If you haven’t heard yet, according to Morgan Stanley, internet usage from mobile devices will surpass usage from desktop computers within the next 5 years. This is a marketing game changer.
Why? Try typing on a mobile device — even the uber-popular iPad is not designed for inputting content. Phones with full keyboards and new technologies such as Swype make it somewhat easier, but typing on a mobile device is far interior to a traditional keyboard.
While marketers have been including URLs on their marketing for many years, they will need to find ways to make it easier to drive people to their web content on mobile devices. AND, they will need to make sure that their web pages are formatted appropriately on a cell phone, smartphone, or tablet.
A barcode technology called Quick Response Codes or QR Codes has been gaining popularity in the US for the last year (they’ve been in use in Europe and Japan for several years already). These QR codes embed a web address or contact information that is easily decoded by numerous “apps” installed on smart phones. And, if implemented properly, these QR codes provide real-time tracking information directly to the marketer — letting them know how many people used the QR code, what mobile device they used, etc. Advertisers can even send a unique 2d barcode to each individual recipient and then track which recipients used their codes.
And, consumers can visit your web site without typing anything on their smartphone.
Take a look at some of the magazines and catalogs you receive every day. Watch for these QR codes and try one on your next campaign.
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