Hey there, my fabulous listener, welcome to episode 238 of the Small Business Made Simple Podcast.

Thanks for lending me your ears today – I know you have lots of choices, so I sincerely appreciate me being one of them!

If you’re enjoying this podcast – I’d love you to take a screen shot and share it on your socials and tag me in it.  How cool would that be!

Don’t forget you can get the show notes for this podcast at www.socialmediaandmarketing.com.au/238

Did you have a listen into last week’s episode? My guest was retail expert Salena Knight and we talked about scaling your business and how it’s not a bad thing to want more.  Such an interesting conversation. Head back there if you didn’t listen in – www.socialmediaandmarketing.com.au/237

This week I wanted to chat with you about something I find myself talking about a lot to my clients when discussing different marketing techniques – QR Codes – short for Quick Response Code.

But before I get started, I wanted to give a shout out to this week’s podcast sponsor – Jo McKenzie of Call on Jo – the digital partner you have been looking for in your business.  Jo works with small businesses to reduce the tech overwhelm.  She’ll build your website, keep it updated and do all the troubleshooting.  Jo also does email marketing, social media and so much more.  So, if you need tech help, Call on Jo!  Get in touch via her website https://bit.ly/callonjo or check her out on Facebook and LinkedIn.  Those links are in the show notes at www.socialmediaandmarketing.com.au/238  –  If Tech is doing your head in, then Call on Jo!

Call on Jo Facebook: https://bit.ly/FacebookCallonJo LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/LinkedInCallonJo  

Now, back to QR Codes – I have long loved these little pieces of gold – I remember using them 10 years ago in marketing and had to explain how to use them – so they didn’t really work that well but now, now everyone knows how to use them thanks to the C thing that happened over the past 3 years.

So, I thought today, I might share with you 5 ways you could be using QR codes in your business to gain more traffic to your website (or somewhere else, up to you) and get more sales.  Now there’s a billion ways, perhaps, you could use them, but I’ll share just 5 to, hopefully, help you think outside the square with QR codes in your marketing.

But let’s start with where you could make a QR code.  My best suggestion is www.canva.com – if you don’t have an account already, you can sign up for free and create one.  But canva makes QR code building super easy – literally, in two or three clicks you can have one created and start using it.

To make one in Canva – choose a blank template, like an Instagram Post for example, in the left hand menu choose apps (or more) and then choose QR Code.  Put the website address you want to QR code to direct traffic to, click generate code and you’re done!  Simple yes?! But make sure you test it yourself before using it – make sure it does actually work!

Ok, so now you know how to create one, let’s talk about ways you can use them in your marketing.

1. Business Cards – whether you have a printed business card to physically hand to people or a digital version, a QR code is an amazing way of marketing 1 thing into loads of things! Scan my QR code and up pops a mobile friendly webpage created especially for meeting new people.  There’s a welcome and hi part to the page, there’s links to connect with you on your most active social platforms, your website link and maybe even a special freebie, specifically designed to surprise and delight new connections that you make.  A simple QR code could make your humble business card that’s normally just sharing phone numbers etc to a community building tool on steroids!  Pro Tip – you can be ever evolving the mobile friendly webpage that pops up, according to where your business is at any given time or your offerings as that won’t change the destination of the QR code – love that!
2. One thing we, as business owners, don’t really do that well is getting our customer’s insights and feedback. Often it’s because it’s hard to ask and we know our customers are busy, so how can we make it simple for them?  Enter QR codes.  Create a survey through Google Forms or Survey Monkey or the like, create a QR code to that address and use it to get customer feedback.  Simple for you and simple for them. Print it out and put it in your reception or counter, send it out with your orders to get direct feedback about your products, print it on your customer receipts.
3. Probably an obvious way to use QR codes is to use them to link to exclusive coupons or discounts or even competitions. Again, I think they work well in directing traffic to the exact place you want them to go. Using them here, making them exclusive, is a great way to build loyalty and incentivise sales in an innovative way.
4. Taking the example I gave when talking about business cards, think about how you could use QR codes in your business to surprise and delight your customer with a QR code scan. Maybe it’s an exclusive piece of video content for them, maybe it’s your favourite playlist on Spotify they’ll get to listen to (think the old fashioned mixtapes!), maybe it’s about story telling or giving more information on a product or service.  If it’s a product, maybe it’s suggestions on how else you could use the product, other than its original use.  I think about the Facebook group around Kmart products when I think about things with multiple uses.  Some people are very creative – but a simple example is what to use your old candle jars for when the candle is finished.  Pinterest has a thousand ideas, so imagine when someone buys your candle and then the QR code sends them to a Pinterest Board with loads of ideas of what they can do to recycle the candle when its done.  Customer experience – it’s everything in 2023.
5. Virtual Tours – If you have a physical location, create a QR code that links to a virtual tour of your business. This is a great way to showcase your products or services, and can also help to build trust with customers who may be hesitant to visit in person. Put some behind the scenes footage in there too – people love that stuff!  Or think Scavenger hunts using QR codes.  I’ve seen some great ideas used in zoos and on farm experiences involving QR codes which are a mixture of educational, fun facts and “find these things”.  Making marketing fun – who knew!

I have to say I do love a restaurant that offers QR code ordering!  I’ve seen them used well in TV commercials recently, and when music is being played on a TV, there’s a code to scan to get the music yourself – genius collaboration between brand and artist!

I’ve also seen them used well on wine bottles.  Using them for story telling but also, I think it was Brown Brothers that gave the purchaser an opportunity to tailor link as a gift to someone else.  So someone gets a bottle of wine as a gift, scans the QR code and it’s a personalised message from the person who gave it to them!  Now that’s using tech to create a great experience.  JC Penney in the US did something similar with Santa Tags and enabling personalised voice recordings.

Ralph Lauren has used QR codes to prevent their products from fake imitations.  They have incorporated unique QR codes in each of the items so it can be digitally identified and authenticated – now that’s brilliant.  If you create something unique and bespoke, how can you use QR codes to your advantage?

Other ways they can make business simpler for your customers are

• Used in the return process – scan this code to create a return note etc
• Providing product manuals rather than printed ones with products – save on paper and can be updated and amended where necessary
• Link to Customer Service information or FAQ pages quickly and easily

But one thing to think about when it comes to QR codes is where you will use them.  I do see them being used, in say, someone’s Instagram feed and I think to myself, “well I am actually on my phone, so I am not sure how I can use my camera to read them and be on Instagram at the same time?”.  So think logically about how your customer or client will use the QR code to scan, when thinking about what marketing you are going to use them in.

Got questions or thoughts? Or seen a great example of the use of QR codes?  Get in touch or head to the Facebook group – Like Minded Business Owners and share with everyone over there.

If you loved this episode and found it valuable, please take 30 seconds out of your day to leave me a rating and review if you want where you are listening.  One more goal of mine is to reach more people with this podcast, and you can help me achieve that, by leaving me a review!  Thanks in advance.

See you next week on the podcast for episode 239!

Thanks again to Call on Jo for sponsoring the podcast.  Don’t forget it you need tech help, Call on Jo!  Get in touch via her website https://bit.ly/callonjo – links are in my show notes of course.

But in the meantime, let’s hang out on social and get social on social – you’ll find me on Instagram, Facebook and my fav LinkedIn.

But whatever you do,

……..remember small business peep, as my opening song says, there’s no point in dreaming small!