Publishing Companies, Books, and QR Codes
Posted on by Timothy Boyle
There is no longer any excuse for a publishing company—particularly ones that publish a lot of non-fiction—to not be using QR codes. Here is why.
QR codes can add an immense amount of value and entertainment to any book and for an incredibly small cost. They help connect the reader from the physical world of his book and its limitations, to the almost unlimited online world, greatly enhancing the experience of the reader.
Here are just a few ways this can be done:
Share Complex Data through QR Codes
Say you are publishing a book about the state of the world economy, but there is only so much room in the book for tables, graphs or other similar data illustrations, or maybe there is no room for such things. With a QR code you can save the space in the book that would normally be used for a large chart and instead allow the reader to scan the QR code to be directed to this particular chart and others relevant to the discussion that could never have made it into the book due to lack of physical space. The reader now has more information, and potentially more engaging information, at his fingertips.
Link Video or Written Interviews of Experts
Maybe throughout this same book on world economies the author refers to an interview with an expert in the field, or a debate between experts, or some particular news story. In many books there might not be the space to write out the entire transcript, so the reader loses out. With a QR code on the other hand, the reader can have access to these sorts of videos. Upon scanning the code readers can be taken to a video of the interview, or debate, or clip of a news report from TV. This makes the discussion even more real and relatable, can help prove a point, act as a source, or simply provide more information. The reader now finds his experience with the book is greater than just what is in between the pages.
For an example of something similar see the July 2013 issue Reason Magazine (photo right).
Boosting Sales of Other Books
Lastly, a QR code can help in sales of other books from the same publishing company. If you place a QR code on the last page of the book with a call to action saying something like “If you found this book interesting why don’t you try other books on this topic or by this author. Scan the code.” Then have a QR code that upon scanning directs the reader to an Amazon page, or some other site that lists other books where they can click to buy.
QR codes are a wonderful technology with an incredible number of uses for almost any industry. For the publishing industry there really are many ways in which this technology could help enhance the experience of the reader, and even help increase future sales. Just make sure you have a QR code platform that provides all the resources you need to adhere to the best practices (like mobile optimized landing pages and QR code analytics), is inexpensive, and incredibly easy to use. To learn more about using Qfuse for your publishing needs go here.
