May 10, 2011

What Is A QR Code And How Do I Use It?

Written by Donna Payne

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**UPDATE** May 17, 2011

You may have noticed strange looking squares on signs, magazines, billboards, webpages, and more commonly, store shelves. These squares are QR codes. QR (Quick Response) codes are kind of like a barcode, similar to what you see on every day products. Many QR codes have URLs and other hidden information that can be very helpful to research a product while you’re mobile.

Susie Blackmon's QR tag

QR codes have become so popular because nearly everyone has a camera phone, or “smart phone.” If you have a smartphone, more than likely, you already have a QR code reader. All you have to do is take a picture with a QR code-compatible application, and you will be taken to a site with more information about whatever it is your looking for.

A couple examples of their use might be to get the layout of your favorite theme park (Cedar Point @cedarpoint doesn’t have one on their website – tsk! tsk!) Or, maybe you strike up a conversation with a really cool gal and she has a QR Sticker on her laptop or car. Instead of digging for business cards, you can snap a pic of each others QR code to import contact info. Easy peasy, lemon squeezie.

QR codes may look like complicated gibberish, but they’re easy to create. I created mine by going to the ZXing Project web site, selecting CONTACT from the drop down, entered my deets, and clicked on Generate.

qrcode

To read more about QR tags check out these pages:

13 Creative Ways to Use QR Codes for Marketing – Fast Company
7 things you should know about QR Codes – Educause

Get QR software for your Blackberry, iPhone, or Droid.

UPDATE May 17, 2011

Mobile bar code scanning has increased by 4,549 percent in the first quarter of 2011 on a year-over-year basis, according to a Mobio Identity Systems study. Women also show a higher interest in using QR codes, accounting for 68 percent of users.

For marketers, this means QR codes can provide a way to have an ongoing conversation with consumers.

“QR isn’t a one-off medium anymore,” Mr. Binns said. “Marketers can change their QR codes in ads each day, week or month, and have an ongoing dialogue with their consumer.”

Have you gotten YOUR QR code yet?