QR Code Marketing: drive traffic without a proper advertising budget
Expand your brand—without breaking the bank.
Per usual, Triumph received no financial compensation from the companies for writing this article. Straight from the heart, baby.
As a wise man once said, “it’s not that deep.” Though we can’t prove it, it’s entirely possible he was referring to branding. In the marketplace—whether the commercial or creative—the race isn’t necessarily to the strong or to the swift, but to the most innovative. Now, innovation doesn’t always mean reinventing the wheel, in fact, it’s oftentimes about using existing tools in creative ways. Uber didn’t invent GPS, or platform apps, or cars (we’re pretty sure), but they did arrange them in one heck of an innovative format and, in the process, created an empire.
It’s in that same creative spirit that we write today’s article. It’s not a flashy review of some up and coming fin-tech program (though we do love those articles as well). To be honest, it’s not even that complex of a topic—it’s rather simple, really.
Just about everyone knows what a QR code is, but, at Triumph, we’ve been amazed how few new adventurers take advantage of them, whether for their new business or creative project. When you don’t have room in the margins (or your starving artist fund) for a pricier marketing campaign, let ingenuity be the better part of valor and give some of these QR marketing techniques a roll. The only thing you could hurt is your pride, and—we hate to break it to you—but pride’s market value is dropping all the time.
Well, it would help if we had a code, wouldn’t it?
First things first, any good QR code marketing scheme starts with, well, a QR code. Don’t know what a QR code is? No problem, we’ve got a resource for you (although we’re not entirely sure how you found this article in the first place). For a little background on how those fun squares work, check out the video below. For the rest of our lovely readers, let’s hop to the next section and discuss some of the best places to make a free QR code.
While there is no shortage of websites that can help you bring a new QR code into the world, two of our favorites here at Triumph are QRFY and Flow Code. Both sites allow users to generate a code for free (the first couple, anyway) and come with some bang-up analytic trackers and customization options. Once you’ve got your pretty new QR code in tow, for all of $0 (our favorite price point), you can commence trying one, some, or all of the cost-effective marketing strategies below.
Old School: QR code flyers
Not a graphic designer?
No problem. Neither are we, and this still took us all of five minutes to make in Canva.
Since the beginning of civilization (or at least pretty close), humans have entrusted important information to the flyer, and in 2022, it still gets the job done. QR code flyers are no different, though they have the added advantage of requiring a lot less work. Just make sure the code catches people’s eyes and, voilà, let technology do the rest. Curious minds will begin scanning your code and get pushed to you website, Bio Site, social media, or whatever you thought proper to link.
For best results, we recommend leveraging a design software with plenty of handy-dandy ready to use templates. Personally, we are huge believers in Canva—which has several free QR flyer options on standby—but just about any software on the market will do .
For our example, we went to Canva and took advantage of one of their free flyer templates. Once you finish a flyer in Canva, you even have the option of seamlessly printing your new design at a nearby store. In our case, Canva offered to send our print job to a shop just up the road. For $36, we could get our hands on 50 professionally done QR code flyers, ready to take on the world. Place those wisely, and your penny-smart advertising campaign is off to a thundering start.
Total cost: $36
The haul: 50 professional flyers
New School: QR Code stickers
Who doesn’t love a good sticker? Crazy people, that’s who. But—for the rest of us—stickers have become both a statement piece and a powerful marketing tool. You’ll scarcely find a laptop case or a water bottle these days that isn’t decked out in some high quality stick-ons. For some, their personal sticker collection is like an extension of their identity—they put them on everything and carry them around wherever they go. If you can get your QR code into that mix, you’re guaranteed plenty of free advertising for the foreseeable future.
There are myriads of great customer sticker websites out there, many of which with highly competitive prices. At Triumph, we happen to use StickerYou—they run great monthly deals and have a super easy to use editing suite—but plenty of sites will do. According to our own stickering research, users can bag 126 stickers for just $19.96. With each sticker representing its own advertisement, that comes to about 15 cents each. You’re not going to find a better deal than that, well, anywhere.
Total cost: $19.96
The haul: 126 stickers
Classy School: QR code business cards
In networking, few things are classier than a well-timed business card, and QR code laden cards are no exception. With this creative marketing arrow in your quiver (if you happen to carry one of those), you’ll be prepared for everything from dropping your card nonchalantly after a meal to ceremoniously exchanging cards at an important meeting.
If you’ve spent more than 15 minutes on the internet, then you know that custom business card designers are easy to come by, and many offer comparable pricing packages. At Triumph, we like MOO (just because of the name? Perhaps.), but several of our clients also swear by Vista Print and similar sites. At MOO (gets better every time), you can score 100 premium custom cards for $42, available for next day shipping. Leaning more towards quantity? Then Vista Print has you covered. Currently, you can score 1,000 of their basic card package for those same $42 dollars.
Total cost: $42
The haul: 100 - 1,000 business cards
What a haul—for less than $100
What this strategy lacks in polish, we believe it more than makes up for in creativity—and it’s hard to argue with the economics. For less than $100, your new adventure can be armed with a QR armament of 1,000 business cards, 50 professional flyers, and 126 stickers, all ready to catch eyes and expand your brand. Pick your placement spots wisely, and, you just might go viral.
As always, feel free to Ask Triumph with any additional questions and consider Supporting the Team.
All views expressed in the article are opinions of the author and should not be misconstrued as professional consulting or legal advice. Users are responsible for verifying all information before taking action, and Triumph Group LLC is not responsible for any outcomes. Pursue subjects at your own risk. Seriously, man. It’s your life.
