As a B2B marketer, you and I don’t have to be the technical experts on mobile. There are plenty of vendors that specialize in those services that you ought to use.
But we do need to understand the importance of integrating mobile into the mix.
Today I’m going to zero in on one easy aspect of mobile marketing any of us can do on our own: Ways you can integrate 2D barcodes into your B2B marketing.
There are several types of 2D barcodes but the prevalent default is the QR code. Here’s a sample QR code for Wikipedia. 
Used correctly, QR codes can:
- generate leads
- take prospects a step farther into the buying cycle
- increase loyalty by engaging prospects and clients
- answer questions; provide more information; and simply be helpful to your prospects, customers and clients
You can have your QR code drive traffic to a mobile-optimized landing page on your website. Or it can display a video about a product or service. Or maybe it displays text, gives them a mobile coupon, or any number of promotions or calls-to-action.
6 Step QR Code Process
I just tuned into a webcast hosted by Hubspot on mobile marketing. It covered a multitude of topics but with regard to QR codes they listed six steps:
1 – Create a unique landing page for the QR code that’s mobile-optimized
2 – Generate the 2D code (e.g., QR code). Many generators are free and EASY to use.
3 – Deploy the code
4 – Users scan the code
5 – Users driven to promotion
6 – Marketer collects data
Let’s zero-in on #3, deploy the code.
You want to get your code and what it’s promoting in front of as many eyeballs as possible. Examples of how you can accomplish this include:
- add to case studies or white papers for a product demo video
- add it to sales brochures and presentations
- add it to a press release
- add it to direct mail
- put it on your website
- use social media including Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+, your blog, etc.
- publish it in a newspaper or magazine article
Exactly which channels you might vary depending on what you’re promoting, your business goals, and your call-to-action.
How about this? Add QR codes to your products. When scanned, customers might end up on your mobile-friendly customer service web page; or receive a phone number or email address for customer service … tech support … how to use tips and video … or whatever makes sense for your product.
QR codes can make anything interactive – direct mail letters, signs in a building or along the sidewalk or in public transportation, and again also in sales brochures (e.g., leave behind marketing pieces), or even your business card. However, they’re not always the best for highway billboards where people are in heavy traffic and/or travelling at high speeds. There you may want to stick to a simple vanity URL people can easily remember.
The point I want to make is that QR codes can improve the experience prospects and clients have with your B2B company. They make it convenient for people to learn more, get help, fill out request forms, and interact with your company in a variety of ways.
Using QR codes also means your business is where people are spending their time … on mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones. To reach prospects and generate leads you need to be where they are.
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Brilliant find!
I love the Wikipedia QR code shown in the example. The 6 points are perfect for those thinking about how to use their own codes in the media.
I have seen a huge uptake in 2d barcodes in the media in South Africa over the last 3 months – probably due to the large amount of mobile phones around and the few Internet connected pc’s.
I wonder if the growth regarding the use of 2d barcodes in Africa will follow the same pattern; perhaps largely due to the same reasons.
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