When a single video can cost thousands to produce and market, marketers need their demographic to see it. Whether it’s a demo, commercial, or short documentary, QR Codes can be an effective way to share and spread the message.
These codes don’t just make videos more accessible by removing viewing barriers—they can also increase engagement. The two work hand-in-hand with your larger marketing efforts, seamlessly weaving in your videos with print or other digital materials.
With QR Codes, marketers can easily share videos with their audience, followers can share them with their friends, and on and on it goes. If you’re ready to test it out, take a look at these benefits, ideas, and best practices.
Benefits of using QR Codes for video
A QR Code is a type of barcode that can link to digital video content. Instead of navigating to a website themselves, customers scan a two-dimensional code that instantly transports them to the video’s URL. This seemingly small shortcut can have a bigger impact than many marketers realize, offering:
Increased engagement
A QR Code for a video serves as an invite to the customer. Even more than QR Codes for websites, the dynamic nature of video serves to instantly engage the customer. If you’re marketing an exciting new product or promotion, videos share the details customers need to make more informed decisions.
With video content, you can speak directly to customers’ needs or concerns. Already more exciting than long text blocks or even infographics, videos retain customer attention for longer and encourage better interactions with the brand.
Accessibility
QR Code scanners are everywhere these days, and it’s usually just a matter of opening a camera app on a smartphone. Virtually wherever a customer is, they’re just seconds from dynamic multimedia content.
Whether it’s a YouTube link, your website, or an affiliate site, it’s an easy way to adapt your marketing materials to a new generation of consumers. There’s no need to navigate through complex menus or remember URLs—your audience just has to scan for access.
QR Code solutions make content available on virtually any device or platform. There’s no need to appeal solely to iOS or Android users or force a software update to view. For brands that cater to multiple demographics, removing these technical barriers promotes inclusivity.
Ease of sharing
There are few limits on QR Code placement, making it one of the most versatile marketing tactics. You can print them on nearly any surface, including cloth or vinyl, for digital sharing. They’re right at home with viral marketing campaigns, social sharing, and broad distribution.
If you want to integrate video QR Codes into your marketing efforts, it starts with understanding how customers access and share content. For instance, a younger generation may be more likely to seek out social connection pioneers like BeReal, which they may see as more authentic than traditional social media.
No matter who your audience is, maximizing shareability starts with finding their offline and virtual hangouts. When you use QR Codes for business, focus on placing them in strategic areas, whether that’s in-store or on Instagram, that will give you the best returns.
Innovative ways to use QR Codes for video content
When surveyed, 93% of consumers reported that watching videos is helpful before purchasing a product. With Dynamic QR Codes, you can even print Codes for video content that isn’t ready yet and then update the video file when the footage is complete.
With that in mind, let’s look at a few innovative strategies to spark your imagination.
Marketing campaigns
You can integrate QR Codes into both print and digital marketing strategies. They’re an effective way to bridge the gap between the two and bring your offline audience online. Engaging content and strategic placement can go a long way toward increasing customer interest, which can eventually lead to customer loyalty.
For instance, let’s say you’re having a big sale and running promo videos directly on social media and your landing page. You can also print a QR Code for in-store displays or send the code to your email followers.
This way, the casual customer has additional ways to learn about the sale, and an exciting video gives them a reason to mark the date on their calendars.
Educational purposes
Interactive video content, such as tutorials or short classes, can do wonders to explain a brand and its products or services. If you produce educational materials, like pamphlets, flyers, or brochures, you can print QR Codes on these materials to expand the content.
For instance, let’s say an ethical trade coffee company prints small “Thank You” cards that share how they source their coffee. They could add QR Codes to these cards that link to a short video about the harvesting process. It’s a fun and interesting way to showcase not only what the company is doing, but also how the coffee winds up in the customer’s kitchen.
Event engagement
Whether it’s a concert or convention, drumming up excitement for an event is integral to its success. Use QR Codes to share video content before, during, or after, increasing engagement at every level. Videos allow viewers to really absorb the affair, whether they attend or not. By making videos more accessible with QR Codes, your event has even more reach.
Say a company hires a social media influencer to speak in front of a live and social media audience. They could use QR Codes to promote the event across multiple channels, including print ads, billboards, and event landing pages. These video links can be a sneak peek to encourage sign up.
During the event, people can either visit social media pages or scan QR Codes from wherever they are to join in. Afterward, they can link a QR Code to either the full event or the highlights.
Product demonstrations
If a product is complex or has multiple uses, demos are often the bridge between interest and purchase. Make these product demonstrations more accessible with QR Codes for an immersive shopping experience.
Let’s say you’re selling contouring makeup that provides near-instant results. You can print a QR Code directly on the product packaging that links to a demo on how to apply. More effective than a model’s face on an in-store display, video instructions show people how to use the product from start to finish.
Real estate visibility
Virtual tours and video presentations show off property amenities in ways pictures can’t. With virtual reality (VR), prospective buyers can wander around the residential or commercial property, absorbing its dimensions and attributes. With video tours, they can see the flow of the property and get a better sense of its surroundings.
QR Codes instantly link buyers to these tours or presentations, encouraging people to poke around a property they otherwise might have dismissed. That kind of extra interest can inspire bidding wars that drive up the sale price.
You can adapt this strategy for any property, even in neighborhoods where inventory gets snatched up as soon as it’s listed. Residential agents might print flyers with QR Codes to hang up around the immediate area, while commercial agents might send QR Codes to their email lists.
Best practices to follow to create QR Codes for videos
Dynamic QR Codes are easy to generate and implement. If you’re wondering how to make a QR Code, you can find free QR Code generators, like Bitly, that will mesh with the many different mobile devices of the world.
However, there are a few key best practices to keep in mind if you’re using this strategy specifically for videos.
Optimize video content for mobile use
You can scan QR Codes with a tablet, laptop, or smart glasses, but the vast majority of people use their mobile devices to scan. If the video content isn’t optimized for mobile use, it will make for a frustrating viewer experience.
Consider video resolution, loading times, and video hosting platforms before you post or print a QR Code. Ideally, you should test the content on a number of devices, including older smartphone models, to ensure it works.
It doesn’t have to be in 4K with zero lag time, but it should have reasonable picture and sound quality and stream without interruption.
Link to short, engaging videos
You want your video to be concise and engaging, holding the viewer’s attention span from start to finish. The storytelling and pacing of your video, regardless of whether it’s a stunt or a demo, will be vital to its success.
You want to hook viewers in and give them a narrative they’ll remember. At the end, deliver a clear call to action that tells customers exactly what you want them to do.
So, if you were promoting a new product, you might start with past customer feedback that inspired its creation. From there, you can showcase the product both on display and in use.
Move everything along at a fast clip, and then end with an invitation to visit the product’s landing page or test it out in stores. The goal is not to overwhelm the viewer but to ensure they get a good overview of your product and where to find it before they move on.
Customize your QR Code design
QR Codes are usually black-and-white squares, but they don’t have to be. Custom designs can take video content to the next level, making the advertising more attractive and reinforcing your brand identity.
Bitly’s QR Code generator makes it simple to insert your company’s logo and adjust the background colors. These finishing touches really make the QR Code jump off the page.
Your customers may not always express it, but these custom additions can go a long way in imprinting your brand in their minds. Plus, if your QR Codes are creative, both in terms of placement and design, it’s a subtle message that your video content is just as clever.
Provide clear instructions
We recommend clear, concise instructions when using QR Codes to link video content. For instance, you might print “Scan below for a video tour!” on a flyer for a residential property. This tells a prospective customer exactly what they can expect when they scan.
A compelling call to action entices people to act on their curiosity. It should be simple but descriptive. For instance, if you set up the beginning of a story in print and then tell the end of the story via video, it can be as simple as “Scan to see what happens next!” Whether you’re informing or intriguing, QR Codes should finish what the ad starts.
Track and analyze performance
You can track QR Code scans and engagement to better understand viewer patterns. For example, you might see a higher number of scans if you embed the code in a large poster than in a small flyer (or vice versa). Or your customers may be more likely to watch the full video if they scan a QR Code in the evening as opposed to the afternoon.
The more data you have, the better you can adjust print and digital campaigns for optimal performance. It’s fewer wasted marketing dollars and more conversions. You can also get a better sense of which videos are resonating with your audience.
If your QR Code scans are consistent across the board, it comes down to how long the customer spends on each video and what they do after they’ve finished watching.
Get the most out of QR Codes for your video strategy with Bitly
The applications of QR Code marketing are nearly limitless, and it appeals to marketers and brands because it works. Plus, it’s one of the most cost-effective strategies you can find.
When video content takes time, money, and effort to make, custom QR Codes are a simple but effective way to get the word out. With the right placement, you encourage people to engage without pesky technical obstacles.
If you want your digital content distribution to stay ahead of the curve, check out Bitly’s QR Code generator today!