You’ve probably seen loads of those little square maze-like boxes called QR codes floating around recently. QR codes are all the rage in marketing right now. And with mobile scanning up 4,500% in the first quarter of 2011 over the previous year, it seems that QR codes are here to stay as a way to reach consumers and grow your business.

QR codes are a 2D barcode. Unlike a UPC code, which is one dimensional, a QR code can hold 133 times more data including letters and numbers. This makes QR codes able to store content including hyperlinks, maps, phone numbers, emails and more. QR codes are read by a smartphone’s mobile app reader. As of the third quarter in 2011, over 20 million QR codes were scanned worldwide; 12,000,000 were scanned in the US alone.

So how do you make use of this new marketing technology to communicate with your customers and grown your business? First, it’s important to have a clear objective when using QR codes. It’s simply not enough to drop a QR code on to your latest ad and have it link to your website. You will blow through some serious goodwill with your customers if that’s all you do. When using QR codes you should:

• Have an Objective. Do you intend to drive traffic to your store, promote a sale, retain customers or generate leads for your business? As with any campaign, you must have a purpose before designing your message.
• Provide Value to Your Customer. What’s in it for them? Will your customer receive a discount, get access to mobile-friendly content, save time or receive a special offer? Give them a reason to participate in your campaign.
• Show Them How to Participate. QR codes might be new to your consumer too. Provide how to assistance, links to reader apps, a call to action, etc.
• TEST TEST TEST! This is essential. Test your QR code before going live. Test it on multiple phones from multiple carriers. Some older phones with less than 3MP resolution can’t read codes smaller than 1” by 1”. Don’t create a code that people can’t read. Nothing will kill your campaign faster.

Once you have a clear objective for your campaign that will provide real value to your customer you may be stuck on where to put that cool new QR code. Here are some ideas on ways you can use QR codes to target your customers, increase conversions, and grow your business.

• On Product Description Displays. This use of QR codes is ideal for retail, food, and automotive stores. Use your QR code to provide additional information about the product on display, provide customer reviews, price comparisons, information on in store demos, links to catalog shopping, or even a Buy Now option.
• On Receipts. Ideal for restaurants and any business in the recreation or hospitality industry, this use of QR codes allows for instant feedback from the consumer. Offer a discount on the next purchase or a chance to win when the survey is complete and you are likely to see a dramatic increase your conversion rate.
• Provide On Demand Video. Does your business produce product guides, packaging or other items that require the use of phone support or troubleshooting instructions? If so, create a video and link it to a QR code for easy access.



• Grow Your Facebook Base. From your main Facebook page to your product specific pages, QR codes provide a quick and easy way for your customers to get on board and “Like” you. Post QR codes on your store door, on signs around the store, in dressing rooms, on placemats, in waiting rooms, anywhere you can think that consumers stop to scan. Offer them incentives for joining your Facebook page and watch your fan base grow.
• To Gather Reviews. Reviews impact your local SEO and with a quick scan of a QR code, your customers can leave a positive review on your Google Places page. Place codes on doors, placemats, on specially designed cards left with the bill, anywhere that will trigger your customers to remark on the positive experience they had with your business.



• Build Loyalty. A Foursquare loyalty program is a great way to encourage your customers to return to your business frequently. Remind them to check in at the front entrance, with posters placed strategically throughout your location, and at your checkout counter.
• Drive Traffic. Need to literally get people to your location. Why not consider a QR code that directs people with a map and directions. These types of codes are ideal for invites, billboards, and posters promoting events.
• Generate Leads. Do you mail to your clients? Are you headed to a tradeshow? Why not consider a QR code that encourages people to scan and sign up. This type of code is ideal for an enter-to-win contest, joining a group, registering for an event or RSVP’ing for an invite.

With so many ways to use QR codes to target your customers and grow your business, now is the time to embrace this new technology. If your company isn’t already using mobile marketing and QR codes, consider how adding them to your marketing plan can impact your bottom line. Interested in finding out how you can benefit from the use of QR codes? Contact Qiigo today at (404) 496-6841.

According to Pew Research, in 2008 just 26% of US adults said they used at least one social networking site. Just two years later that number has jumped to 47%.  Among online adults, the number has jumped from 34% using social media to 59%. 

Social media is not a child’s game either.  The average age of adults using social media is also climbing. In 2008, the average age was 33, as of November 2010 that number had climbed to 38 years of age.  Women also make up the majority of social networking users.

Interestingly, each of the four major social networking sites – Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn and Twitter – has a unique audience profile.  Specific demographic facts relating to each network include:

• Facebook: 50% of users are 36+; 52% of users engage daily
• MySpace: Youngest overall profile among the four major platforms.
• LinkedIn: 63% male vs. 37% female; 56% of users are 36+; 65% have at least one university degree
• Twitter: 41% of users are 36+; 33% of users engage daily

While updating status falls third on the list, it is valuable to examine how frequently status updates occur. This chart provides an in depth look at Facebook status updates.

Additionally, Pew Research shows that Internet users tend to be more trusting than non-users with 46% of Internet users saying that “most people can be trusted” compared to 27% of non-users. 

Pew Research also shows that Facebook and LinkedIn users are the most likely to be politically engaged and likely to vote.  79% of LinkedIn users responded that they did or intended to vote and active Facebook users are 43% more likely to have said they would vote. Comparatively MySpace users are the least politically active.

Advertisers are currently investing heavily in social media and looking for verifiable analytics to measure their success. This acquisition is expected to give Google yet another tool to measure online advertising performance and should provide added insight for social media ROI.

A Google spokesperson had this to say regarding the PostRank acquisition, “We’re always looking for new ways to measure and analyze data, and as social analytics become increasingly important for online businesses, we’re excited to work with the PostRank team to make this data more actionable and accountable. They have developed an innovative approach to measuring Web engagement, and we think they can help us improve our products for users and advertisers.”

The power of social media lies in advertisers’ ability to target consumers and easily measure performance, according to Jed Williams, BIA/Kelsey’s analyst and Social Local Media service program director.

“The bottom line is if you can multi-target and you can target down at a really granular level, you have a better chance of knowing exactly who your message is reaching and how they’re engaging with it,” said Williams.

The US Local Media Annual Forecast report on social media advertising only considered social media display advertising and non-display advertising.  This included such avenues as Twitter’s Promoted Tweets and Promoted Trends.  It did not include other social media advertising media such as social commerce, social marketing, social gaming or virtual goods and rewards.

The BIA/Kelsey report also projected social media’s share of digital advertising budgets would more than double by 2015 to 21.9%. Over the next three to four years, digital advertising’s share of total advertising budgets is also expected to nearly double to 24.7%.

“We think [Facebook's percentage of display ad impressions] will reach a majority share by 2014-2015,” Williams said.

Facebook generated more than 33% of all US online display ad impressions in February 2011, according to comScore.

Building the number of inbound links and increasing link popularity is one of the most important ways to get top search engine rankings.  Most businesses serious about their SEO strategies are already using conventional routes such as press releases, directory and article submissions to garner links.  Adding social media sites to this mix will deliver highly valued inbound links and boost placement on search engines.

Here are some basic points to consider as you integrate social media into your SEO strategy.

• It helps to integrate your social networking profiles.  Use an RSS feed to share a post on your corporate blog with your Facebook profile, your Twitter page, your LinkedIn account and any other number of social networking sites.  One simple step can generate multiple relevant inbound links for your site.
• Inbound links are only valued by search engines if they come from websites that are considered of high quality and relevant.  Social sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, meet these criteria.  Website Magazine recently did an informal study to see how Google valued sites such as Twitter and Facebook.  When searching on a publication name, such as Chicago Tribune, they found that the company website came up first, as expected.  What was unexpected was that the Twitter site came up in the first five results as well.  These results were consistent among multiple publications tested, showing that Google is clearing valuing the links posted on social networking sites.
• Just adding any old link to your site is not enough.  You must establish a brand and visibility for your business.  This is why social media sites can be so valuable.  When you post a link to a social media site, your followers or fans have the ability to determine if the link is valuable to them and worth passing on.  By posting relevant quality links, you are creating a following among bloggers, customers and other people who view your social media pages.  As you gain credibility and they pass along your links, you are gaining strength in search engine results.

Social media has quickly become entrenched in our society.  It only makes sense to use it to promote your business and speak to your customers.  Using social media sites to create high-quality inbound links improves visibility with search engines and gets your business top rankings.  You just can’t beat that!

The big 3 in social networking sites are LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.  These sites are designed for people to connect and share information.  From personal to business, these sites bring people of all backgrounds together.  Social networking sites provide an excellent way for you to deliver your message to current and potential customers.  They are easy to use and keep you top of mind. 

LinkedIn is a popular business networking tool.  Used by many to keep in touch with current and former co-workers, LinkedIn has developed into a tool that both individuals and companies use when looking for jobs or to fill positions.  LinkedIn recently developed a beta site that allows members to not only have pages detailing their professional expertise, but also their business’ profile.  Members of LinkedIn make “connections” with friends and colleagues. They are then able to see the connections of their connections.  When you use LinkedIn to connect with clients and friends, your business information will spread throughout the network giving you greater exposure.  Visit LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com.

Facebook is a great starting point for social marketing.  On Facebook, you can have a personal and/or business page.  People connect with each other and become “Friends” when they have a personal page on Facebook.   Businesses connect with members and gather “Fans”.   Getting your business started with a fan page is relatively easy.  Fill in as much information as you can including name, address, store hours, logos and/or photos.  Spread the word to friends, employees and clients to have them join your fan page.  Visit Facebook at www.facebook.com.

Twitter is the rising star in the social networking world.  The unique twist with Twitter is that all posts must be no longer than 140 characters.  Not words, characters.  Short concise postings go out to your “followers”.   This provides a great way to spread the news about a new product or sale.  But be wary of overloading your followers with too many sales pitches.  Don’t forget to focus on customer service points.  Bring value to the table with your “tweets”.  Visit Twitter at www.twitter.com.

No matter which of these social networking sites you use, and we see value in using all of them, you need to be committed to the process.  Spending at least a few minutes every day on these sites is a must.  Adding posts, responding to questions, promoting sales are all great ways to communicate with your customer base through social networking sites.  The best part of using social networking sites is that you can start small and expand your efforts as you get more comfortable with them.  The key is to just get started.

* Study conducted by Prodo.

It’s not Al Gore’s internet anymore!  MySpace, Google, Facebook and YouTube are changing everything!  If you’re not capitalizing on their dominance, you’re slowing your company’s growth!

Today’s consumers–and today’s franchise buyers–are increasingly sophisticated and use the internet more and more every day.  For shopping, for news, for selling their “stuff,” for keeping in touch with family and friends, for learning, for recommendations, checking on their favorite sports teams, singers, actresses, and for finding the best franchise in which to invest!

If your company is not keeping up with the rapid changes on the internet–you’re falling behind. And it’s obvious!  Your site is “old” if it hasn’t had a major facelift in the last 3 years!

There are 3 main points of focus for Franchisor Websites and we’d like to spend some time discussing how the internet can impact each:

• Prospecting for, and Signing, New Franchisees
  • Search Engine Optimization
    • Focus on Niche Keywords
    • Repeat them on your Homepage
  • Pay Per Click Advertising–Google AdWords, Yahoo Search, MSN Landing Pages
  • Geo Targeting
  • Educating Prospects
  • On Line Reputation Management
  • Sales Presentation: Webinars
  • Video Demonstrations & Testimonials
  • Email Marketing
• Finding Clients & Customers for Your Franchisees
  • Building Your Brand
  • Creating a Buzz
  • Social Media or Social Networking
  • Each City (or Unit) Should Have a Page
  • A Media Room where Press Releases and Articles are posted for the Media.
  • Coupons to Drive Traffic to Stores
  • Geo-Targeting
  • Public Relations
  • On Line Reputation Management
  • Video Demonstrations & Testimonials
  • Surveys
  • Customer Newsletters (Talk to the People that will Listen)
  • How Do You Overcome Negative Postings on the Internet?
  • Social Media–Facebook
  • Email Marketing
• Communicating with Your Franchisees
  • Operations Manuals
  • Forms for Royalties
  • Dashboards
  • Chat Rooms-Bulletin Boards-Blogs
  • Educational Webinars
  • Surveys
  • Franchisee Newsletters
  • Posting Advertising Materials
  • Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP)
  • Quarterly Town Hall Meetings
  • Best Practices Examples
  • Knowledge Repository
    • Presentations
    • Proposals
    • White Papers
    • Training Modules
  • Daily/Weekly News
  • Calendar of Events
  • Team Web Sites
  • Internal Metrics
  • E-Learning: Training for Franchisees & their Staff
• Technical Decisions: Do Customers & Franchisees Use the Same Website?
  • Can Franchisees post their own sites?

Sites You Should Review:

• YouTube.com; Facebook.com; MySpace.com; LinkedIn.com; CopyScape.com; SpyFu.com; Go-To-Meeting.com; MyMeeting.com; Google Analytics; Twitter.com; Google Alerts; Yelp.com; AngiesList.com; Wikipedia.org

Point to Ponder: Is Your Website Your Number 1 Lead Generator or an 8-ton Dinosaur that’s Embarrassing You?