QR codes (QRCs) had their heyday during the 2020 pandemic, mainly by replacing paper restaurant menus everywhere. But while paper menus are back by popular demand, QR codes haven’t gone anywhere. Small, inconspicuous and accessible to anyone with a mobile phone, they are incredibly useful for replacing print materials for many types of companies. They are also easy for lawyers and law firms to create and integrate into an overall marketing strategy to direct people to attorney bios or firm practice descriptions quickly.

How do QR codes work in legal marketing?

When created and executed well, QR codes can be incorporated or centered in a marketing campaign. There are two different kinds of QR codes: static and dynamic.

Static codes store information that shouldn’t be changed or are one-time use. Once created, they are best used for tasks like sharing an email address or contact information on business cards or an attorney profile page. If the information changes, a new code needs to be generated.

Dynamic codes don’t store the data but instead redirect the scanner, much like when you share a link to a webpage. But they’re not limited to webpages. Dynamic QR codes can also lead you to a coupon, event page, PDF of a firm’s practice sheet and even SMS text creation. If needed, you can change up the contents or type of dynamic code without generating a fresh code. This makes dynamic codes the best for marketing campaigns.

When creating these codes, it’s important to know that the more information you are encoding, the larger and more complex the code will be. These codes are also permanent for as long as the landing page or action is available.

What are some of the ways your law firm can use a QRC?

Promote practice areas — Not every practice area has the right clientele to make use of QRCs, so it is important to consider your end clients and their ability to use technology. QRCs can direct a prospect directly to a specific practice area and its capabilities in your law firm. Practice groups that focus on business or technology are good places to start incorporating QRCs.

Provide attorney contact information — QRCs can be used to link to an attorney profile where a prospective client can access a v-card. To take this a step further, another option is signing up for a one-tap mobile business card, such as a visibility account, dot. card or Mobilo card, to name a few. These multi-use cards avoid the need to give out paper business cards. You can also share more than your basic contact information, such as your social media links or a directory of people in your firm. They update in real time, so your information is never out of date.

Share your social media accounts — Many social media platforms offer the ability to customize your account’s QR code. Each platform has their own take on the account QR code, often incorporating brand colors and embellishing the design. LinkedIn’s QR code is available in your profile. When it’s scanned, it takes the person directly to your profile, where they can hit the button to follow you. These codes can be printed on handout materials or added to a presentation to offer quick access to your business or profile page.

Another option is to create a landing page where all of your social media accounts are linked. A single scan lets the client or prospect choose which of your accounts to follow.

Offer something of value — You might have an industry-specific blog or email newsletter that would benefit a prospective client. Having fast access to specific target content is much more useful than access to the firm’s landing page. People who use the QRC are looking for more than what they would find at a general firm website.

Add color — While codes are often seen in black-and-white, you can change their color as long as there is enough contrast with the paper or background. You can also add a brand element or logo as part of the QRC. This allows your code to blend in with your corporate brand and not look out of place. However, if your code does not scan easily, your efforts will go to waste, so always test your final code before putting it in action.

Use QRCs correctly — For the codes to be scanned, it is recommended that they appear about 1 inch in size or larger. While you can go smaller, they can (and will) become impossible to scan if they get too small. It is also important to have adequate open space around the code so they scan correctly.

Tracking and measuring QR code success

It’s easy to create your own custom QR code, thanks to readily available, free online code generators. Some services offer basic data QR codes while others lock features behind a pro plan. For QR codes that link to a website, generating a specific shortcode will let you track the clicks.

If you’re serious about using QR codes in your multichannel marketing campaigns, then it’s best to invest in software that provides data beyond the number of scans. You’ll be able to learn where the scanners are based, what operating systems they use and when they scanned your code. Much like social media advertising, QR code data is tracked and displayed in real time, offering you the chance to tweak campaigns as they run.

Remember that when you place a QRC on your business card or marketing material, you are asking a prospect to do something. When people take the time to scan a code, you must recognize their efforts and send them to a link that adds value. What you provide will raise your value in the eyes of the prospect, making the QR code very valuable, indeed. 

Feeling ready to incorporate QR codes into your marketing but don’t know where to start? Reach out to me, Alan E. Singles, at asingles@jaffepr.com.