What is a QR Code?

A QR (Quick Response) code is a two-dimensional barcode that is read by almost every smart phone on the market. Users can scan a QR code with their smart phone and be directly linked to landing pages, websites, videos, contact information, directions, special deals, and even allow you to send text messages or call phone numbers. They allow you to interactively connect with potential clients in areas that used to be strictly print-based. QR codes have had a slow start, but are quickly gaining momentum and can be very effective in your video marketing efforts.

How To Use a QR Code?

Creating QR Codes

Feel Free To Use Our QR Code Generator

As a business owner, marketer or promoter it is very important to use QR codes in your print advertising and marketing. Creating QR codes is easier than most people think. All you need is your link/URL or information you want linked to the QR code and a QR code generator. There are many free QR code generators that you can find online. We will list some of our favorites below.

Once you find the QR code generator, choose the data type (website, text message, video, etc), paste your link/URL or data in the field, choose the output type the QR code should generate when scanned, and you’re done! The generator will produce a QR code image file that you can use in your marketing campaign.

Here’s our video tutorial on how to create a QR code and how they work:

Free QR Code Generators:

Our QR Code Generator – http://www.soldwithvideo.com/qr-code-generator/

QR Stuffhttp://www.qrstuff.com

QReate and Track – http://app.qreateandtrack.com/#/create/plain

delivr – http://www.delivr.com/qr-code-generator

BeQRious – http://www.beqrious.com/qr-code-generator/

Reading QR Codes

As a user you can use your smart phone to read any QR code, and now that you are aware of QR codes you will notice they are everywhere. You can find them in magazines, newspapers, articles, billboards, for sale and rent signs, product packaging and other mediums. To begin uncovering the information left for you on QR codes you just need a QR scanner, which can found on the Apple App Store, Android Market Place (Google Play), and Blackberry App world. Just perform a search for “QR scanner”, “QR Reader”, or just “QR” and you should be presented a list of QR scanners and readers.  If you can’t find any, try these:

NeoReader – http://www.neoreader.com – Which I personally use
Available on iPhone, Android, and Blackberry

RedLaser – http://redlaser.com/
Available on iPhone, Android, and Windows Based Phones

Kayawa Reader – http://reader.kaywa.com/
Available on iPhone, and Android

BeeTagg – http://www.beetagg.com/downloadreader/
Available on iPhone, Android, Blackberry, and Windows Based Phones

QuickMark – http://www.quickmark.com.tw/En/basic/download.asp
Available on iPhone, Android, and Windows Based Phones

How To Use QR Codes To Market Your Videos

Now, the most important part! How can you use QR codes to market your videos? We mentioned above that you can link QR codes to videos, just be sure they are mobile ready videos since the user/customer will be watching the videos on their mobile phones. Don’t worry, creating mobile ready videos is very easy; in fact, you may already have mobile ready versions of your video and not even know it. If your videos are on YouTube, they are mobile ready.

Using YouTube is the easiest and best way to get mobile ready versions of your videos, which we discuss in our article: YouTube Is Easiest Way To Create Mobile Ready Videos. Virtually every smart phone on the market plays YouTube videos and by simply uploading your videos to YouTube you get a mobile ready video. You do not need to worry about mobile formats, mobile phone detection or any other headaches that come along with streaming mobile videos.

All you need to do is take your YouTube URL, link it to a QR code and let your targeted audience go scan crazy on your QR code. There is only one problem, how do you get your QR code in front of your targeted audience? Here are some ideas and ways to use QR codes to market your videos:

How Can Businesses and Business Owners Use QR Code To Market Their Videos?


If you are trying to promote your business, service or product you can use QR codes linked to your videos to gain more views and get in front of your targeted audience. The best way to do this is place your QR codes on advertising space you are already paying for. This could be mail marketing, billboards, business cards, magazine ads, labels of products, newspaper ads, and other outlets. You can be as creative as you want; I’ve even seen businesses giving away t-shirts with their QR code on the front! The point is, if you are already paying for the ad space you might as well use it to place a QR code and give your audience an interactive experience in traditionally boring medium. Not only will you be delivering your video to your audience, but you will giving them the “wow” factor at the same time.

Here are some ideas on how to use QR codes with your videos:

– Use advertising videos on print advertising (newspaper ads, magazines, billboards, etc).  You can use videos to promote your business, services, or products on ad space you are already paying for. It is a low-cost effective way to use video advertising.

– Place QR codes to instructional videos on your products, labels, and packaging to show your customers how to use the product or service. It is an easy way to cut down on customer or technical support calls and emails, while providing your customer with above average service.

– You can use videos to promote an offer, or special you have going on. You can put the QR code on your packaging and link to a video telling the customers about a special offer. You can even create a video telling them to get a discount on their next order by liking you on Facebook. Once they like you on Facebook they are brought to a discount page with a discount code. Now, you are killing three birds with one stone; getting more Facebook likes, engaging interactively with your customers, and giving them an incentive to buy from you again.

– Place QR codes on your business cards, linking to a video resume, video about your services, or advertising you, your business, or products.

How Realtors and Real Estate Agents Can Use QR Codes To Market Their Videos

As a real estate agent you probably already have a lot of print advertising, signs or places to advertise your QR code. You can place it on for sale signs, for rent signs, in newspaper ads, magazine ads, and any other print space you are already paying for.  If you are already paying the space, why not use it give your audience an interactive experience?

Here are some ideas on how to use QR codes with your videos:

– Create real estate videos and video tours of homes and place them on for sale and rent signs. The user can drive by, scan the QR code, and see a tour of the home without you even being there. It will give them a good idea if the house is ideal for them or not. It will save you time by allowing you to avoid showing the home to people who would not be interested or it can give you a very good lead from someone who is looking for exactly what they saw in your video tour.

– Place QR codes of your real estate videos in your newspaper ads and magazine ads. If you are showcasing properties in your magazine you can place a QR code next to the description to allow the reader to see the property instead of read about it.

– Use the QR code to link to a video that advertises you as a real estate agent. You can talk about your service, why you are superior, and what you offer to them as an agent in your video. You can place the QR code in any advertising you do to market yourself, this can include things like your business cards, post cards, and mail marketing. You are already paying for the space; why not place a QR code on the ad?

Where NOT To Use QR Codes For Marketing Your Videos

This could be answered in one word, “online”. It may seem weird, but you should not use QR codes online to market your videos. The point of using QR codes is to get your video in front of your targeted audience when they are away from the computer. If your customer is online and you want them to see your video just embed the video on your website or link to it, instead of placing the video QR code online. You can use techniques like video SEO, and other video marketing techniques if you want more online exposure to your videos.

It is not necessarily a bad thing to use your video QR codes online because you will still get your video seen, but video generally loads faster online, you make your call to actions easier, and you can place text, links, pictures, and ads around the video if it is online. It is easier to engage with your audience and get them to follow your “call to action” if the video is viewed online from a computer. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use QR codes online at all, just not to link to videos. You can still use QR codes online to share contact info, directions, phone numbers, event dates, and more.

If you are not using QR codes in your business, it is something you should definitely look into. It can engage your audience, get more clients, and grow your video marketing efforts at an incredible rate.

I would love to hear your thoughts, experiences, and ideas about using QR codes to grow your video marketing campaigns.