece, make sure it’s noticeable and prominent. Hiding your QR defeats the purpose. Rather than adding it as a last detail of your design, make sure it’s an integral part and that both the content and design encourage your recipients to respond using your QR code. This provides you with an opportunity of an instantaneous and impulsive response that is otherwise difficult to provide through mailings.
Combine QR Codes and PURLs – By combining QR codes and PURL technology, you increase the potential for interaction with your direct mail recipients. Essentially, a PURL is a microsite that includes content unique to your recipient. PURL’s one-to-one marketing and personalization offers unique, targeted content relevant to recipients.
Incorporate QR Codes into Your Cross-Media Marketing – Depending on your specific goal, it’s never a bad idea to offer a variety of response options to your recipients. You can take advantage of various marketing channels to make sure that you provide a way for your recipients to connect with you. You can do this by linking your QR codes to e-mails, text messages or PURLs. The best part is that cross-media marketing gives you the capability of further interaction with your recipients with follow-up e-mails, text messages or notifications through their preferred social media network.
Track Intelligently – As with any marketing campaign, it’s imperative to track the success of your direct mail campaign. QR codes can help you track and analyze the progress and results of your campaign by providing you with response rates and other useful information including the geographic location of your active recipients. Linking QR codes to PURLs further increases the type of tracking available.

The use of QR codes in your direct mail marketing campaign provides your audience with an immediate channel to contact you. Whether that leads to a PURL or a checkout page, it offers a direct and uncomplicated way to respond to your message. QR codes are a great way to create multiple points of contact with your recipients while ensuring you stay relevant and ahead of your competition.

OneIMS provides multiple print marketing solutions and online marketing services. Contact us today at 1-888-ONE-IMS-1 or email us at sales@oneims.com.

OneIMS is a Chicago Web Design Company as well as a technology-based marketing service provider. We specialize in integrated marketing solutions such as Search Engine Optimization, Pay-per-click advertisements and email marketing. We employ cross-media marketing solutions that are designed to deliver results. Some of those solutions are Variable Data Printing, Personalized URLs and custom landing pages and triggered emails.