QR codes appear everywhere, from supermarket shelves to magazines. Target, Macy’s, and Starbucks are just a few of the companies that put QR cods in ads or in stores.

Depending on your business, you can use them and another way to engage your audience, drive traffic to your website, and build your business.

However, does your audience know how to use them?

“When you are in the thick of all things marketing, staying on top of the latest in mobile marketing and how to interconnect your print and online media, it’s easy to forget your average consumer does not stay on top of such things,” says John Foley, contributor to The Digital Nirvana.

He offers some tips on how to teach your audience how to use QR codes so you can have a successful campaign.

Educate

Provide your audience with information to show you are reliable and trustworthy. Some people are afraid of technology, so help them get over any fears. As consumers become used to technology adoption, it becomes less scary.

Start simple

People learn in different ways so create instructions in different formats. Foley suggests:

• Create a white paper or series of blog posts for people who like to read step-by-step directions.
• Create a downloadable audio file with step-by-step instruction for people who like to listen
• Create a video to show everything broken down into steps.

Don’t Make Assumptions

Start with the most basic of things, even let people know they need an app to scan the QR code. With instructions in different formats, your audience can choose what they want to read or watch and skip over anything that is too basic.

Make it Accessible

Make your instructions easily available. Promote them every so often to remind your audience you can virtually walk them through the process of how to get an app to scan on their mobile device, how to scan the QR code, and what to do from there, says Foley.

Stay on Top of News and Trends

Stay on the pulse of QR code news and trends. It will help you spot threats and opportunities early on, give you a competitive edge, and alert you to changes you need to know about. Scan Life offers quarterly reports on the who and what of scanning.

QR codes are a great tool to integrate your print efforts with your online efforts. They allow customers to interact with your content in new ways. When used right, they can bring your site more traffic and your email campaign more subscribers.

What has been your experience with QR codes?