Hold your smartphone up to this image and, if you have Google Goggles or another barcode-reading application active, you can scan this and be shown information about me.
I see QR codes everywhere these days, from newspaper classified advertisements to restaurant menus to retail storefront doors.
With the proliferation of mobile phone sales and applications developed for the phones, it is natural that companies will try to market their products to people on the go. Granted a mere 6.2% of the American mobile market scanned a QR Code over the summer, that percentage represents a 14 million people. They are real people. They include me and maybe you too.
If you know your audience and give them something valuable, QR codes can achieve a powerful return on a minimal investment. And unlike the Microsoft Tags which I’m also seeing in magazines, QR technology is free for anyone to use. I’m especially excited how Manor, Texas is using QR codes to promote government communication.
Want a QR code of your own? I bought several eye-catching customized conference badges for $2.50 a piece.
About Ari Herzog
I also read from other site that QR codes can be generated and linked to profiles on social networks like Facebook and this eases the sharing of identities. QR codes can be printed on business cards as well. Is this true?
Yes if you setup the QR code to be a specific domain name such as your facebook profile. It’s actually really cool to promote your website on your business card, especially if your in marketing by using a QR code. Just be conscious of the fact that not everyone is carrying around a smart phone.
It’s funny for me to see how long QR codes took to succeed outside Japan, where I live. You really do see them everywhere here, from business cards to restaurant menus. I remember a few years ago (2009 or something?) I worked with a Japanese company who actually developed a QR reader for iPhone and didn’t quite understand why it sold just 7 units in the USA when it was a big hit in Japan.