QR Codes on Newspapers and Magazines

1. Enrich the shopping experience

Invite readers into a world of inclusive and well-directed purchasing by connecting them directly to promoted products from your magazine with various QR Code types. Redefine what it means to shop at your convenience by collaborating with vloggers and influencers to give readers first-hand reviews via QR Codes on promoted products so they can make smart shopping decisions.

2. Boost reader engagement

Are you covering a story, reporting an interview, writing a review or sharing recipes? By implementing QR Codes on your pages, you build the foundations for trust by engaging readers on a multi-platform that strengthens your credibility through direct, reliable sources. In order to incentivize readers to keep coming back, use a Dynamic URL QR Code to link to any target URL, an MP3 QR Code for an audio version of any interview or a Video QR Code to give visual instructions on recipes or DIY projects. With a simple scan, you can amplify reader cognizance of your content while inspiring change, creativity and brand loyalty.

3. Connect readers to sources

So you have added the author’s name at the top, or bottom, of their article. Excellent, readers now know who wrote it. And? Is that it? No way. QR Codes are your hyperlink from print to the digital, so put them to good use. Make it easier for people to access more content from the same writer by adding a Social Media QR Code next to their name and linking them to their social media platforms. Or a vCard Plus QR Code, in case publishers want to get in direct contact with a writer for a potential new story.

4. Amplify Promotions

Do more for your readers by giving them digital extras such as giveaways, coupons, deals or a chance to win free samples by adding a Coupon QR Code on your product pages and current market favorites. The advantage? You vastly simplify consumers’ lives by directly linking them to promotions without the hassle that comes with paper coupons. No more cutting, storing and oops-I-left-my-folder-of- coupons-at-home-again narratives because with QR Code digital coupons, you can scan, save, share and redeem them with any of your mobile devices. Piece of cake.

5. Return on Investment

Collect data with our Dynamic QR Codes and track the success or failure of your advertising strategies. You can get all the relevant data you might need: number of scans, time, place and smartphone operating system used for each scan. The feedback you acquire is in real-time and easy to view on our user-friendly software, which is beneficial to adjust your advertising strategy to the ever-evolving marketplace.

How to create a QR Code on Magazines & Newspapers?

1. Go to QR Code Generator and select the type of QR Code you’d like on your magazine or newspaper. We recommend using the URL QR Code to start with.*
2. Enter your website address.
3. Your QR Code will be generated automatically.
4. Now, customize the design of your QR Code by adding a frame and a “Scan Me” logo.*
5. Select colors to match your style or company brand identity.
6. Select ‘Download’ to receive your QR Code file in .jpg format.
7. Integrate your newly-created QR Code to your magazine design.

*Sign up to choose more QR Codes such as Event, Video, and Coupon, where you have the option of adding more information, more visuals, and edit or replace all the information without reprinting a new QR Code. You can also choose from a variety of frames and upload your own logo.

1. Add instructions

One big mistake QR Code users have made in the past is printing QR Codes without a short written explanation of what the consumer would gain or learn from scanning one. Make sure to incentivize your consumers to scan your Code, or else all your marketing efforts will be for naught.

2. Frame it

With our customizable frames, you can make your QR Code blend in with your magazine and newspaper’s high-impact design. When creating your Code, you will be offered a wide variety of ready-made frames with different Call to Action (CTA) messages and color options from which to select. If you want to add personalized details, you have the option of customizing even more by choosing a different shape, a different icon, and even adding your own text. Check-out our guide to QR Code frames here.

3. Add a logo inside your QR Code

Once you have selected a frame option and customized your Code’s shape and color, you can choose to incorporate a brand image or illustration at the center of your QR Code. Though there are a few ready-made options to select from, you can also upload your own logo or your own CTA like “Get more,” “Like us” or “Find us.” Our system automatically detects the best and largest size for uploaded logos to make sure QR Codes remain scannable, so you do not have to worry about making the correct adjustments.

4. Save your designs

You can use the same design for every issue without fretting about recreating an old QR Code design manually. QR Code Generator allows you to save all your designs as templates, so you can reuse them for any of your marketing endeavors.

5. Customizable URL

By default, every Dynamic QR Code gets a random short URL that redirects to your page when the QR Code is scanned. The short URL can be customized to your preference, using your magazine or newspaper publication name, for example, to help you stand out from competitors and build more trust among users. Follow the steps on this page if you would like to edit your short URL.

6. Test before printing

The minimum recommended printing size for a QR Code on any marketing material is 2 x 2 cm (about 0.8 x 0.8 in). From there, you can always make it bigger, but we do not recommend going smaller as it would render your Code unscannable or even unnoticeable. Elaborate designs and low color contrast, or a large number of encoded characters require a larger printing size. To ensure your Code is perfectly readable, you should do extensive field testing with various smartphones and apps, which gives you the assurance that every user will be able to scan your Code.

For more information on getting started with QR Codes, visit our Help Center page. And visit our How to Get Creative with QR Code Design page to learn more about the dos and don’ts of QR Code design for optimal results on your magazine or newspaper publication.

Business Consultants

How could they optimize print advertisement in their city’s local newspaper, and turn marketing leads into customers? That’s the question Brixton Business Consulting wrestled with before incorporating our Business Page QR Code into their marketing scheme. Interested readers could now scan the Code and connect immediately with Brixton by phone, email or through their social media platforms. Not only were they privy to the firm’s slogan, address and opening hours, but also their website with video demonstrations of their case studies and a list of current clients.

Musicians and Artists

After their most recent performance, The Three Sparrows were featured in a monthly magazine on pop culture. In addition to the interview, the critic really wanted to paint an honest tableau for the readers of the band’s performances, so they printed an Image Gallery QR Code next to the interview, which once scanned linked readers to a visual journey they could zoom into, view in full screen, share on social media and download on their devices.

Nonprofits

If a picture is worth a thousand words, imagine what a video QR Code can do. That’s what prompted Protect the Bees Foundation when they wrote an article for an ecological magazine about their collaboration with local farmers on their bee protection efforts. In order to bring the story to life, they integrated a Video QR Code between the paragraphs so they could take their readers on a tour to illustrate their efforts in a more comprehensive way, from proper beekeeping to product consumption.

Retailers

It was that time of the year again. Christmas had come and gone, and Elle Boutique found themselves with a surplus of Christmas sweaters that needed to go. In collaboration with their local retail mall magazine, they wrote a short article about the history of the Christmas sweater in fashion and at the end, included a Coupon QR Code for a 25% off sale they were running in their store and online store. Readers were able to save the coupon, instantly share it with friends on social media or anywhere online and redeem it at the store with a simple scan.

Publishers

Lionspring Publishing House wanted to give unknown writers the chance to get published and have not just their stories, but their names out there. So, in their bi-weekly lit magazine, they printed a Social Media QR Code next to each author’s name linking back to all their social media accounts so readers could directly access each profile without having to type and search.