What’s the deal with QR codes? How you can use them to market your business.

You may have seen QR codes.

They’re the odd looking square “bar” codes, just like the one on this blueberry container below.

According to this article on Mashable.com

“ 20.1 million mobile phone owners in the U.S. used their devices to scan a QR code in the three-month average period ending October 2011. In the big scheme of things, this isn’t a large number. However, the number of people using QR codes is expected to grow.”

 Using an “app” on your smartphone (I use one simply called “Scan”), you scan in the code and your phone synchronizes with the internet. Essentially, the QR code is a hotlink – and it opens your browser to a website. Whatever website the company has directed it to.

This QR code directed me to the following site:

Their primary objective is they  want me to “Meet the Owner”. Because I purchased the blueberries from a grocery store, perhaps they want the consumer to realize there are farmers behind the crops they are purchasing. They want to put a face behind the blueberries.

If this were my client? I’d direct the consumer to a mouthwatering recipe that would make me HAVE to buy the product.

Or better yet, have the QR code direct me to a coupon that can be scanned in at checkout.

(But, having said this…I’m not going to take the time to scan in each produce item as I’m grocery shopping.)

Since they aren’t widely used yet, you might be “first to market” this marketing concept for your business. Just be sure to make your offer compelling and useful.

So how can you use QR codes for your business?

Think of QR codes as a hotlink from “real life” to the virtual world.

Just a few caveats and tips:

1. Do not jump into using QR codes just because you can.
2. Think of your strategy (what are your objectives).
   Think of your audience (are they digitally savvy enough to know how to use them?)
3. The QR code should be provided in a place where people have access to an Internet connection. When people are in the subway/elevator, the connection may not be strong enough. If they have to save and look at it later, you may have lost the opportunity to connect with them.
4. Take into account that size matters. You want it to be accessible enough for people to scan it in. Too big or too small will not be effective.
5. Ideally you want to give people a REASON to scan the QR code. A bar code is not enough of an incentive for people to take the time and scan it in without a call-to-action. WHY should they scan it? What will they get?

So you’ve decided that QR codes work with your demographic, what ways can can you integrate your traditional “offline” marketing and direct people to your online channels?

Allow people to download something for free. Do you have something your customers want? Information, tips, white papers, studies, recipes, etc?

• Wine companies have QR codes on the bottles to direct the consumer to their website, to describe the wine or to provide pairing suggestions.
• Golf courses can use QR codes at beginning of each hole which will lead to a video of your Golf Pro giving quick tips.
• Direct people to sign up to your newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter feed. Remember: anything they have to do to log-in is a barrier so make it as easy as possible.
• If you have a bricks-and-mortar, use a QR code on your door or window display for those who are window shopping when you’re closed.

I LOVE this idea from JCPenney.

The gift buyer could use the QR code to include a personalized message. Perfect for “Secret Santa”!

And from the same Mashable article, think about using a QR code to encourage people to integrate with Google. Ask your customers to give a testimonial or review.

What truly remarkable QR campaigns have you seen?

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How to ROCK your Facebook cover page: 3 examples

As you know there’s a whole heap of “DO NOT DO” rules for the Facebook cover photo.

It may not contain:

• Price or purchase information, such as “40% off” or “Download it at our website”
• Contact information, such as web address, email, mailing address or other information intended for your Page’s About section
• References to user interface elements, such as Like or Share, or any other Facebook site features
• Calls to action, such as “Get it now” or “Tell your friends”

All cover images are public, which means anyone visiting your Page will be able to see the image you choose. Covers must not be false, deceptive or misleading, and must not infringe on third parties’ intellectual property. You may not encourage or incentivize people to upload your cover image to their personal timelines.

So what CAN you do?

Images are one of the best ways to evoke emotion. Remember the saying “A picture is worth a thousand words”? What are you conveying about your business?

• Show a picture of your staff at a charity event
• Change your image often* – every time your picture is uploaded it’s another opportunity to be visible to your audience
• Include a call-to-action in the description for the picture (you can’t include a CTA within the picture itself)
• If you’re really creative, can you blend your icon into the overall picture (see Telus photo)?

Here are the sizes you have to work with to create your own awesome Cover Image:

Img Source: http://netdna.copyblogger.com/images/FBCover.jpg

Telus “blends” their icon & cover image

Ford integrates employees and brand into a neat cover image.

McDonald’s first cover page – a nostalgic look at a history.

What’s YOUR favorite cover image?

Don’t set it and forget it. Bad Social Media 101

Social Media is meant to be a two-way conversation.

Social Media is meant to give great customer service.

Social Media is meant to build community.

Unlike an advertisement that is printed, viewed on TV or listened to on the radio.

You don’t build it once and simply push your message out to the masses over and over again.

Recently sent a direct message via Twitter to a local business who rents cars/trucks to ask about their rates.

It’s been two weeks and I haven’t received a response from them.

Would it be acceptable for this business not to answer the phone?

If you are going to build a presence, it’s not just an opportunity to push your agenda.

Listen. Engage. Listen. Engage. Repeat.

It may seem like common sense but I see tons of businesses who still don’t understand that we’ve returned back to “old school” customer service.

Similar to a small town, we are sharing and collaborating; helping each other out.

Putting your customers needs before your own agenda helps to build trust, solve problems and convert business.

Source: http://www.emarketer.com

  

Zappos is famous for its customer service. 

For example:

• In 2011, Zappos sent flowers to a woman who ordered six different pairs of shoes because her feet were damaged by harsh medical treatments.
• Last March, a customer service rep physically went to a rival shoe store to get a specific pair of shoes for a woman staying at the Mandalay Bay hotel in Vegas when Zappos ran out of stock.
• The same year, it overnighted a free –free! — pair of shoes to a best man who had arrived a wedding shoeless.
• It also paid the tolls on the Massachusetts Turnpike one day last November.
• Oh, and Zappos employees don’t read from scripts.

Source for above and more info: http://articles.businessinsider.com/2012-01-09/news/30606433_1_customer-service-zappos-center-services#ixzz1vn5n2WHC

Who do you see is providing great customer service online? Is it you? Share some examples……

Are you targeting your prospects according to the Sales Funnel?

When you are marketing your business, you are ideally getting your prospects into the sales funnel with a goal of converting prospects into paying customers.

AWARENESS

Social Media is a wonderful way to help build awareness.

There is a “rule of thumb” that it takes between 8 to 10 times for someone to see your brand before they begin to resonate with it.

Leveraging cost-effective tools to build awareness is a great way to leverage word-of-mouth.

INTEREST

Once you’ve got a prospect’s attention, what are you doing to keep their interest?

Have you encouraged people to opt-in to stay tuned to receive more information from you?

Are you providing great information? Are you helping them solve problems?

A lot of this depends on the content you’re publishing.

EVALUATION

Measure metrics. What’s working. What time of day should you be publishing? What content seems to resonate with your audience?

COMMITMENT

Stay the course. For your prospects to commit to you (and open their wallets), you have to be committed to them.

Keep producing great content. Keep solving their problems. Keep providing great customer service.

Once they know, like and trust you, they are more likely to purchase from you.

REFERRAL

 A happy customer tells 4 to 6 people, an unhappy customer tells 8 to 16.

Imagine what this is like when it comes to Social Media, when the reach is amplified by the number of connections and shared experiences?

Be a company that gets great reviews and has brand ambassadors who LOVE your product and want to share it with the world.

REPEAT

Can you identify those people who are spreading your business via word-of-mouth? What can you do to give them more ammunition? Can you make them a VIP? Give them “insider access” to pre-launch info?

Keep your customers happy. Keep your customers loyal. Keep your customers paying. Get referrals.

Repeat.

Img source: http://bestcontractorleads.com

You Win It When You PIN it – The Interest of Pinterest

If you’re already using Pinterest, you know it’s addictive.

Pinterest is kind of like virtual scrapbooking of all your favorite pretty pictures.

From shoes to recipes, vacation spots to crafts.

It’s a place to swoon over places you want to go, clothes you want to wear, homes you want to live in.

• The average user spends almost 16 minutes (as opposed to 12 minutes on Facebook)
• 50% of Pinterest users have children.
• almost 70% of Pinterest users are female.
• Pinterest provides more referral traffic to other sites than Google+, YouTube and LinkedIn combined.
  Source: Hubspot.com

So how can you leverage this “hot” social media site? Start pinning.

• Show strong visuals
• Showcase your company culture
• Create bios for executive management team
• Infographics and data charts
• Photos of customers
• Create a contest (be sure look at terms & conditions)
• Create video gallery
• Use #hashtags

Be sure not to only peddle your own pictures. Pin other people’s picts. “LIKE” them, comment on them.

Remember, social media is about engagement and relationships, NOT pushing your sales agenda.

How do you pin? Here’s a brief tutorial:

Happy Pinning!

P.S. Follow PUNCH!media’s Pinterest boards – Social Media Infographics galore (and a few pretty pairs of shoes too) –> http://pinterest.com/punchmedia/

Facebook Privacy: Who’s seeing your stuff?

You may have noticed that you’re getting status updates from people who aren’t your friends. You friends are commenting on their friends pages and you’re getting access to their info.

Why?

Likely because the non-friends (ie your friend’s friend) hasn’t optimized their privacy settings.

Have you?

Facebook regularly changes their settings, so it’s a good idea to re-visit your Privacy Settings every few months.

Here’s where you start:

If you don’t have these settings optimized, it’s possible people can see what you’ve looked at, what you’ve said on other people’s profiles and more.

Always be sure you don’t publish anything online that you wouldn’t want to see on a billboard.

Are You Violating the Cardinal Rule of Social Media?

Recently, I seem to be receiving mass “sales-y” e-mail blasts from several of my connections on LinkedIn.

This violates the cardinal rule: Thou shalt NOT overtly sell using Social Media

It’s relationships first; selling second.

Those who send mass “sales-y” emails are putting themselves first.

In the age of Social Media, it’s important to put the needs of your customer first.

Cultivating a niche audience of quality people who opt-in is much more effective than just trying to ‘spray and pray’.

Yes, you may use “sales-y” content about 10% of the time, but you must be careful how you do this.

If you aren’t giving more than you are receiving, if you aren’t building trust, if you aren’t providing great customer service then you don’t “get” Social Media.

What kinds of violations are you seeing out there? Should we send the Social Media police?

Image source: http://en.rian.ru/cartoons/20110818/165902776.html