These days it is difficult for printers to create an offering where the client sees enough value. Value where they are prepared to pay more for their print.

QR codes are a great way to show customers value and increase your profits

Printers who offer QR codes often build stronger relationships with their clients. Their clients obtain more value from their print, and their print supplier. They understand that to get the right results, they need to work with the right printers. So the printers have better control over their customer relationships.

Printers who don't offer QR codes are usually stuck offering commodity print. Their clients don't see the same value in their relationship. And the printers struggle to achieve their sales targets.

So why are QR codes such a great way to achieve more profitable print sales? Here are three reasons:

1) QR codes make print measurable
It is possible to record every time someone scans a QR code. So you (or your client) know exactly how much interest a piece of print has generated. And, of course it is easy to measure the action taken as a result of scanning the QR code. So it is possible to measure the action of clients or prospects from the QR code.

And QR codes create action if they are personal

2) QR codes make print more personal
QR codes can be changes according to the situation. You can have a different QR code for every person that you send a mailer too. This may seem complicated. But it easy to have a much simpler campaign, and have a different QR code for each region that print is distributed to.

In this way people will feel that the print is more relevant to them. The marketing becomes personal. And the value rises.

3) QR codes make print more valuable
By making the codes more personal, QR codes will create more action from a piece of print. This is measurable. So clients can see that their print creates value. And if the printer is involved in the QR code strategy, the printer is creating value. And the conversation between client and printer moves away from price.

But printers need to have ideas on how to implement the codes.

Let's look at how one printer used QR codes to raise profit margins
This printer was producing banners for a retail client. I worked with them to create a QR code strategy for the client.

Firstly we created a separate QR code for each banner. Now the client had a way of measuring the effectiveness of each banner site. It turned out that some sites were really popular. But at other sites, the client was wasting their time using banners.

We also made sure that the QR code gave the client a worthwhile offer. But we changed the offer according to the site of the banner. So sites where there were commuters offered discounts on their way back from work. And more leisure oriented sites attracted business at other times of the day. The QR codes also linked through to directions to the nearest store, depending on where the banner was located.

The results of this campaign were impressive!
The client started gaining new client data. They were also able to work out exactly where they should place their posters. And they were able to measure the return on investment on each site.

And the printer was able to raise their prices by 15%. They offered their client a lot of advice to make the campaign work. And the client saw the value of the advice. One of the tips that the printer offered the client was regarding the placement of posters.

You only get value from QR codes if they can be scanned
So the client was advised to avoid using these codes in certain areas, including
- tunnels
- subways
- where people would only see posters if they were driving

But this still meant that there were plenty of sites where consumers scanned the codes and created a successful campaign.

Here are three action points to get a QR code campaign underway
1. Create your own QR code. I use http://bit.ly for free. But there are plenty of other sites
2. Create a strategy for how one of your customers could benefit from QR codes. Go and sell it to them
3. Read this article http://bit.ly/uhEwTq to find out more on how to make a successful QR code campaign

Stop despairing at reducing profit margins
Use QR codes as one strategy where you can start creating clients who pay more.

Scan the barcode above with the barcode reader on your phone to download the free e-book "Ten Common Print Selling Errors And What To Do about Them", worth £25/$41 (or go to http://bit.ly/tOWYI3 )

Find out how EBAY have embraced the world of QR Codes when FESPA TV visited their first high stret store in London...



Read more about QR codes here