QR tags are something that you may have seen in print ads. But using QR codes in digital signage content may be something you haven’t thought of. With this little trick, you can make your digital signage interactive without needing a touchscreen. “Interactive” in this case simply means inviting your viewers to participate there and then.
You can embed QR codes in your messages to prompt action from viewers – send them to a website, have them vote in a poll, or offer a downloadable coupon. Digital signage QR codes are also a great way to track ROI for your messages. By seeing how many people visit the target URL, you know how many folks have responded to the message.
A QR, or Quick Response, code is a two-dimensional bar code that embeds data (usually a website URL), that smartphones can read with their cameras. The codes can be put on any visual medium that can be photographed – print materials, emails, web pages, t-shirts – and, of course, digital signage content.
Generating the QR code is easy. There are a bunch of free online generators you can use. Simply tell the generator the destination URL you want the QR code to go to, and it will generate a square image file with the embedded data – usually a PNG image file. Then you just insert the image file into your messages and media designs.
Audience members with a camera phone simply download free reader software to interface with QR codes. (Most smartphones come with a QR reader these days.) Their phone’s camera captures the image and scans it for data, which causes the phone’s browser to launch and redirect to your designated URL. Keep in mind, though, that you need to keep your QR code on screen long enough and position it within your message so that people can take the photo.
The most popular destination for QR codes is a webpage you’ve created. However, you can direct your viewers to Google Map locations, social networks, email addresses, or downloadable coupons and images.