10 Creative Ways To Use QR Codes In The Rental Industry

QR codes are two-dimensional barcodes that can be scanned by a mobile smartphone to access information.  These codes are quickly becoming popular in Canada and by adding them to your marketing pieces you can really add depth to the information that you display for prospective renters.

I’ve quickly brainstormed 10 interesting ways that landlords could use these codes to attract renters and to increase lead conversions to a website.  Enjoy!

1.  Encourage People To Join Your Company’s Facebook Page or Twitter Feed
QR codes can link to your Facebook page and with a quick click of a button anyone seeing your ad can scan the code to be re-directed to your fan page.  Joining has never been so easy!

Scan the QR code to the right hand side of this article to follow us at @landlordinsider on Twitter. 

2. Increase Your Billboard, Subway or Bus Advertising’s Effectiveness
Who has time today to write down contact information from an ad?  Not me.  I don’t even carry a pen with me when I’m out – but I do carry a blackberry!

Make it easier for your customers to find you when they’re out by adding QR codes to your billboards, subway signage or bus advertising.  Now they can just quickly scan the code and look at your product information while they’re on the move!

3. Run A Promotion
Allow your renters to scan a promotional QR code to receive a discount off of their rent.  QR codes can access text messages that contain anything from discount codes to hidden messages.  Say the magic word for a choice of three move-in bonuses!

4. Run A Contest
To enter the contest renters can scan the code. This type of functionality is built into the ScanLife EZcode scan code service, which is also a service that offers tracking analytics for QR code campaigns.

5.  Generate A Call To Action
Scan this code to call us now to place your order! Scan this code to check our availability! 

6. Add Video To Your Renters News Print Ads
Add a QR code link to your ads in Renters News and direct renters to an online video of your property.  Now you’ve added real value to your advertising!

7. Add A Little Humour To Your Elevator
Marketing isn’t only about attracting renters; it’s also about retaining the customers you already have.  Think about this…How long does the average renter spend in your elevator cab? Probably a while once you combine all the time in the day.  So, why not brighten up their day by adding a QR code advertisement that links to a joke of the day?  It’s a small thing but a daily dose of humour will bring a smile to a lot of faces!

8. Let Your Satisfied Customers Speak For Themselves
Put a QR code on your rental application and link it to a video of your customers providing real-life testimonials.  Encourage renters to watch the videos so that they can see what life is really like around the building!

Customer reviews can be powerful at persuading renters to sign a lease with you.

9. Help New Residents Navigate The Town
Did one of your renters just move in from out of town?  Help them navigate their surroundings using QR codes!

Give them a map of local amenities with QR codes attached.  They can find out everything about local restaurants, grocery stores and shopping plazas.  The codes can also be linked to Google Maps where you can save directions from your building address to each of the locations.

10. Keep Contact Information Easily Accessible
When I lived in an apartment I would very often have to contact the superintendent for things and I would always misplace their number.  Why not create a QR code with your superintendent’s contact information and stick it somewhere in the unit.  Maybe on the fuse box! 

More and more Canadians are abandoning their landlines for cell phones.  That means they are walking around with QR code readers in their hands.  It would be so easy to just scan the code to make a call.

 

Bonus Ideas…

QR codes are not only good for advertising, but they’re also helpful with everyday operations of a building.  Here are a few creative ideas that could help you easily manage your building’s affairs.

1. Instructions For Appliances
Nobody ever keeps those pamphlets for appliances anymore and many landlords wouldn’t even think about giving them to their renters.  But what if you stored that information online and printed out a QR sticker for each device.  Simply stick it to the side of the appliance and it can be scanned to locate the manual information.

2. Customer Feedback
If your staff wears a uniform why not customize them with QR codes.  I mean really, they’re walking billboards.  On the back of the shirt you could write, “We want to hear your comments” and the code automatically opens up an email.  Now you’re receiving customer feedback instantaneously.

3. Safety Information
Add the codes to cleaning products or provide a link on your material safety data sheets.