Mobile Marketing Blog of Doral Based Aday Interactive in South Florida

Mobile Marketing: So what is a QR Code?

October 14, 2011 by Brandon Aday | 0 comments

Are you crazy for QR codes, or are you still wondering what is a QR code? If you are not a techie, or not from Japan, you may be wondering why people are putting these weird blocky images on everything from business cards, product catalogs and even roof tops. According to Internet Retailing, at least 14 million Americans scanned QR codes in June 2011, so you can imagine this number has increased significantly in the past few months. This post will tell you what a QR code is and how you can use QR Codes to promote your company, products and services to this growing market!

Let's start with the basics: What is a QR code? QR stands for Quick Response code, and it is similar to the UPC codes which have been found on most retail products for many years. You can scan QR codes with special software that you install on your smart phone, and they will link you to files online. It may shoot back an image or text, but more likely will send your phone to a web page. As with many cool gadgets, QR codes originated in Japan, and have been widely used there for about a decade already. They gained more exposure in the US due to the rise in use of smart phones such as the iPhone and Android based phones. These mobile devices often come with bar code or QR code scanner software pre-installed, or they have them available for a free download in their respective App marketplaces.

Once you have QR code scanning software installed, you can scan a QR code with the camera on your phone. If the QR code works correctly, your phone will send you back a link to an image, text or web address that is associated with it. From there, you can choose to open the link in your mobile web browser, without having to type in the address manually. This is useful, because it means people can simply scan your business card or post card, and they can be taken to your website. Below is an example of a promotional post card for Aday Interactive, that also includes a QR code on the lower left corner. You can scan it if you like, and it should bring you to my home page on your smart phone.

QR Code on Aday Interactive Post Card

How to Create a QR Code

Now you may be wondering "How can I create a QR code"? Well it is easier than you think to create a QR code! First, you have to have something to share, like a web page with a special message or promotion. Ideally this page will be optimized for a mobile phone. Once you have page or link you want to promote, go to a site that generates QR codes for you, like QuikQR (http://quikqr.com/) or Bit.ly (http://bit.ly ). Below is a quick walk through for creating a QR code with Bit.ly. First go to the website, and enter a web address into the large box that shortens your web address.

Bit.ly allows you to customize the shortened web address to say whatever you like. In this example, I change the address to http://bit.ly/adayintPPTMMQrCode/.

After you create your shortened address and customize it (optional), click on the "Info Page+" link to see your new QR Code image. Now test out the QR code to make sure it works properly. If it does, copy the QR code to your computer and send the image file to your graphic designer or digital marketing specialist, to use in your next campaign, and you will have entered the world of mobile marketing!

Now I personally like to use Bit.ly to create my QR codes, since they provide many analytics and reporting tools to track your QR code usage and traffic. This allows me to track what QR codes are being scanned, and which of my promotions are working. For example, I have QR codes on my business card, promotional post cards (see above) and my email signature. If people scan these QR codes, I can see which code is sending the people to my site. I suggest you keep all of your QR codes in an Excel Spreadsheet or Google Docs, to keep track of them for each campaign you use them for.

QR Codes and Digital Marketing

Where do QR codes fit in with your digital marketing strategy or online community building efforts? Well they can be placed on marketing materials such as catalogs, brochures, post cards and stationary. You can also use them on posters, signs, banners and other large promotional matetials. Want to put QR codes on a T-Shirt? If so, check out QR Stuff (http://www.qrstuff.com), which allows you to create QR codes specifically to place on t-shirts, hoodies, cups, bags, or buttons. Want to get your QR code customized? You can create branded QR codes using a service that embeds your logo and customizes your QR code like QRLicious (http://www.qrlicious.com). This is a great way to make your QR code stand out, in a sea of bland black and white blogs. You can see the QR Code on the side for an example of how you can modify your QR Code.

Does this mean QR codes are perfect for everyone, or that they will generate tons of business for you immediately? Of course not. Like any other marketing tool, you need to explore how they will best fit your business needs, to reach your target audience. They are also not without their faults....For example, they can be complicated for people to scan, people may not know what they are used for or how to use them. Many people still don't even have a smart phone! The bottom line though is that the market for QR codes is growing and will only continue to get larger everyday. The more people use smart phones, the more they will be exposed to QR codes. It is best to learn how to use them now, because your competitors probably already are, and there are many opportunities for you to include QR codes in your marketing campaigns. They can help connect the offline world with the online world. They can prompt people to join your newsletter, follow you on Twitter, "Like" your Facebook Fan Page, or connect with you on your LinkedIn company profile.

So want to get started? Here are some web pages and articles you can check out before you dive in: QR_Codes on WikiPedia, QR codes: a barcode on steroids, QR Code: marketing for the smartphone ERA, Designer QR codes: world famous outside New Zealand.(BIZ TECH): An article from: NZ Business, and How QR codes can generate leads for your business. There are also several books written about QR Codes. Some that you might want to check out are Scan Me - Everybody's Guide to the Magical World of QR Codes, Introducing the QR Code: the Reality & the Magic: A QR Code primer, and QR Codes: The Ultimate Guidebook. Of course, you can also contact Aday Interactive at 305-918-2329 (ADAY) or schedule a consultation today, to help you integrate QR codes into your mobile marketing strategy!

Mobile Marketing: Push Technology and SMS

October 6, 2011 by Brandon Aday | 0 comments

Over the past few months this blog has focused mainly on building online community using Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, and other social tools. This post is going to be the first in a series on mobile marketing technologies, including socially connected software and business related phone apps. The future of the internet is in mobile devices, and in the past few years, we have seen how smart phones like the Apple iPhone , Android devices such as the Motorola Droid, and even basic feature phones can be great tools in promoting your company. This post focuses on push technology and how you can use SMS Marketing to promote your company and services.

So what is Push Technology? It actually refers to sending direct messages or communications to a push capable client (i.e. mobile phone or tablet) from a centralized broadcast server (i.e. the messaging server). This differs from pull technology, where the client requests specific data from a server, and the server responds by sending data to the device, which is how you would browse a website. Instead push technology allows a users to "subscribe' to certain messaging channels that will be broadcasting messages to users.

Push messages can be sent using may different methods for data transmission. The most common push technology is Short Message Service (SMS), which is used for sending text messages from one mobile phone to another. If you haven’t heard of SMS, you either don’t have a modern phone, or have never seen a teenager communicate (since they use text more than voice calls). Similar to SMS is Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), which uses both SMS and Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) to deliver multimedia messages. This is used for sending pictures and video from one phone to the next. Using these tools you can broadcast a message that can actually activate applications or alerts on a WAP enabled phone. This can include a short text message, a hyperlink, image or multimedia file. These messages can be opened using text messaging software, image/multimedia viewers and web browsers.

There are many different uses for SMS technologies, such as SMS-to-email and email-to-SMS, Machine-to-Machine SMS, cell broadcast, and please-call-me messages. A great example of a Please-call-me messages can be used to send a message asking your customers to call you back within a certain time period to get a special rate or discount. The receiver of the message would get the message as a text (i.e. 'Please call for a special promotion'), along with your phone number to call back from the text. SMS-to-email and email-to-SMS are available at no additional cost on many mobile networks. Email-to-SMS specifically can be useful for sending a small number of free messages, using the mobile operator's SMS gateways, however, most operators restrict the number of free SMS’s that can be sent each day. In addition, the sender would need to know the service provider of each of the people they are sending messages to which can be obtained, if the person had to sign up to an opt-in phone list.

SMS has a lot of potential for marketing, as it allows for communications to go directly to a customer’s mobile phone from a centralized server. This has a number of benefits to as it can enhance your overall marketing strategy, while reducing the costs of communication. For example, there are no costs for physical goods, such as printing flyers or other collateral. It is also possible to personalize the messaging, similar to e-mail, since the device has a single owner who will likely have it with them all day. Sending out messages using a broadcast server also can provide delivery reporting, similar to an e-mail management system, to follow bounce rates and other similar metrics. The message also forces a certain level of interactivity, as the phone owner are likely to view the new messages and updates they receive as they come in or soon after. Finally, messages can be broadcast directly to multiple customers at the same time, in a very targeted manner, reducing the number of uninterested customers receiving your messaging.

To launch an SMS campaign you can use a commercial service, or you can purchase software to do it yourself in-house. There are many commercial providers who offer bulk SMS services such as 84444.com (http://www. 84444.com ) or Clickatell (http://www.clickatell.com/). There are also software packages such as Bulk SMS Software (http://www.bulksmssoftware.net) and SMS Caster (http://www.smscaster.com/) which can be used to send SMS messages from the desktop. There are many resources you can use to learn more about developing your mobile marketing campaign. A good place to start is the Mobile Marketing Association (http://mmaglobal.com), which provides guidelines, resources, best practices and general research on mobile marketing. Another great site is Mobile Marketing Watch (http://www.mobilemarketingwatch.com/), which provides industry news and resources on mobile marketing. You can also find books on the subject including Mobile Marketing For Dummies, The Mobile Marketing Handbook; A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Dynamic Mobile Marketing Campaigns, Mobile Web 2.0: The Innovator's Guide to Developing and Marketing Next Generation Wireless/Mobile Applications, Mobile Messaging Technologies and Services: SMS, EMS and MMS, and Short Message Service (SMS): The Creation of Personal Global Text Messaging.

If you wanted to start using push marketing, I suggest that you start off with a a small pilot targeting a specific group of current customers, whom would opt into allowing SMS messages to be sent to their phones. You can test the responsiveness of your sample group by tracking website visits, downloads or phones calls that stem from your new mobile campaign. I would also suggest you use a commercial service such as Clickatell (http://www.clickatell.com/) or 84444.com (http://www. 84444.com ) , which have analytics and statistics tools that allow you to determine open rates and click through rates, similar to email service providers. This will allow you to see how well your campaign is going, and track which message have the best conversion rates. If you are interested in knowing more or would like to discuss your mobile marketing campaign, and how it fits into your overall digital marketing strategy, please call 305-918-ADAY (2329) or schedule a consultation today!