QR Codes: Some Interesting Facts

1. QR codes don’t have to be black and white – As long as the contrast between light and dark areas is great enough for readers to detect, you can create branded QR codes to help promote your business.
2. QR code scanning grew 1200% during the last quarter in 2010.
3. The largest QR code on record was created by Audi, which measures a whopping 159 square meters (that’s 1711 square feet, for the non-metrically inclined).
4. The iPhone is the most popular scanning device for QR codes.
5. QR codes were first introduced in 1994 – The Japanese firm, Denso Wave Inc., first created QR codes for the sole purpose of tracking vehicle parts.
6. Two-thirds of all QR codes are scanned by women.
7. Print media accounts for only 1% of all scanned QR codes.
8. “Extreme Scanning” is when users excessively scan QR codes hundreds of times more than the average user – Contests appear to be the driving force behind this phenomenon.
9. Over one-fourth of all scanned QR codes were scanned by 35-44 year old consumers.
10. Excluding Japan, the United States has the highest QR code usage rate than any other country.

Fun Facts:

According to a survey by JumpScan.com, 52% of participants had seen or heard of QR codes. Of those who use social media, 57% of Facebook and Twitter users said they have scanned a QR code at least once in the past year and as many as 40% had done so five or more times in the past year. From July to December of 2010, there was a 1200% increase in the scanning of QR codes. The OS used most to scan QR codes is Apple (68%), followed by Android (26%) and Blackberry (4%). The world’s largest QR code was 159 square meters and created by Audi to celebrate 100 years of car manufacturing.

Clever Uses:

Starbucks is using QR code technology to make it possible for you to pay for your daily caffeine hit with their mobile iPhone app. It works like this: punch in your Starbucks card info, verify some details, and the iPhone app becomes the gift card. A secure QR code is generated for the barista to scan when it comes time to pay for your coffee. Starbucks is now taking iPhone app payments in over 1,000 Target stores nationwide.

AnswerGarden: A feedback tool

AnswerGarden is a minimalistic feedback tool. Use it in the classroom as an educational tool or at work as a creative brainstorming tool. Or you can embed it on your website or blog to use it as a poll or guestbook.

You create an AnswerGarden by entering a topic on the Create New AnswerGarden-page. Then you'll be redirected to your newly created AnswerGarden. If no-one has posted an answer , your AnswerGarden will be empty there. The next step is to share your AnswerGarden. Use it live in the classroom, at a meeting or a conference. Or place (embed) your AnswerGarden on your blog, site or social network page. As your AnswerGarden draws attention people will start posting their answers to your question, either by entering their own answers or by clicking on and submitting existing answers. These are then represented in your AnswerGarden in the form of a growing word cloud.

It is for anyone interested in using an easy and powerful way to get feedback from a group. AnswerGarden is used by teachers to establish the knowledge level of a class on a certain topic. It is used at conferences and workshops to break the ice with the audience in a fun and interactive fashion. AnswerGarden is used by creative teams for digital brainstorming sessions. People who maintain websites and blogs use it to poll their visitors in a brief and to-the-point matter.

To see the frequency of an answer simply hold you mouse cursor over an answer and after a second a number will emerge, showing you the number of times the answer has been submitted.

We have already embedded this in our blog on the Right Hand Side. You can have a look over it.

Thanks for visiting our blog. We also appreciate your response for the same.

QR code ( Quick Response Code )

QR Code is a two-dimensional bar code, invented in Japan in 1994, in a subsidiary company of Toyota, Denso Wave.
Initially, this QR code (Quick Response) was used to mark car parts used in the production process. After a while, due to its ability to integrate a relatively large amount of data and because it has no fixed size, it start to be used successfully in several other domains of activity. The highest penetration was in the mobile devices. This area is booming and QR code seemed to be the ideal solution for data encryption of information that can be transmitted and stored easily in smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices. The highest spreading has in mobile devices which use Google Android operating system.
The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background. The information encoded can be made up of any kind of data (e.g., binary, alphanumeric, or Kanji symbols).
Together with a data structure format, QR code can contain: a business card, a phone calendar event, a useful web address, geographical position, coordinates GPS, SMS, email, etc.
Present application implements the most common formats and generate QR code associated.

Scan this QR Code for my Contact Number. 

Advantages & Disadvantages of Digital Marketing

Advantages of Online Marketing

• Advertisement on the internet is cheaper than (Low cost) the print advertisement. It is a two way communication between sales person and the potential customer which takes people to the company website. It has a much wider reach.
• It helps in spreading the business worldwide, with no geographical barriers, making it accessible from one country to another via Internet.
• It is a 24X7 (365 days) open store where people are welcome to shop anytime from anywhere. This further directs the potential customer towards the company website.
• Internet makes the product reach much more easy; while researching or getting accurate information on a product. It also adds value by adding a point of reference and a touch of individualized customer service.
• It also helps in creating credibility and gain trust and confidence of the customers. Many people use internet for the pre-purchase research so that they can find themselves a particular product which meets up to their requirements.
• It also helps in updating the subscribers through a fast mode of e-mails. Visitors get up-to-date information on each visit.
• In case of information sensitive business such as a law firm, newspaper or online magazine, or a newsletter, you can deliver the products directly to the customers online.
• Increased ability to measure and collect data.

Disadvantages of Online Marketing

• Easier to have outdated information on internet, update timing is a critical issue here.
• Many web visitors expect something for free. Do you have something to offer free?
• There is a lot of competition in the market and by the time visitor reaches the product they have already gone through many links and got the required product. Unless they find what they are looking for quickly.
• There are many pros and cons of internet marketing. Its important to consider each when creating internet marketing strategy.

Don't use Twitter for Spamming anyone

You may not use the Twitter service for the purpose of spamming anyone. What constitutes “spamming” will evolve as twitter respond to new tricks and tactics by spammers. Some of the factors that twitter take into account when determining what conduct is considered to be spamming are:

• If you have followed a large amount of users in a short amount of time;
• If you have followed and unfollowed people in a short time period, particularly by automated means (aggressive follower churn);
• If you repeatedly follow and unfollow people, whether to build followers or to garner more attention for your profile;
• If you have a small number of followers compared to the amount of people you are following;
• If your updates consist mainly of links, and not personal updates;
• If you post misleading links;
• If a large number of people are blocking you;
• The number of spam complaints that have been filed against you;
• If you post duplicate content over multiple accounts or multiple duplicate updates on one account;
• If you post multiple unrelated updates to a topic using #;
• If you post multiple unrelated updates to a trending or popular topic;
• If you send large numbers of duplicate @replies or mentions;
• If you send large numbers of unsolicited @replies or mentions in an attempt to spam a service or link;
• If you add a large number of unrelated users to lists in an attempt to spam a service or link;
• If you repeatedly post other users' Tweets as your own;
• If you have attempted to "sell" followers, particularly through tactics considered aggressive following or follower churn;
• Creating or purchasing accounts in order to gain followers;
• Using or promoting third-party sites that claim to get you more followers (such as follower trains, sites promising "more followers fast," or any other site that offers to automatically add followers to your account);
• If you create false or misleading Points of Interest;
• If you create Points of Interest to namesquat or spam.

Reference: Twitter.com

Shorten Your URL to get more Re-Tweets

• No account required: You don’t need to sign up for an account to use TinyURL. Paste your long link in the field on ' Right Hand Side ' titled “Enter a long URL to make tiny, ” and click the “make TinyURL!” button to create your shortened link.
• Add TinyURL to your browser’s toolbar: Make TinyURL even easier to use by creating a link shortener button on the toolbar of your favorite browser. Drag the “TinyURL!” link to your browser’s toolbar, and create short links simply by clicking the button.
• Hide affiliate links: If you’re an affiliate marketer, sometimes links to your sales commission pages can be stolen and exploited by an imposter. TinyURL allows you to hide your affiliate links and keep them safe from hijackers.
• Customize your link: You can enter a vanity extension to your TinyURL by adding any word or characters you’d like in the “Custom alias” field.
• It’s free: TinyURL is a free/by-donation application.

Why do you need Digital Marketing..?