QR Codes And NFC Tags For Smarter Marketing

QR Codes and NFC Tags have taken marketing to a completely different level than what it was just a few years back - and that is what innovation is all about. It is a revolutionary technique that uses Near Field Communication and Quick Response technologies in order to increase brand exposure and provide product information to smart phone users.

How QR Codes and NFC Tags Are Used

QR Codes

QR Code or Quick Response code is a matrix barcode that can be scanned with a smart phone through its camera. The process of scanning connects the phone user to a webpage, a video, or photographs. It also enables him to activate email, IM, and SMS. These free codes can be made easily and distributed or displayed without any problem. As it is possible to print QR codes on anything, marketers devise innovative methods to use them so that they can derive maximum mileage out of them. They are printed on all such items that are likely to be seen or used by maximum number of people. These include posters, billboard ads, business cards, print ads, coupons, direct mail campaigns, in-store displays, contests, and email campaigning. The codes can also be printed on merchandise tags, flyers, stickers, press kits, and so on.

NFC Tags

Near Field Communication (NFC) technology is a wireless method of sending digital data from one device to the other at a maximum distance of 10 cm, connecting electronic devices and making transactions. When a mobile smart phone comes within a distance of 4 to 10 cm of an NFC tag in another device, it can identify the tag and there can be exchange of data between the two devices. This technology is based on Radio Frequency Identification and is mostly used for contactless payments and is excellent for proximity marketing.

Combining QR Codes and NFC Tags

The combination of QR Codes and NFC Tags is being utilized extensively to send information to a smart phone user when the phone owner scans the QR Code or it taps the NFC Smart Tag. The tag will direct the customer to a webpage that has the marketing content updated and refreshed by the website company.

With the use of NFC Smart Posters, product promos can be advertised to a very large audience. When a smart phone comes in contact with a poster with NFC tag, any type of information can be transferred to the phone. This is an excellent way of doing viral marketing and attracting maximum number of new customers. With the use of NFC Smart Posters, product promos can be advertised to a very large audience. When a smart phone comes in contact with a poster with NFC tag, any type of information can be transferred to the phone.

As QR Codes and NFC Tags can be used for two-way communication, the consumers can interact with the company through their mobile phone whenever and wherever they like. A social relationship can be built up easily through this method and the brand's reputation will improve due to the social communication that will be built up. NFC tags and QR Codes can be placed in almost anything making them very versatile. But, it is important to remember that when using QR Codes, call-to-action statements should be placed next to them in order to attract the attention of consumers.