QR Codes Marketing Ideas for Winter

Back in my earlier post, “3 Ways QR Codes Can Heat Up Your Summer Sales,”I suggested that the use of QR codes in marketing had grown because of the warm weather. That’s because QR codes are ideal for engaging potential customers who are out and about, seeing your marketing materials or passing your business’s location, which makes QR codes a perfect tactic for use when it’s warm and sunny.

Now, as we move into colder months, I’ve started wondering if we’ll see the opposite effect. Will the use of QR codes as a marketing tactics hibernate along with the bears?

It is possible, but I think it just means we have to get more creative to keep QR codes relevant, even through the colder months.

Change of Venue

Once the temperature drops, most folks will bring their activities inside. By moving your QR code efforts indoors, you can continue to market to the folks who are still out and about.

Here are a few ideas:

1. If your business is located in a mall or shopping center, you can encourage the mall managers to include QR codes on the big maps located throughout the mall. These codes can lead to a spot to download the map, information about, and coupons for, each store in the mall, movie times if there’s a theater and even GPS directions to guide people directly to a particular spot.
2. You can market with your QR codes by making use of the many indoor advertising opportunities available in your area. For example, you can advertise in malls, skating rinks, ski lodges and even on coffee shops and restaurant menus (where available). Your codes would provide customers with information, coupons and directions.
3. If you run a museum or art gallery, you can use QR codes to provide more information about each exhibit including audio, video, artist information, history and more. You can also allow users to download maps and floorplans of your facility to help them get around.

All the Comforts of Home

To market to the folks who don't like to leave their home when it’s cold, you can use QR codes to help them stay warm and lazy at home.

A great approach here are QR codes printed on free refrigerator magnets that you distribute locally. Using these magnets, customers can simply scan the code and then order and pay for your products and services on the site your code takes them to.

Here are a couple of examples where you can use this approach:

1. If you offer seasonal products such as snowplowing or firewood delivery, the QR code might allow customers to order when they need your products or service. For example, customers may not want to use your snowplowing service every time it snows, but if there is a big storm, they may opt to pay for your service.
2. Use the code to offer special delivery options on everyday things. For example, this would be great for restaurants that can offer hot breakfast packages that can be ordered and delivered on cold, lazy weekend days.

Also, don't forget that this is a great time of year to snuggle up in bed, or next to a fire, and read newspapers, magazines and catalogs. Most folks keep their cell phones close at hand during times like that. So make sure your company advertises with QR codes in those publications so that consumers can make impulse buys.

People Still Go Outside

Yes, winter sports are very popular and this is another spot where you can make use of QR codes to market your business.

Here are a few suggestions:

1. As mentioned earlier, you can market with your QR codes by making use of the many winter sports advertising opportunities available in your area such as skating rinks and ski lodges. Your codes would lead to information, coupons and directions.
2. If you rent winter sports equipment, you can put QR codes on them which lead your customers to tons of useful information such as videos and articles with how-to advice, tips and tricks.
3. If you run a winter sports location, you can even include QR codes on slope and trail signs which lead visitors to maps, difficulty ratings, safety information and emergency contact numbers.

Yes, it’s cold outside, but QR codes are still as hot as ever.

What Next?

Interested in QR code marketing? Check outpbSmart Codes. To learn more clickhere.

Matt Mansfield is the Head Tour Guide at Matt About Business (http://www.mattaboutbusiness.com) where he helps entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies use the web to manage and market their business by connecting online strategies and tactics with real-world results. Matt is not a Pitney Bowes employee and shares his insights on this blog as a paid contributor.