As we inch closer and closer to becoming a mobile society, implementing mobile tagging just might become that next ‘big thing’ that marketers are always trying to predict. Last week, we introduced you to Mobile Tagging and its purpose in marketing and advertising. Now we’ll talk about some ideas that you can use to implement this technology into your own marketing plan. To help spark your creativity, here are a few ideas to get started.

If you sell something that needs to be put together, such as furniture or a toy, a tag printed right on the instruction sheet could take the consumer to a how-to video, showing the assembly process.

A mobile tag on a product box or display sign could take the consumer to more info about the item, such as specifications, info about the manufacturer, ingredients or product reviews. The tag could even take the prospective buyer to a video that shows the features and benefits. All this leads to a better informed prospective buyer at the point of purchase.

Scan a tag at an in-store product display for an exclusive limited time offer or coupon that could convert a window shopper into a buyer.

An establishment could provide up-to-date directions, hours, special events, or a today’s special with a mobile tag on their business card or flyer. The card stays the same, but every day they scan it would give them updated information.

A special event or amusement park can have a tag that takes patrons to a map of the park or specific points of interests or helpful info about the event.

Advertise a sweepstakes or contest. Entering would be as easy as scanning the mobile tag and entering your info on your phone.

Place a mobile tag next to each product in your catalog that takes your prospective customer through the ordering process. No more getting on their PC and logging into your website or waiting on the phone to place an order. Your customers will love the ease of ordering and you’ll love the speed of closing a sale.

Do you offer gift cards? A mobile tag right on the card could allow users to find their balance, review store hours, even terms of conditions.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. A mobile tagging campaign is only limited to your imagination. But before you start spending your precious marketing dollars on a mobile tagging campaign, there are a few things to keep in mind.

#1 Location: In business, location is critical, and mobile marketing is just as important. A mobile tag must be seen by a large number of people, but it must be in an area where they can easily whip out their phone and scan the tag. Think about your target audience. Physically put yourself in their shoes and see how easy it is for them to see your mobile tag and understand what you want them to do. Then ask friends and family within your target age group to do the same. Did they find your tag easily? Did they want to scan the tag? Test market your location before you commit to a long-term campaign.

#2 Immediacy: Mobile marketing is all about freedom and speed. You should use very few words or a simple image to capture their attention and entice them to scan your tag. You may only have seconds for them to decide. If you’re lucky enough to get their attention, don’t waste it with something they can’t use right away. Your offer or message should be quick, to the point and have an immediacy factor. Otherwise, you’re wasting their time and even worse, you’re wasting your money on a marketing campaign that’s inefficient.

#3 Keep it Simple: This too works for many situations and mobile tags are no exception. Is your message simple to follow? Is your end result something that’s easy to understand? Mobile users are, well, just that… mobile. They’re not sitting in front of a desktop at home, leisurely surfing the web. To them, they’re interested in finding something right away, not surfing. Make sure your campaign reflects that.

So now you have a well-thought out campaign, but there’s one more decision to make. Which format to you use – a QR codes or Microsoft Tag? Just a little while ago that answer would’ve been easier. QR tags have had a huge head start and have the edge in popularity. But being the powerhouse it is, Microsoft has made it interesting. In just its short existence, over 5 billion Microsoft Tags have been printed.

QR codes have the advantage of having worldwide popularity are commonplace in countries like Japan. So if your business is marketed around the globe, QR codes would be the way to go, whereas Microsoft Tag is predominately in the U.S. market so far. There are also many more QR readers on phones (over 100 million) than Microsoft Tag readers too, and QR apps are everywhere, so your mobile tag has more chances to be seen. Tag readers aren’t available across all platforms yet either.

It’s doubtful that Microsoft Tag is just going to fade away though. Tag does offer some distinct advantages over QR codes, and their numbers are growing, especially in the U.S. Microsoft Tag features a dedicated scanning application that allows clearer scans – something that QR codes can be sketchy on at certain times. Tag allows scans even when they’re a bit blurry. Plus Microsoft Tag allows the mobile tag to be smaller than normal, up to ¾”, which can save valuable real estate space in certain ad campaigns, such as gift cards. Microsoft Tags are also customizable, allowing the opportunity for your brand’s personality to shine through. QR codes aren’t nearly as customizable.

So what’s the best choice? Much of that depends on your business and your marketing directives. For right now, it might be wise to use both QR codes AND Microsoft Tags in your mobile marketing campaign, at least until there’s a clear-cut winner – if there ever is. Since this is an emerging area of marketing, there seems to be plenty of room for both of these applications to continue to grow and duke it out. It’s most likely that cell phone users will have both a QR code and Microsoft Tag reader in the very near future, if not already.

Already using QR Tagging as part of your marketing strategy? Let us know in the comments section below! If you would like further information about how mobile tagging can make your business more effective, please contact one of our friendly Captivation representatives today. See how we can reduce your operating expenses, increase your productivity and make your company more competitive.