When the QR code initially launched, we all looked at them a little funny and said “that will never catch on”…. well they also said the television wouldn’t catch on and look where we are now!
QR codes since covid, have practically become integrated into every aspect of our lives, seemingly overnight. You can’t order a coffee, lunch or enter most work sites or businesses in general without scanning yourself in.
It’s become such a habitual process, we don’t even question it anymore!
So as trade business owners, we should ride this wave and quickly implement QR codes into our marketing materials whilst our customers are still used to regularly interacting with them.
WHY?
The hardest part about marketing is that it’s hard to track. You spend big on a local letterbox drop, with your flyer promoting your trade business to the local area, but do you really know your return on investment?
QR codes allow you to track who scanned through, and therefore how many potential customers engaged with your marketing material.
Depending on which service you use, many QR code sites will show you how many people scanned it, when and if it’s geo-targeted where too.
This is pretty valuable information for any trade business owner! Plus they’re relatively cheap to generate, with many sites offering $15 US per month for unlimited QR codes.
Another WHY you could add here is it directs the customer quickly to your website without them having to type anything or remember your name. They simply scan and off they go.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Depending on the site you use, all you need to do is:
- Select the link to the video or the webpage you want them to scan through to.
- Upload this link to your QR code generator site.
- Add text like “SCAN ME” or your company logo.
- Download as a JPG and include it on your marketing materials!
WOW THEM
QR codes allow you to bring video content to printed materials. For instance, you might be promoting drain pipe unclogging in your local area, after weeks of heavy rain.
People are highly visual, and video is often the best way to explain a service they may not be familiar with.
Being able to show a video of you expertly clearing clogged drains or the impact a clogged drain pipe may have on a home, would be an excellent thing to include on your marketing flyer.
“SCAN ME to see how backed up your drain might be”
“SCAN ME to see how one clogged drainpipe could RUIN your house”
If this video is hosted on your website; you’ve expertly taken a potential customer, allowed them to engage with your marketing materials, AND driven them to your website… that’s pretty impressive stuff!
BE AHEAD OF THE GAME
We always say, look at what you’re competitors are doing, and more importantly, what they’re not doing.
It’s unlikely they have been forward-thinking and adapted QR codes into their marketing materials. This can give your business credibility and an edge over the competition, many QR sites allow you to include a logo too, which looks professional and sleek to a potential customer.
Overall, this holds minimal risk. It is a low buy-in cost to generate, it has the potential to drive customers to your website or content hosting pages, and is an effective way to track engagement!
Still not sure if this is right for you? Book a Strategy Session with Andy, owner of Dr. DRiP plumbing and co-founder of Lifestyle Tradie, to clarify your priorities and get clear action steps on where to take your business in 2021.
