The Ultimate Guide to QR Code Marketing for the Black Friday Holiday Season
Supercharged Shopping Experience with QR Codes
It is that time of the year again when people run to the nearest stores to buy top shelf items. As a store owner, this means big for you, because unlike any other days, Black Friday means tons of sales. To put this into perspective, the Black Friday in 2018 resulted in $6.2 billion in sales which was easily surpassed in 2019 with $7.4 billion. Nobody knows what 2020 is going to bring, but the question is not how much sales, but instead how much more than the previous year.
Black Friday sales holds a lot of potential for businesses. One can put huge discounts but still make a profit from the vast amount of purchases. Despite this, it always helps to invest in efforts to standout from the competition. Being in e-commerce, concentrate on using QR codes. The question is, how?
1. QR Code Coupons, Discounts, and Vouchers
The reason why Black Friday is such a big event for consumers is because of massive discounts. So, among everything else, you should be concentrating on them. Provide as many as you can in the most creative and accessible manner.
QR codes make sure that people only have to scan them in order to claim a discount. They are easily shareable through the internet. You can post them on Facebook, Instagram, or your website, and still, people can claim their coupons. What this means is that you have a wide reach and that would translate to more customers that are bound to come to your store over anyone else’s.
2. QR Code Scanning Game
Entertain your audience and before you know it, you have created loyal customers. To do this, all it takes is one small QR code. In theory, dynamic QR codes allow variable content. What this means is that scanners are going to see something different depending on how many times the QR code has been scanned. For example, the first 10 people can claim a special promo while the rest would receive a discount.
The marketing concept here is that you leave people expecting more. Those who won and didn’t the other day will surely come back to check if there is something new. Before you know it, you have created customer loyalty. These people would rather come to your store than to your competition. Pair this with the individuals who actually won something and you have created a huge market.
3. QR Code Catalogues
There are people who shop with something already in mind on what to purchase, then there are ones who are still looking for something to buy. Appeal to the latter by making their search a little bit easier with the help of QR codes that shows a catalog of your products. Try to create content specific for the Black Friday event or the nearby Christmas festivities by advertising top sellers, products with the highest discounts, and so much more.
4. Advertise New Deals Daily
What once started as a one-day event has now expanded to a total of four. The common practice for stores is to provide different discounts and offers on each day. The question now is how do you make sure that your audience is constantly updated? The answer would be QR codes.
The only thing you need to do is print a single QR code and place it on your website, social media page, or wherever else you please. Every time it is scanned, it will bring a person to a landing page containing all the current discounts and promos.
People can scan the QR code on your social media page and be able to know right there and then if they want to make a purchase. The easier it is for potential customers to know what you have to offer, the more likely they are going to find what they want and ultimately make a purchase.
5. QR Code Gift Guides
Influence your customers that they need something. It doesn’t mean that they don’t want it at first, they won’t change their mind. What they need is a little persuasion and making them realize that it is something they need. One way to influence their decision is by making them see the bigger picture. With the Christmas season coming up, illustrate how a certain product can be the perfect gift. What better way to distribute this type of content than with the help of QR codes. Make sure that you put them everywhere, from your website to your social media pages to reach a wide array of audiences.
6. Product Previews and Demonstrations
What may look underwhelming on the orders page may apparently be the best thing once it is used for its intended purpose. Take for example children’s toys. They may look cheap and utterly useless while on promotional photos which may impact the purchasing decision of a customer, but once it is in the hand of a kid, it starts to make sense and everybody starts to want it for their own child. From a different perspective, clothes on hangers are dull but once worn and viewed outdoors, it’s a whole new different story.
If you want to sell a product, you are going to want people to see it in its best-case scenario. Show them pictures of it being used, videos of demonstrations, and so on. While most of these can be found on the product thumbnail, it usually isn’t enough.
7. QR Code Instruction Manual
One aspect that is going to influence the purchasing decisions of customers is the ease of use. At some point, you have been in a position wherein you are desperately scrolling on the page for more details about the product or its instruction manual. Nobody wants to buy something they are not likely going to figure out. It is either intuitive or comes with an easy to understand manual, otherwise, people are not going to bother.
Make sure that customers can see a glimpse of the instruction manual before they make a purchase. Put a QR code that does just that. Appeal to your audience even further by providing a video manual and a series of visual aids as well. It may be a small upgrade, but it is enough to shift a customer from the competition to your store.
8. QR Code Teasers
Even before the Black Friday sales begin, people are already checking out websites for possible discounts. You can tease them as much as you want and only provide the details on the day itself. However, remember that when things get too tedious, people tend to give up and you might lose your potential customers. You might want to give them a hint or a little bit of information on the discounts of some items. Do this with the help of QR codes so you don’t have to overcrowd your home page or social media pages.
9. Provide Quality Content
Be a helping hand to your audience. Provide them with quality content that will help them in their everyday lives that are related to what you are selling. If you are a smartphone vendor, curate content that is about proper care and usage for mobile phones. How does this help gain you, potential customers? At first, these people are hooked with the interesting things you provide. The more they visit your store, the more accustomed and comfortable they become. Before long, they have a higher preference and trust in you as a seller.
Providing quality content can be tricky. Where and how do you provide them? Posting on your social media or website can overcrowd it. To make things neat, compress everything to a single small QR code image and leave it to those who are really interested in the topic to access it. In addition, QR codes are easier to share and spread across different platforms.
10. Accessible Terms and Conditions and Warranty
There is one major problem with e-commerce and that is unable to know the terms and conditions along with the warranty of a certain product. Buyers only get a glimpse of the paperwork by the time they have made the purchase and received the package. In certain situations, this hindrance is what discourages a customer from pushing through with a purchase.
To stop this from happening, make sure that the necessary paperwork is accessible with a scan of a smartphone. When they check out an item, they can scan a QR code to see everything. This makes it enticing for your audience since they can now make a purchase with peace of mind.
Small and simple, that is how most people would describe QR codes. Yet, the long list of possible applications proves that they are worth taking the time and effort. In this coming Black Friday event, QR codes can set the difference between sales and having more sales. With ten ways to use them, you are bound to find at least one practical application for your needs and that is enough to drastically increase your growth.
