QR Codes for YouTube Ads: Make Your YouTube Ads More Engaging

If you don’t yet have a YouTube advertising strategy, you’re missing out on substantial marketing potential. YouTube ads reach over 75% of adults globally! It’s not surprising that YouTube advertising revenues crossed $7 billion in Q2 2022. 

However, with the popularity of YouTube ads comes a challenge. 

Fierce competition. 

Every brand that’s serious about its marketing advertises on YouTube. Hence, YouTube advertising is competitive, pushing marketers to think outside the box to improve their ads. 

QR codes are an effective tool to make your YouTube ads more compelling and interactive. You can include QR codes in your YouTube video ads to onboard users effectively and generate more qualified leads. 

Excited? Let’s delve in.

Why add a QR code to your YouTube ads?

Why should you add QR codes to your YouTube ads in the first place? There are two main reasons for that:

Make your ads more interactive and actionable

The primary benefit of including a QR code in your YouTube ad is to make it more interactive. When you display a QR code on your YouTube ad, users will want to scan it. Also, many people view YouTube videos on a desktop but do most of their shopping on mobile. 

When you show a QR code on your YouTube ad, users can scan it and connect with your brand on their smartphones. Hence, you enable users to connect with you on both channels — mobile and desktop — resulting in a fantastic user experience.

Hook the viewers

QR codes can also make your YouTube video ads more compelling. A well-designed, visually appealing QR code in your YouTube ad will instantly grab people’s attention. They’re likely to notice it, pause the video, and even scan the QR code. 

Top applications of QR codes on YouTube ads

QR codes are versatile and have various applications. Here’s how you can use QR codes to elevate your YouTube ads. 

Promote products and drive sales

Most people — 63% to be precise — use YouTube on mobile. But the desktop still has its place. Desktops have bigger screens and offer a better, more immersive viewing experience. So, many people would want to use YouTube on a desktop should they get a chance.

A similar trend is seen in eCommerce. Over 70% of retail commerce sales come from mobile, up from 59% in 2017. 

See the pattern? Even though people might want to enjoy YouTube videos on their desktops, most of them would like to make purchases on their phones. 

You can bridge this gap by including QR codes in your YouTube ads. Those using YouTube on a desktop can scan the QR code and make a purchase on their phones. 

Share coupon codes

Since most people do shopping on their phones, they’ll naturally prefer receiving coupons on their phones. Over 50% of consumers prefer getting coupons on mobile, and mobile-redeemed coupons are projected to increase by 56.5% by 2025. 

So, every brand should be able to seamlessly offer mobile coupons. And QR codes help you do that. 

You can create a coupon QR code and show it on your YouTube ads. Users can scan the QR code to receive and claim discount coupons on their smartphones. 

Promote mobile app downloads

QR codes are one of the most effective tools in increasing mobile app downloads. You can create an App Download QR code, and put it on your YouTube video ad. Upon scanning the QR code, users will reach a display page containing download links to the app’s iOS and Android versions. They just need to click the link and download the app. 

Share AR and gamification experiences

Augmented Reality is excellent for creating immersive and engaging consumer experiences. It can give you a competitive edge and even cultivate customer loyalty. 

With QR codes, you can share AR experiences on mobile. Users can scan the QR code to view the experience on their smartphones. So, if you offer a product or service that can be better explained and promoted with AR, you can share AR experiences in your YouTube video ad with QR codes.

Similarly, you can use QR codes to share gamification experiences, such as quizzes, puzzles, and interactive marketing campaigns. 

All in all, you can make your YouTube video ads more immersive with QR codes. 

Promote contests and giveaways

Running a contest or giveaway on social media or your mobile app? YouTube ads are excellent for promoting contests and giveaways, and you can boost participation even further with QR codes. 

Create a QR code for the contest registration link and show it in your YouTube ad. Users can scan the QR code to visit the registration page and join the contest. 

Best practices for using QR codes for YouTube ads

By now, you might already know how to enhance your YouTube ads with QR codes. Now, let’s look at some best practices you should follow to achieve the best results with QR codes on YouTube ads. 

Create a dynamic QR code

QR codes are of two types — static and dynamic. You can edit the contents of a dynamic QR code and also view its scans and analytics. On the other hand, a static QR code is not editable or scannable. 

Therefore, using a dynamic QR code for your YouTube ads is always better. You’ll be able to track the performance of your QR codes and also change the URL if needed. 

Decorate your QR code to perfection

If you want to truly enhance your YouTube ad with a QR code, make the QR code look stunning. Use shapes, colors, logos, and other customization options to design your QR code to perfection. 

Make your QR code worth scanning

Even though scanning a QR code is as easy as clicking a picture, it still requires effort. Make that effort worth it for your users. If users scan your QR code, give them something in return, like helpful information, a coupon code, a memorable AR experience, etc. 

Ensure seamless scanning

Putting a QR code on your YouTube ad is worth it only if people scan it. So, the QR code in your YouTube ad should be effortlessly scannable. You can do that by creating a QR code of the right size and displaying it for long enough. 

Keep an eye on the analytics

Marketing without analytics is nothing but guesswork. Make sure to view the scans and analytics of your QR code on YouTube ads to evaluate its performance and make informed marketing decisions. 

Offer a fantastic post-scan experience

Encouraging users to scan the QR code on your YouTube ad is only half the work done. It’s vital to offer a top-notch post-scan experience so that users continue engaging with your brand. So, devise a proper flow to onboard users with QR codes and keep them engaged. 

Final thoughts

YouTube is the second-largest search engine globally, with over 2 billion daily logged-in users. Clearly, advertising on YouTube is lucrative, and strategically leveraging YouTube ads can help you reach a purchase-ready audience. 

And with QR codes, you can make your YouTube ads more engaging and actionable across all devices. So, incorporate QR codes into your YouTube ads and take them to another level. 

If you want to create QR codes for your YouTube ads, QRCodeChimp has your back. 

Create a QR Code