The Rapid Rise of QR Codes: 400% Growth in Past Year

Wondering if QR codes are catching on with customers?

To say “yes” would be a big understatement.  A recent study covered on ClickZ.com shows that QR codes have positively caught fire this past year. Between June 2011 and June 2012, consumer QR code scans rose by 400%. June 2012 also saw an average of 120 scans per minute and 4 million first-timers scanning QR codes.

This follows on from several studies that we covered last month that showed big increases in consumer scans and the number of marketers making use of QR codes.

QR codes are certainly on the rise, but how should small businesses take advantage?

The same study provides some great insights into the kinds of QR code offers that are most popular with consumers. Contests topped the list, followed by loyalty program incentives and cross-channel promotions on social media. As the article also points out, a demographic seems to be shaping up for QR codes, with male scanners outnumbering female scanners by over two to one. As far as devices go, the scans were relatively split between iPhones and Android-powered devices. While these numbers may not reflect the exact results you will achieve, they provide a helpful guideline for planning your campaign and as a comparison when you do review the results.

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So will this amazing growth in QR codes continue? It looks certain to. Not only is there mounting evidence that QR codes deliver great results, they are also an extremely low-cost marketing option, making them an ideal fit for small business marketers.  As more marketers realize the value and add QR codes to their marketing mix, more and more consumers will be picking up their smartphones to scan them.

It will be interesting to see what the numbers look like in June 2013!

What Next

If you aren’t yet using QR codes, there have never been a better time. Sign up for a free trial of pbSmart™ Codes and create your own QR code campaign in minutes.

What about you? Are you using QR codes for your small business yet? If so, what kind of response have you had? Please share your experiences below!