How common or useful is using QR codes in coworking?

[Ender Baykal]

Hello all!

Hope you all had a good weekend. We, as Indiegrove attended to the Small Business Expo on last Thursday and it was very good. In one of those presentations during the Expo, using QR codes behind the business or postcards would be very useful said the speaker. I am not sure how right he is and that's why I opened this discussion. What do you think about using QR codes when it comes to selling the coworking ? I don't think a fair amount of people use the QR codes nowadays, it's just not easy to use in my view. All comments/suggestions are welcomed.

Thanks!

-Ender 

www.indiegrovejc.com

[Aaron Cruikshank]

Marketing profs writes a lot on the use of qr codes. This article is good:

http://m.marketingprofs.com/articles/2014/24499/proper-and-improper-use-of-qr-codes-10-great-examples-of-each

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[rachel young]

I'm totally stealing this idea for a conference:

"10. Scandinavian Airlines put together one of the most exciting promotions ever: the ad campaign required two smartphones (side-by-side) to scan the QR code to receive the deal. This campaign boosted revenue and got more people to fly together."

r.

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rac...@camaraderie.ca

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[Ramon Suarez]

Not useful at all. Most people do hot even try scanning them because it is too cumbersome. If you print them on t-shirts or stick them to a curved surface they will not scan. It is an old marketing gimmick that has no impact.

[Angel Kwiatkowski]

Not useful. My main gripe with them is how freaking ugly they are. It ruins a visual brand.

[Chad Ballantyne]

Agreed.  UGLY!  I would get over the ugliness if they prove to be UBER effective.  Show me the data.

Chad Ballantyne

705.812.0689

ch...@thecreativespace.ca

Barrie's Coworking Community

Perfect for small businesses, startups and entrepreneurs.

12 Dunlop St E, Barrie Ontario, L4M 1A3

Memberships start at $25/mth

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[rachel young]

I disagree. I've had some success with them, but it's not overall a great strategy. It requires someone to a) know what they are, b) have a scanner on their phones or devices, and c) have an internet connection to those devices. At some tech events I've been to, all three points were checked off and information flowed smoothly. The success I had with them was when I placed an ad in my local independent movie theatre's pre-show advertisements. They were a captive audience and it gave them something else to look at waiting for the movie to start, but it was also tied in to a promotion involving their ticket stubs. We got some new members as a result, plus it gave us yet another thing (the movie) to talk about when they came in.

So they can work, but they have to be very strategic.

r.

____________________
rachel young
rac...@camaraderie.ca

We're located at 2241 Dundas St W, 3rd floor

(between Bloor and Roncesvalles)

Find us online:

Website/blog and Newsletter, Twitter, 

Facebook, Google+, Yelp, and LinkedIn

We're a proud member of CoworkingToronto, 

CoworkingOntario, and CoworkingCanada!

[Alex Hillman]

Ugliness aside (which I agree), the thing I don't like about QR codes is that they generally create more work for people than they replace. 

The most useful QR codes I've seen used are in reverse from how everyone usually describes them: when the person/customer/etc has a personal QR code on a tag/sticker/badge/etc, and the business/operator has the reader set up.

Example: digital check-in, scanning loyalty cards, etc. You could have QR codes on name badges, for instance, and put out iPads or laptops with cameras that do something automatically when a code is scanned.

This takes away a lot of the questions "what is this thing, what do I do with it" as well as the need to download an app or ask the user to do extra work for you.

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/ah
indyhall.org
coworking in philadelphia

[Chad Ballantyne]

You hit the nail on the head, Rachel.  You need a great strategy (if you know what you are doing) and with any marketing - a targeted and captive market.

And if you don't know what you are doing you'll need to pay someone who does! (Like you Rachel!) :)  Therefore most people use them poorly and with that, they've garnered a bad rep.

Still.ugly! :)

Chad Ballantyne

705.812.0689

ch...@thecreativespace.ca

Barrie's Coworking Community

Perfect for small businesses, startups and entrepreneurs.

12 Dunlop St E, Barrie Ontario, L4M 1A3

Memberships start at $25/mth

www.thecreativespace.ca

705-812-0689

[Ender Baykal]

I totally agree with Alex Hillman! Very good point. I always use apps with qr codes and go to the stores like Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks and have the cashier read my iPhone screen with the barcode scanner, no more cash exchange or more work. 

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Ender Baykal

Business Specialist

Indiegrove

121 Newark Avenue

5th Floor

Jersey City, NJ 07302

(201) 589-2068

www.indiegrovejc.com

[Jane Behr]

Agree that strategic thinking is important - Rachel's example is perfect.

There are ways to make them less ugly these days - here are some well designed QR codes.

I like this idea: If you want to get someone to fill out a form or survey , a QR code linking to an online form might work.

[Marcelo Figueroa]

Angel. 

If ugly is what you do not like, brand your QR code.

check out www.visualed.com

regards

MF

[Marcelo Figueroa]

People,

you must think outside the box to make something like a QR code work in your favor, I hear lots of people here saying they look ugly but your are not going to marry the code and neither does your customer. if they look ugly then brand it to work in your favor.

There are multiple ways to use QR codes not only for this type business but for any other because they can keep lots of useful information within like: promotions, discounts, ID's, maps, etc. be creative and do  not settle for the uglyness of it.

the question is not whether I like it or not but how can the use of a QR code can benefit my customer (to attract them or make them remain loyal).

regards

MF