A Quick Start Guide to Lead Generation with QR Codes

Lead generation is a marketing method that connects you with new potential customers or business partners who might be interested in your services or products. 

It’s at the top of the sales funnel because it introduces people to a brand by providing them with information rather than promoting direct purchases. 

If you’re looking for ways to amp up your lead generation strategy, QR Codes can help. They’re the perfect tool for marketers. They not only provide instant access to lead capture forms and landing pages but also offer tracking capabilities that can help you improve your efforts. 

Let’s dive into how to use lead magnet QR Codes effectively. 

Why your lead generation strategy should use QR Codes

If you’re looking for an innovative and unique way to generate leads, then you can stop your search! QR Codes can be used in combination with any marketing platform, provide convenient links for both mobile and desktop users, as well as come with essential tracking metrics to optimize marketing campaigns.

Here’s why you should be using QR Codes for lead generation.

Improve lead tracking with data collection capabilities

The most important part of lead generation is tracking the leads and all their related information, because this is how you optimize your content and campaigns to best reach your target audience, and then sell to them later.

When you use Dynamic QR Codes, the QR Code generator software tracks detailed data on all scans. For example, QR Code Generator PRO’s QR Code tracking tools reveal scan location by city and country, time scanned, unique vs. total scans, and operating device used.

QR code tracking graphs based on device and location
Demo version of QR Code tracking metrics available with QR Code Generator PRO

Integrate Google Analytics, and you can monitor how users interact with your content after scanning the QR Code. By consistently comparing and monitoring this data and the customer journey, you can gain insights to optimize your campaigns and maximize your QR Code conversion rate.

Measure the impact of traditional lead generation efforts

Campaign tracking is now no longer only for digital platforms. Dynamic QR Codes make ROI (return on investment) calculable also for print marketing campaigns.

This makes your marketing platforms truly limitless because you can reach users on both print and digital mediums, all while having a completely transparent ROI. Not to mention that all Dynamic QR Codes automatically come with mobile optimized content, so you’re never missing desktop or mobile users, regardless of the platform.

pink fashion magazine with qr codes in the content
An example of a print magazine with a QR Code campaign for B2C lead generation via app downloads

Build unique assets and repurpose them with ease

If you’re worried about QR Codes looking strange or boring on creative marketing materials, don’t be! QR Code Generator software includes a wide range of custom QR Code solutions for nearly every purpose.

Plus, you can personalize them with custom frames, unique edges, brand colors, logos, and a CTA (call to action) that encourages people to scan.

a glass bottle of orange juice with a qr code
A custom QR Code can be designed to match with all things digital and print

QR Codes are also scalable to accommodate any size needs and come with a high level of error tolerance, and you can even edit and change them! For example, if you need to update your link or even change the QR Code type, you can do this at any time without having to generate a new code. 

Custom QR Codes can reflect your complete brand, synchronizing brand awareness across multiple channels.

Pro tip: For help with customization, take a look at this guide to designing QR Codes with style.

Create opportunities to capture leads from your professional network

Networking is crucial to running and managing successful businesses, as it connects you with potential partners, investors, and customers. If you do it right, it’s an excellent opportunity to capture highly qualified leads. 

QR Codes can help you build and maintain personal connections with potential clients by making it easy for them to contact you. 

For example, you can add a QR Code to your business cards that people can scan to save your contact info directly to their smartphones. Or you can include a QR Code that links to your social media pages, business website, or portfolio so clients can easily learn more about your services.

Further, if you choose Dynamic QR Codes, you can track scans to uncover insights into potential customers and what they’re most interested in. 

a matte black business card with a silver qr code
Example of a vCard Plus QR Code on a business card

6 ways to generate leads with QR Codes

Lead generation can improve your marketing campaign ROI, boost sales, and increase brand awareness. So, it’s only natural to want to go all out to generate as many leads as possible. 

But the truth is, you don’t need to do anything extravagant. In fact, simple solutions like QR Codes are often your best bet. Here are some simple, creative ways to generate leads with QR Codes.

(Note: All brands discussed below were found during our online research for this article.)

1. Tempt prospective customers with special offers

Special offers help you capture highly qualified leads who are likely already interested in your products and likely to convert into paying customers. Consider using a Coupon QR Code to make it easy for potential customers to redeem your special offers—all it takes is a single scan. 

To use the code as a lead capture tool, include a link to your website or lead generation landing page and encourage customers to leave their contact information. This way, you can continuously follow up with them through email, chats, calls, etc. 

Amazon’s SmileCodes highlight how easy it is to use QR Codes for special offers. The retail giant rolled out these codes in 2018, allowing customers to access exclusive Amazon offers by simply scanning them with their mobile devices. 

a luxury hotel brochure with a QR code in someone's hand
Example of a B2B partnership brochure for hotels with a QR Code

2. Make it easy for your audience to follow your call to action

Want to make your physical lead generation efforts more effective? Incorporate QR Codes. Adding QR Codes to assets like brochures, business cards, and billboards makes it easier for target audiences to move from your offline marketing resources to your online ones.

Physical lead generation efforts combined with QR codes often have better outcomes than those without—you can increase newsletter sign-ups, website visits, conversion rates, and more. 

JLo’s Beauty Train campaign is a perfect example of the power of QR Codes in physical ad campaigns. After adding custom QR Codes to a shuttle for a New Year’s Eve product launch, the makeup line registered 1,500 scans and 3,000 website visits

3. Encourage event attendance with better promotion

Events are a great place to capture high-quality leads, as attendees may already be interested in your products and services. But you don’t have to wait for the big day to generate leads—market your event with QR Codes to encourage more sign-ups. 

All you need to do is generate an Event QR Code and add it to your marketing materials to make it easy for interested parties to learn more and register. You’ll get their contact information when they do, which you can use to remind them about your upcoming event and engage with them afterward. 

an outdoor advertisement for a real estate company with a qr code
Example of an Event QR Code on a real estate poster ad

4. Connect with customers by asking for feedback

Customer feedback forms can help you capture and nurture leads, making them vital tools for your strategy. However, physical forms or long links can be inconvenient, not only for you but also for prospects. 

You can leverage Feedback QR Codes to enhance the customer experience and improve your offerings. With QR Code Generator PRO’s Feedback QR Codes, choose from different categories or create your own. Customers giving feedback can rate using a star system and leave comments, which can give you a ton of great insights into your products and services—including where you may need improvement!

5. Promote social media accounts to drive engagement

Social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter) are great places to capture leads, thanks to their massive user bases. They also allow direct engagement with potential customers, making it easy for you to guide them to take action. 

This direct engagement also facilitates more effective ad targeting, as you can better determine who is most likely to convert into a paying customer. 

Social Media QR Codes make it easy for prospects to find you on social platforms, driving engagement and improving lead-generation efforts. The beauty of using this type of code is that you can display all your platforms on a single landing page, allowing leads to connect with you on multiple sites. 

6. Share your contact information

Sharing your contact information opens a direct line of communication between you and potential leads, making it simple for them to ask questions about your products or services. If they can easily seek clarification, they’re more likely to view your brand positively and become customers.

vCard QR Codes can help you execute this strategy by eliminating the hassle of manually typing contact information. With vCard QR Codes, all potential leads need to do is scan your unique code and tap the “Save to phone” button. 

How to create a QR Code in 3 easy steps

Typically, the process of creating a QR Code varies depending on your needs and choice of QR Code, but some standard steps apply to any situation. You can follow the steps below to guide you until you feel confident enough to create QR Codes independently.

1. Determine what type of QR Code you need

As you’ve probably already learned, there are different types of QR Codes, each with their ideal use cases. Define your goals before choosing one to ensure it’s the right fit. Some common QR Code types include:

  • Dynamic URL QR Code: Ideal if you want to share a URL, like your website or a specific lead generation landing page 
  • MP3 QR Code: Links to audio content like podcasts and music
  • Email QR Code: Makes it easy for prospects to contact you and helps you grow your email list 
  • vCard QR Code: Allows you to seamlessly share contact information such as your phone number, email address, social media channels, and website URL

2. Choose a QR Code generator

QR Code use has grown steadily since the pandemic, with predictions showing that 99.5 million people in the U.S. will be using the technology by 2025. There are plenty of QR Code solutions in the market—but some are better than others. 

Consider these factors to choose the best QR Code generator for your needs:

  • Ease of use: Choose a user-friendly tool to simplify generating QR Codes. 
  • Types of QR Codes available: The last thing you want is to settle for a QR Code that doesn’t meet your needs. Only choose a tool if it offers codes that align with your goals. 
  • Features: Look for a tool that offers comprehensive tracking analytics for reliable insights into your QR Code performance. You should also prioritize customization features that help you align your codes with your brand image. 
  • Pricing: Choose a tool with pricing that fits your budget. 

3. Let the tool do the hard work for you

Once you find the right tool, the process is pretty simple. The platform will do most of the work for you, so you don’t need advanced knowledge of how QR Codes are generated. User-friendly options like QR Code Generator PRO provide detailed prompts to guide you every step of the way. 

All you have to do is import the URLs, PDFs, videos, or any other media you want to link to and customize your codes to align with your aesthetic preferences. But don’t forget to test your codes before launch to make sure they scan correctly and link to the right resources. 

Capture more leads with QR Code Generator PRO

QR Codes can improve your lead-generation efforts by providing seamless access to your social media pages, websites, landing pages, contact info, and more. And thanks to the many QR Code generator tools available online, you can start leveraging them to capture more leads today!

QR Code Generator PRO is affordable, user-friendly, and versatile—the perfect solution for anyone looking to elevate their marketing strategy with QR Codes. 

Whether it’s a vCard QR Code to share your contact information, Social Media Code to direct prospects to your social channels, or Coupon Code to deliver special offers, QRCG has all the solutions you need!

Sign up for QR Code Generator PRO today to capture and nurture your leads more effectively using reliable custom QR Codes!

Author
Trupti Desai

Trupti Desai is Bitly’s Senior Director of Growth Marketing. She has over 10 years of experience working in B2B and B2C marketing roles spanning the UK and the US. A key part of the marketing strategy at Bitly, Trupti elevates global teams with her expertise and insights and was notably a speaker at the Digital Marketing World Forum. You can connect with Trupti on LinkedIn.

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