No event can get maximum attendees if marketing is not done on a large scale. Similarly, without an effective marketing strategy, maximizing their engagement is almost impossible. However, engaging the audience is critical for making your event successful.
This engagement ideally should start during the pre-event stage and should continue even after the event. It is sensible to go for pre-event engagement, engagement during the event, and leveraging on it after the event for alluring attendees not only for the present but also for the upcoming events.
Engagement is perhaps the first priority for fulfilling the goal of making an event successful. So, how would you engage your audience? Well, there are many ways to do so. You can have high-quality entertainment equipment, world-class performers, and extensive marketing on social media.
Of these, the first two ways are effective during the event, while the latter is for pre- and post-event engagement. Event planners need to come up with each effective idea or tool at their disposal to lure people to the upcoming events, may it be just a local fair, a business expo, or a national music festival.
There is one such idea or tool that actually deserves to be the part of every event toolkit, which is an Event QR code. It is specifically for leveraging and developing engagement before, during, and after an event. Let’s find out about it in detail.
Overview of Event QR Codes
You must have probably seen a QR code somewhere for some purpose, as they are in use almost everywhere. It is also possible that you may have used them to engage in some kind of promotion, feedback sharing, or a new product release.
One of the real-life examples on which you may have seen a QR code is the Heinz ketchup bottle. The code in the form of a square shape with a black and white pattern was printed on the bottle’s rear. The purpose of that code was to fetch donation for the Wounded Warrior Project.
For each scan done by a customer, the brand donated $1. QR codes are typically square in shape and are seen on Web pages and adverts such as flyers, banners, and brochures. When a visitor scans the code using their smartphone camera or a third-party app, the code opens the embedded link to introduce something interesting or useful.
Conventionally, such codes have been in use in adverts for promoting products, services, or sweepstakes. However, they are equally useful for promoting events. When associated with an event or designed with the goal of marketing an event, a QR code is known as the event QR code.
Such codes, when scanned, are likely to take its visitors or users to an event invitation video, an event offer infographic, a Google Map showing the event location, or a post-event sweepstake or feedback sharing page.
Where to Use Event QR Codes
Regardless of the type of event, QR codes can facilitate as well as maximize engagement right before the event. For this purpose, here are some ways to use these codes:
- On Small Non-Digital Marketing Materials: Even today, printed adverts are still widely in use. However, they soon become outdated. Perhaps you printed a flyer prior to preparing the event sponsors or schedule and now the schedule is changed. By printed a dynamic QR code on that flyer that embeds a short URL to the event schedule, the attendees can stay updated.
- On Small Non-Digital Marketing Materials: Are you planning to promote your event with a big LED screen or a wide poster across the side of a train or a bus? Do consider inserting a QR code to it so that onlookers can immediately scan to get further details. That typical square box is likely to intrigue them.
- On Badges: Event participants have their unique badges. If a QR code is printed on them, the participants can promptly exchange contact data, send messages, and take notes, especially once the event is over. In this way, QR codes can facilitate B2B networking for lasting relationships.
- On Event Tickets: An enticing way to use QR codes on tickets is to allow speedy entry at the venue. The attendees can simply scan the code for event registration. As each one will have a unique code, it becomes easy for you to track who came and keep any scam away.
Conclusion
Isn’t this pretty interesting and engaging? Such codes allow easy and quick sharing of event-related info once they are printed on your event marketing material. By integrating the digital and non-digital marketing mediums, event QR codes help in running a single marketing campaign effectively for both mediums.
