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QR Codes: Are They Still Alive?

11
January
2012

What’s your guess before you start reading? Hint: With the rise of mobile, how can QR codes not thrive?

Krista Montes de Oca
Senior Media Coordinator

First, let’s break down a QR code again really quickly, and then we can get into the meat and potatoes of finding out if these QR codes will still be alive in 2012. A QR code (Quick Response) is a 2D barcode that can store a variety of data. It is a “direct response mechanism” used in marketing, advertising and promotion. A 2D barcode reader app is required to decode the data. Once scanned, the information is then transferred to the phone, and you’re able to immediately connect with a customer who downloaded your information. This is an instantaneous interaction, one that can’t happen in many other situations.

qr code for blog post1 QR Codes: Are They Still Alive?

Now that we have the basics down, let’s cut to the chase. The use of mobile has greatly increased over the last year. 25% of people in the US have gotten rid of their laptop to solely use their mobile device. It can only be fitting to say here that anything that can be done on a mobile device will be used in 2012. This includes shopping, reading magazines and books, storing information, and enhancing the interactivity between brand and customer.

Over the last year, the trend has been that one company runs a marketing campaign including a QR code, and it never happens again. I’ve seen plenty on the Metro in DC. I’ve taken advantage of these QR codes because I don’t always have a pen and paper on me (read: I rely on my mobile device). First and foremost before launching a QR code campaign, or any marketing campaign for that matter that includes a QR code, it is important to adopt and invest in a mobile platform. After realizing the importance of a mobile platform and dedicating time to growing yours, then a QR code will prosper and generate a good return on investment.

I first wrote about QR codes in April of 2011, and how they can benefit non-profits. I was on the executive committee for the inaugural DC Dance Marathon, and we use QR codes at one of our fundraisers. We passed them out on pieces of paper stuck inside a koozie, which maybe was the first mistake, since this was at a local bar. Regardless, that was the only time we used QR codes. To my point above, we didn’t dedicate enough time or resources to maintaining a mobile platform campaign. The young professional demographic that we were trying to reach is solely mobile – and that’s where we need to grab and keep their attention. But I digress (sort of)… Andrew Bates also wrote a post about what trends to watch in 2011, and one of them included QR codes. Though we may not have seen as many as we thought we were going to, I sense things will be changing.

In sum, as we see the use of smartphones skyrocket over the next year or few years, we’ll undoubtedly see the rise in understanding the need for mobile marketing. When this happens, QR codes have no choice but to excel as well. So, to answer the question posed: Are QR codes still alive? Yes, I believe that they are still breathing, and will jump right back into action with the proper attention and dedication.

What do you think?

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Are You Optimizing for Mobile?

30
October
2011

Mobile marketing has established itself as an essential component of marketing campaigns. If you’re looking to integrate this into your strategy, or are still on the fence, I’ll provide you with some advantages of creating this tactic.

Krista Montes de Oca
Online Media Coordinator

The number of cell phone users who are not using a smart phone is very few and far between. The number of smartphone users is set to reach 1 billion by 2014, 6.8 percent of all U.S. Web traffic occurred from mobile devices, and 91 million consumers in the U.S. will use mobile searches on a monthly basis by the end of 2011. The percentage of users purchasing items and searching the web has increased significantly as well, with 43 percent of mobile consumers buying movies, music and games (excluding iTunes and mobile games).

If this doesn’t tell you that you should be optimizing your website for mobile use, I’m not sure what else will. Optimizing your mobile site for local search is imperative, as it’s not only used as a means of searching while away from a computer, but for some people it’s used as their searching device, even when they’re at home. Here are some of the most important features to include when launching a mobile campaign:

1. MOBILE INTERACTIVITY: Click to call, click to maps and directions, click to social media check-ins and sharing. I think this is such an important feature to include, especially as people are on the go and might not have a pen and paper handy.

2. KEEP IT SIMPLE: Be sure your ads aren’t too “flashy” or have too much text. Why not make it “flashy” using Flash or Adobe? Simply because most mobile phones cannot handle that. Give your consumers what they’re looking for. Keep the number of pages down, and the amount of information needed to load to a minimum.

3. LOCALITY: This is two-fold in my opinion, and here’s why – First meaning is that check-ins have become increasingly popular, and giving consumers the opportunity to check-in at your store, or receive a discount is ideal. This gives them a reason to come back. Also, when on the go, users need to get directions or an address to a store – keep your Contact Us page simple and easy to read.

4. MAINTAIN SAME URL: There is no need to change your URL when optimizing for mobile search. Keep it the same. Consistency is key for consumers, so keep your same branding throughout your website and mobile site, too.

5. ALLOW USERS TO ACCESS THE FULL SITE: Sometimes people know just what they’re looking for on the full website, so give them the opportunity to access that if they want.

Conclusion: Mobile use has increased significantly, and is sure to keep rising as the percentage of people purchasing smartphones increases. Keep your mobile website simple yet interactive. Give the consumers an easy and smooth experience as they search for locations, information or products. This market is moving fast, and it’s time that you catch up to it! Become Mobile Today.

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Google Mobile: Location Extensions with Map Features

29
July
2010

Today Google announced a new feature with AdWords location extensions, allowing business to run expandable map advertisements that can appear on sites and applications in the Google Display Network.

Keith Vera
Sr. Manager

Today, Google announced a new feature with AdWords location extensions, allowing business to run expandable map advertisements that can appear on sites and applications in the Google Display Network. According to the new Google Mobile Ads Blog:

“The ad appears as a banner text ad with a business icon that expands to show your business location on a Google map along with your ad creative, click-to-call phone number and option to get directions. Since ads can be served based on the user’s location, a potential customer will see the phone number and map of the store location that’s nearest to them.  By providing mobile consumers more options to connect with your business you can drive more traffic to your store, visits to your website or calls to your business.”

image Google Mobile: Location Extensions with Map Features

Advertisers are only charged when a user clicks through to the website or to call and of course, this format is only available to users with phones that have full web browser functionality.  Personally, I find advertisments that display within applications intrusive however like many mobile users, I also utilize map search features to find business addresses and contact information.  I also search for businesses based on keywords not just a business name within those same map search features, and can easily see how this type of targeted advertising can bring brick and mortar businesses more visibility, inbound calls and ultimately, more revenue.

Will you be testing this new ad format?  Comment below and let us know your initial thoughts and success stories.

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Google Officially Acquires AdMob

1
June
2010

As the adoption of smart phones continues to grow, all major advertising players are looking to expand their capabilities and move into emerging markets

Keith Vera

Client Services Manager

On Friday, Google announced that it had made another giant step towards growing its mobile internet advertising options by officially acquiring AdMob.  According to Google and as seen on the AdWords Blog on Friday:

“It’s clear that mobile advertising is becoming a much larger part of our clients’ and partners’ strategies and with this acquisition, it’s now a central part of our own business. In continuing to invest in this highly competitive area, we’ll be bringing together our technology, resources and expertise in search advertising with AdMob’s innovative solutions for advertising on mobile websites and in mobile applications.”

As the adoption of smart phones continues to grow, all major advertising players are looking to expand their capabilities and move into emerging markets.  Google’s mobile search volume alone has grown exponentially in just the past two years, and smart phone searches through WebKit browsers are up over 62 percent from the previous quarter. With the addition of AdMob’s capabilities to the growing variety of mobile advertising options, marketers will be able to take advantage of the extensive reach and timely value of reaching consumers directly on their mobile devices like never before.  Let us know your thoughts on Google’s AdMob acquisition by commenting below…

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IAB Releases a Buyer’s Guide for the Mobile Beginner

13
July
2009

The Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) publishes a comprehensive guide for marketers and agencies with information on how to get started in mobile marketing.

Christine Pepin
Media Coordinator

The same statistics about the mobile marketing landscape continue to surface:

“Approximately 23% of all new mobile phones will be smartphones by 2013, up from 13% in 2008.”

“Over the last three years, mobile phone usage has grown approximately 25% per year.”

“Ad revenue for mobile in the US and Canada is expected to hit $1.5 billion in 2013 from a projected $208 million in 2009.

As more research is done about the potential growth in the mobile market and the increasing volume of smart phone subscribers, it is ever more important for us marketing folk to start getting our hands dirty in the mobile stew.  But, where do we even begin to capitalize on the market potential for our clients?

IAB has helped to provide a starting-ground for those eager to delve into this opportunity.  The Mobile Buyer’s Guide, just released this month, gives a comprehensive but easy-to-understand look into how to get started on a mobile campaign.  It features:

-  An overview of the US mobile market, including advertising options and inventory types within this space

-  How to measure a mobile program and definitions of campaign metrics

-  A macro-level view of how to create a mobile messaging campaign

Another valuable resource that it provides is a list of the IAB Mobile Committee Members.  Many of these companies have websites that can also steer us in the right direction and which vendors are out there that can execute these programs.  EyeTraffic Media has built its own set of relationships among mobile vendors and we continue to foster these contacts on behalf of our clients.  Mobile Marketer also provides daily content that has been vital in keeping us in the know of how other companies are leveraging this emerging form of media.

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