Win a $25 Restaurant.com e-gift certificate!
This is Part III and the final installment of the use of QR codes to promote virtual businesses.
Part 1 explained how to use codes in social media promotion. Part II explained how to use QR codes for social media on-site networking.
Part III explains how to have fun with QR codes and use them to create a contest. This is a great way to promote products and services on your blog and on your Facebook page.
We all want to create interest in our products and services as virtual entrepreneurs. It is not enough to say, “Here is my product/service; purchase what I offer.” Your target market may have a need for your commerce but they may not be ready to sign on and make that purchase. So my philosophy is to draw people into your community who may be interested and then engage that audience. Keep your company name in front of them so when the time arises; when they need your service, they will call on you.
There is no reason that maintaining interest cannot be fun! It does not have to be ALL very serious. So let’s use QR codes to make this fun!
I created a contest on my Facebook page and blog called, “QR my Virtual Office Photo Contest”.
I posted a photo of an object from my virtual assistant office. Readers are to guess what the item will be and win a $25 gift certificate to Restaurant.com.
Instead of simply posting the photograph on my Facebook page and blog, I will post a QR code which when scanned by a smartphone will reveal the image.
Contestants then can guess on my Facebook business page or blog what they believe the image to be. You may also post your answer here on Business Darlings comments area as well.
How I created this QR code contest:
Upload the mystery image to my host site
Copy the link
Shorten the link on bit.ly and customize (the link is long so customizing helps it to ‘fit’ better on the entrant’s smartphone). Bit.ly also allows you to track how many clicks you receive…a great way to monitor the success of your promotion.
Log into www.SocialQRcode.com
Locate the Web URL option
Copy in the URL from the image (the bit.ly customized link)
Create the QR code – Be sure to test the code on your own smartphone!
Create a post on your Facebook business page and blog explaining the contest and upload the image
Announce your contest – Everywhere!
Ask folks to guess what the image may be and then post their answers on your page
Announce the winner at the end of the time frame you have specified
So why not give it a go?
Scan this QR code and guess the object.
The winner will receive a $25 e-gift certificate from Restaurant.com.
The winner will be chosen randomly from the correct entries and announced on March 30th here on Business Darlings, on my Facebook page and on my blog!
Good Luck! Happy QR’ing!!!
Here’s a QR code tutorial:
Note that when using www.SocialQRCode.com for Facebook as depicted in the video, only the Facebook ‘name’ is needed and not the entire URL.
I'm guessing it is a bulletin board.
Hi Janine,
OK, I'm a little dense. I love the contest idea but I don't get how this would work. If people can see the image from their phone, why would they have to make a guess? Wouldn't everyone know what the answer is?
Still, I can think of some fun ideas.
For example, you could put make one QR code that's a winner and put it on the back of a business card. Then make a QR code that's a "nice try, no dice" code. Print that one on the back of many cards. Shuffle the cards and give out the cards until someone gets the winning one. This makes it a bit like a scratch lottery card.
Thank you very much for these posts,
Julia
My recent post Business Challenge Secret Identity- Super Hero or Super Slug
Hi Allan…good guess! It is a speaker! Thank you for your guess…email me at info@yourvirtualwizard.com . I have something for you for participating.