Mobilize Your Legal Firm's Marketing Strategy with QR Codes

QR codes began as a modern twist on the Universal Product Code (UPC) barcode, the familiar black and white bars that appear on products to help retailers track inventory and prices. They were developed by Toyota subsidiary Denso Wave in 1994 to track auto parts.

Whereas UPC barcodes can only handle 12 numbers, QR codes can handle over 7,000 data points, including letters. They can be scanned by virtually all smartphones and tablet devices, including iPads and Android tablets.

Fad or for Real?

The marketing landscape is littered with attempts to use new technologies to help organizations achieve business objectives. Novelty and utility are valuable marketing aspects of new technologies, but only those that are truly useful have a chance of surviving when the novelty fades. The CueCat barcode scanner released in 1999 was widely viewed as a commercial failure and is often cited as a cautionary tale for QR codes. The CueCat was novel but not useful.

The durability of QR code technology is unclear, but there are early indications that it is a useful technology, in part because the tool required to scan QR codes, the smartphone, already has deep, growing penetration, and the content being shared via QR codes is often valuable and timely. To illustrate the point, the CueCat had about one million users as compared to approximately 143 million smartphone users in the U.S. (Nielsen).

Are Law Firms Adopting the Technology?

Mainstream marketers are spending hundreds of millions of dollars exposing people to QR codes, and companies such as Google and Microsoft are aggressively pushing the technology (Microsoft has a similar technology called Tags). These activities reduce the risk of trying QR codes, and as a result, QR codes are making their way into professional services marketing too. In legal marketing, QR code use is rising. Vizibility recently conducted a survey of legal professionals from top firms, including Legal Marketing Association (LMA) members. The survey revealed that 35% of legal marketers already use QR codes, while 80% plan to start using them within 12 months (see, “Infographic: QR Code Usage in Legal Marketing,” http://infographics.vizibility.com).

Professionals use QR codes on business cards, presentations and marketing collateral to link customers and prospects with additional information online. With the right marketing strategy and administrative tools, QR codes can be a valuable addition to a firm's marketing toolkit.

Early Adopters Get the Early Benefit

Technology innovator Loeb & Loeb was one of the first law firms to adopt social media tools to engage with clients and prospects. They are one of the few AmLaw 200 firms with a truly mobile-optimized website. And soon they will have the distinction of being one of the first to have a large-scale rollout of personal QR codes for the attorneys practicing in the firm's Advanced Media & Technology Department. QR codes will appear on business cards and in marketing collateral, including on printed bios. Jennifer Manton, the chief marketing officer of the 300+ attorney firm, explained that “QR codes are another extension of the firm's ability to engage clients, and Loeb considers them to be an important ingredient that communicates technical savviness and leadership. They do have a coolness factor that will help set our firm apart in practice areas like media, technology and IP.” According to Manton, the content that is delivered by the QR code is useful. It includes links to partner bios, curated Google search results, thought leadership and other unique content. The QR code experience will also enable someone to download the attorney's vCard, including the date and location of when they met, and there will be a feature that makes it possible to see with whom a prospect and a Loeb & Loeb attorney have a common connection.

Seven Strategies for Maximizing QR Code Effectiveness

QR codes can be a terrific marketing tool, but to get the most out of your QR code strategy, it's important to keep some key points in mind. Here are seven tips:

1. Remember that QR codes are a mobile tool. iPad2 and Android tablets have QR code capabilities, but for the present, you should count on users scanning codes with smartphones and viewing information on small screens. Make sure you optimize your QR code-landing page for mobile viewing. This is especially important if your goal is to communicate that your firm is tech-savvy: Taking users to a screen that is not optimized for mobile viewing will send the opposite message.

2. Use only one QR code. Occasionally marketers get carried away and use multiple QR codes on their collateral. This can be confusing. Make sure the QR code delivers on user expectations. A QR code on a business card implies that the user will get more information about the individual named on the card. Codes on brochures imply that users will get more information about the firm.

3. Make sure your URL contains a name. Once the QR code is scanned, users don't need to keep the printed material. The scanning app retains the URL. However, it's important to make sure your QR code URL makes the subject clear. Be sure it names the firm or individual for whom it's been established.

4. Optimize QR code size. QR code size varies according to how much data is embedded in the code. Smaller QR codes are preferable for two reasons. First, they take up less space. Second, large QR codes that contain comprehensive information quickly become obsolete. A small QR code is a living code that can be updated.

5. Brand your QR codes carefully, if at all. QR codes don't have to be black and white: Any contrasting color on a lighter background that can be read by a scanner will work. You can introduce branding elements, firm logos, etc., into a QR code. However, QR code branding can be cumbersome if you're administering branding for the firm and multiple individuals. It may make more sense to brand the firm's main QR code and use simpler codes for individuals. And remember, if you choose to brand your firm's QR code, try it on multiple scanning devices and apps to make sure it works.

6. Think about the call to action. What do you want the user to do when he or she scans your QR code? Since the information on your QR code URL is dynamic, you can keep the call to action up-to-date. But before you create the URL content, think carefully about what the call to action should be.

7. Make sure users will have an Internet connection. If embedding a URL, it's important to ensure QR code users will have an Internet connection when they scan the code. Connectivity generally isn't a problem in metropolitan areas. But if you produce marketing signage that appears on a subway where connectivity is tenuous, it can be problematic.

QR Code Planning

Today, about 50% of online searches originate on smartphones. However, the Vizibility survey of legal industry QR code use found that only 12% of the top 100 law firm websites are optimized for mobile viewing. It's extremely important to make sure you have a mobile-optimized URL to link to the QR code.

QR codes sometimes also appear on websites, where users may encounter them on a PC or tablet device. If you're going to embed a code on your site, make the code image a hot link rather than expecting the user to scan it on the screen. The easier you make it for the user, the more likely they will engage.

Speaking of easy, you'll want to make your QR code strategy easy on yourself too. It can be challenging to administer codes and information for multiple attorneys. Make sure the firm you partner with for QR code generation simplifies administration.

It's also crucial to use metrics so you can gauge effectiveness. If you plan to use QR codes and/or links to professional Web pages that can be accessed from mobile or non-mobile devices, it's a great idea to have a tracking mechanism in place so that you can find out when people access your codes or site and measure campaign effectiveness.

Conclusion

When you're ready to develop your QR code strategy, keep the seven tips for successful QR code use in mind to maximize effectiveness. And when you evaluate QR code generation and online identity management partners, make sure the companies you consider offer ease of administration and tracking tools to help you measure success. With the right strategy and partner, QR codes can be an incredibly powerful marketing tool.

QR (quick response) codes are a hot trend in marketing. The compact squares with contrasting-color patterns are showing up everywhere, including print ads, packaging, business cards, signs, art ' even tombstones!

Social news blog Mashable says over 14 million people in the U.S. used QR codes in June (http://on.mash.to/vBDknz). QR code users tend to be demographically desirable customers ' younger and relatively affluent ' which is another reason the codes are becoming a ubiquitous marketing tool.

What Is a QR Code?

QR codes began as a modern twist on the Universal Product Code (UPC) barcode, the familiar black and white bars that appear on products to help retailers track inventory and prices. They were developed by Toyota subsidiary Denso Wave in 1994 to track auto parts.

Whereas UPC barcodes can only handle 12 numbers, QR codes can handle over 7,000 data points, including letters. They can be scanned by virtually all smartphones and tablet devices, including iPads and Android tablets.

Fad or for Real?

The marketing landscape is littered with attempts to use new technologies to help organizations achieve business objectives. Novelty and utility are valuable marketing aspects of new technologies, but only those that are truly useful have a chance of surviving when the novelty fades. The CueCat barcode scanner released in 1999 was widely viewed as a commercial failure and is often cited as a cautionary tale for QR codes. The CueCat was novel but not useful.

The durability of QR code technology is unclear, but there are early indications that it is a useful technology, in part because the tool required to scan QR codes, the smartphone, already has deep, growing penetration, and the content being shared via QR codes is often valuable and timely. To illustrate the point, the CueCat had about one million users as compared to approximately 143 million smartphone users in the U.S. (Nielsen).

Are Law Firms Adopting the Technology?

Mainstream marketers are spending hundreds of millions of dollars exposing people to QR codes, and companies such as Google and Microsoft are aggressively pushing the technology (Microsoft has a similar technology called Tags). These activities reduce the risk of trying QR codes, and as a result, QR codes are making their way into professional services marketing too. In legal marketing, QR code use is rising. Vizibility recently conducted a survey of legal professionals from top firms, including Legal Marketing Association (LMA) members. The survey revealed that 35% of legal marketers already use QR codes, while 80% plan to start using them within 12 months (see, “Infographic: QR Code Usage in Legal Marketing,” http://infographics.vizibility.com).

Professionals use QR codes on business cards, presentations and marketing collateral to link customers and prospects with additional information online. With the right marketing strategy and administrative tools, QR codes can be a valuable addition to a firm's marketing toolkit.

Early Adopters Get the Early Benefit

Technology innovator Loeb & Loeb was one of the first law firms to adopt social media tools to engage with clients and prospects. They are one of the few AmLaw 200 firms with a truly mobile-optimized website. And soon they will have the distinction of being one of the first to have a large-scale rollout of personal QR codes for the attorneys practicing in the firm's Advanced Media & Technology Department. QR codes will appear on business cards and in marketing collateral, including on printed bios. Jennifer Manton, the chief marketing officer of the 300+ attorney firm, explained that “QR codes are another extension of the firm's ability to engage clients, and Loeb considers them to be an important ingredient that communicates technical savviness and leadership. They do have a coolness factor that will help set our firm apart in practice areas like media, technology and IP.” According to Manton, the content that is delivered by the QR code is useful. It includes links to partner bios, curated Google search results, thought leadership and other unique content. The QR code experience will also enable someone to download the attorney's vCard, including the date and location of when they met, and there will be a feature that makes it possible to see with whom a prospect and a Loeb & Loeb attorney have a common connection.

Seven Strategies for Maximizing QR Code Effectiveness

QR codes can be a terrific marketing tool, but to get the most out of your QR code strategy, it's important to keep some key points in mind. Here are seven tips:

1. Remember that QR codes are a mobile tool. iPad2 and Android tablets have QR code capabilities, but for the present, you should count on users scanning codes with smartphones and viewing information on small screens. Make sure you optimize your QR code-landing page for mobile viewing. This is especially important if your goal is to communicate that your firm is tech-savvy: Taking users to a screen that is not optimized for mobile viewing will send the opposite message.

2. Use only one QR code. Occasionally marketers get carried away and use multiple QR codes on their collateral. This can be confusing. Make sure the QR code delivers on user expectations. A QR code on a business card implies that the user will get more information about the individual named on the card. Codes on brochures imply that users will get more information about the firm.

3. Make sure your URL contains a name. Once the QR code is scanned, users don't need to keep the printed material. The scanning app retains the URL. However, it's important to make sure your QR code URL makes the subject clear. Be sure it names the firm or individual for whom it's been established.

4. Optimize QR code size. QR code size varies according to how much data is embedded in the code. Smaller QR codes are preferable for two reasons. First, they take up less space. Second, large QR codes that contain comprehensive information quickly become obsolete. A small QR code is a living code that can be updated.

5. Brand your QR codes carefully, if at all. QR codes don't have to be black and white: Any contrasting color on a lighter background that can be read by a scanner will work. You can introduce branding elements, firm logos, etc., into a QR code. However, QR code branding can be cumbersome if you're administering branding for the firm and multiple individuals. It may make more sense to brand the firm's main QR code and use simpler codes for individuals. And remember, if you choose to brand your firm's QR code, try it on multiple scanning devices and apps to make sure it works.

6. Think about the call to action. What do you want the user to do when he or she scans your QR code? Since the information on your QR code URL is dynamic, you can keep the call to action up-to-date. But before you create the URL content, think carefully about what the call to action should be.

7. Make sure users will have an Internet connection. If embedding a URL, it's important to ensure QR code users will have an Internet connection when they scan the code. Connectivity generally isn't a problem in metropolitan areas. But if you produce marketing signage that appears on a subway where connectivity is tenuous, it can be problematic.

QR Code Planning

Today, about 50% of online searches originate on smartphones. However, the Vizibility survey of legal industry QR code use found that only 12% of the top 100 law firm websites are optimized for mobile viewing. It's extremely important to make sure you have a mobile-optimized URL to link to the QR code.

QR codes sometimes also appear on websites, where users may encounter them on a PC or tablet device. If you're going to embed a code on your site, make the code image a hot link rather than expecting the user to scan it on the screen. The easier you make it for the user, the more likely they will engage.

Speaking of easy, you'll want to make your QR code strategy easy on yourself too. It can be challenging to administer codes and information for multiple attorneys. Make sure the firm you partner with for QR code generation simplifies administration.

It's also crucial to use metrics so you can gauge effectiveness. If you plan to use QR codes and/or links to professional Web pages that can be accessed from mobile or non-mobile devices, it's a great idea to have a tracking mechanism in place so that you can find out when people access your codes or site and measure campaign effectiveness.

Conclusion

When you're ready to develop your QR code strategy, keep the seven tips for successful QR code use in mind to maximize effectiveness. And when you evaluate QR code generation and online identity management partners, make sure the companies you consider offer ease of administration and tracking tools to help you measure success. With the right strategy and partner, QR codes can be an incredibly powerful marketing tool.