ArtSites Updates

How to Use & Create QR Codes in Promoting Your Artwork

This week, I received an email from ArtSites artist, Carrie Klukas, asking about QR Codes (see example above) as part of her art promotion and marketing.

In essence, QR Codes are REALLY powerful bar codes.

You can easily create QR Codes to do NUMEROUS things when scanned, for example:

• Go to a Website
• Bookmark a Website
• Make a Phone Call
• Send a Text Message
• Send an E-Mail
• Create an electronic "Card" (contact entry) with Your Contact Info
• Create a Blackberry Messenger User
• Create a Calendar Entry for an Event
• Launch a Location on Google Maps
• Pull Up a Location/Venue on Foursquare
• Launch a Youtube Video on iOS devices
• Create a Tweet for Twitter
• Provide a Free Formatted Message
• And, several more...

Now, imagine adding QR Codes to your printed descriptions when you are showing your artwork.

When scanned, a QR Code could take a person to:

• a much more detailed description of your piece, or
• a video of your process, or
• give them your contact information, etc.

The possibilities are endless!

Well, you're probably getting excited and want to know how can I create a QR Code?!

It's quite easy and FREE!

Here's a Free QR Code Generator that allows you to do all of the above actions and more!

You can even change the colors so that they better match your marketing materials, i.e. they don't have to be just black and white ;-)

QR Codes can be quite exciting! However, there are a few things to keep in mind.

To scan a QR Code, a person needs to have:

• a Smartphone or Tablet with a camera AND
• a QR Code App, e.g.,
  QR Droid (for Android Devices)
  
  or
  Qrafter (for iOS Devices)
  

(Please note that the above apps are only two examples. There are many other equally good QR Code Apps out there. Feel free to try others! ;-)

Most mobile devices do not come with a QR Code application installed by default. So, if the person has not downloaded a QR Code app, they can't "decode" the image.

That said, QR Codes are becoming more common and being used more often.

Let's hope more buyers start using these to get more information about potential purchases! :-)