Have you noticed a drop in your email engagement lately? QR Codes are a proven way to improve your campaigns as a part of your larger marketing efforts. QR Codes can be used to help marketers connect with customers and customers with the brand.
These flexible barcodes are increasingly more valuable for interactive and measurable marketing. More than a novelty, they give customers a fast and easy way to take action (before they forget). They help marketers track the promotions, products, and services that have the most impact.
We’ll look at how QR Codes work, how markets can use them for email campaigns, and why the right QR Code generator can elevate your success rates.
The rise of QR Codes in email marketing
The marketing community has embraced QR Codes because they’re cost-effective, pique people’s curiosity, and streamline the user experience. Email remains one of the most cost-effective strategies. The more dimension you can add to it, the better your ROI.
The rise in QR Code solutions is largely evidenced by the rise in availability across well-known platforms and organizations. Brick-and-mortar stores, e-commerce brands, event planners, and hybrid retail brands can spice up their messaging and improve engagement by adding custom codes.
Marketers can use QR Codes on printed materials, such as business cards, vCards, or promotional posters, as a way to send people directly to the contact information of an individual or to a prefilled email.
For instance, restaurants may encourage email feedback by placing a QR Code on individual table tents. When customers scan the code, it takes them to a prefilled email that prompts short responses about the quality of the staff, food, etc.
They can also improve digital marketing efforts by shortening the steps from the initial email to the final phase. Whether directing customers to a jpg or a white paper, a QR Code is interactive and simple to use.
Codes can also be used across the spectrum. From iOS to Gmail, practically every device and platform can accept and process the images. Ubiquitous enough to be used around the globe, QR Codes gain traction year after year.
How QR Codes can enhance email engagement
Because QR Codes are so versatile, marketers need to be specific about what they’re looking for. Marketers must first align the purpose of the QR Code with the campaign’s larger marketing goals. We’ll look at why you might work them in.
Boosting interactive elements in emails
A unique QR Code encourages customers to engage with marketing materials and the brand in a new way. For instance, a desktop user can use a QR Code to instantly open a brand website on their phone and test the latest features.
Businesses can also use them on printed materials to direct people to respond via email. E-commerce sellers might even use QR Codes on product packaging as a way to encourage email communication if there’s a problem with the shipment or product.
Personalizing the user experience
Marketers can generate Dynamic QR Codes for audience segments in each email campaign. When the customer scans the code, they see an offer or update relevant to them.
A QR Code generator can create codes for every email. Integrating this into your strategy is simple and safe when you choose the right QR Code technology. Bitly’s QR Code tool puts you in the driver’s seat so you can send more relevant content to each customer.
Simplifying the call-to-action process
QR Codes make your call to action clearer. Easy to see and scan, they’re less likely to get lost in the rest of the content. When customers know what to do, even if they only read half of the text in the email, it’s easier to get them to take the next step.
Fortunately, it’s as easy to generate QR Codes as it is for customers to use them. If you’re wondering how to make a QR Code using Bitly, it can be created and customized in just a few taps.
Measuring email marketing campaign effectiveness using QR Codes
Measuring email campaigns is simple with QR Code marketing. With built-in tracking capabilities, it’s easy to see which campaigns hit the mark.
User engagement
As with any email you send, your demographic will be more tuned in at certain times than others. Use QR Codes to see how many people scanned, their locations, and the devices they used.
QR Codes make it easy to draw engagement lines across device types. For instance, maybe your Android users are more likely to engage with email in the morning than iOS users.
QR Codes monitor which sections of the email were most effective, helping you reduce clutter in your emails. For instance, if you send an email promoting four products and only see engagement with two, you can focus on what sold and switch up strategies with the others.
Behavior and preferences
QR Code analytics are rich in detail, revealing interaction times, content types, and user preferences. The data can show whether a custom web page is more interesting than a general landing page or if social media content is king with your highest spending bracket.
Marketers can use this information to segment lists into detailed cross-sections. So, if you promote to customers across income types, social values, and locations, you can adjust content to match their interests and needs.
ROI measurement
Dynamic QR Codes will link to any given content, and that link is the key to tracking your campaign performance. (Note: Static QR Codes cannot track any performance metrics.)
Bitly’s QR Code tool provides marketers with rich dashboards where they can glean performance metrics at a glance. When you know how well your campaign measured up, it’s easier to argue for additional resources for email promotions. The more data you have, the easier it is to justify each dollar.
Email campaign A/B testing
QR Codes add quantifiable metrics to each A/B test, giving you more insights to work with. For instance, you might use a large custom QR Code in the middle of your content to drive traffic to a new feature or flash sale for Test A, and a smaller custom QR Code at the bottom of the email for Test B.
You can see which one performed best by tracking click-through rates and conversions. For brands that struggle with disproportionate results, QR tests can level out your strategies.
Examples and use cases for customized email QR Codes
QR Codes in email can be tricky, largely because people can access their email from any device. We’ll look at where they’re effective and how to harness their benefits.
Subscription processes
Signing up for a subscription, newsletter, or ongoing service can be a pain for customers. Despite the influx of automated technology, not everyone is eager to commit to another obligation.
But with QR Codes, customers can scan and immediately go to a prefilled email subscription form. The flow may make them less hesitant to take the plunge when they’re already intrigued.
In this respect, QR Codes aren’t just user-friendly—they’re more efficient for the brand. Marketers don’t have to worry about typos or other errors during the sign-up process.
Access to exclusive or loyalty content
QR Codes are most effective when you have a special offer for the customer. This might be an exclusive product, inside access, or member-only discount. You can even use them to spark mystery or excitement with your most loyal customers.
For instance, you might provide a QR Code that links users to free merchandise for being a loyalty member. You might be surprised at the buzz an email campaign can generate if you establish scanning QR Codes as the reward for your best customers.
E-commerce transactions
E-commerce transactions can be stalled or halted for any number of reasons. QR Code campaigns facilitate transactions directly through the email, and streamline the buyer’s journey.
With e-commerce especially, it doesn’t take much to derail or distract a customer. QR Codes shorten the time they need to go from interest to purchase. Plus, customers are more likely to associate your brand with convenience afterward.
Multimedia content
From demos to behind-the-scenes photos, QR Codes can send your customers on a journey. With QR Codes, you expand your canvas, making it as large as you need it to be.
You’re not limited by the pixel count, email app, or smartphone camera. Customers have an easy way to access larger files. For example, you can have customers scan a QR Code that makes it easy to send a request for a free downloadable video guide or image resource they need. If you’re big on switching up content (and engagement strategies), these barcodes add a valuable tool to your master kit.
Direct product downloads
Marketers can introduce scannable QR Codes to download any digital asset via email, including whitepapers, terms and conditions, and product downloads. This function can make it easier for customers to access and peruse information by eliminating multiple clicks to reach the destination.
Create QR Codes for your email campaigns with Bitly
QR Codes are a way to grab the attention of busy customers bombarded by endless demands of their time and attention per day. If you’re looking for an easy way to create, customize, and track QR Codes, Bitly makes it simple to integrate them into your email campaigns.
What to experiment with QR Codes for your email campaigns? Get started with Bitly today.
