How to Collect First-Party Data with QR Codes?

Data is the backbone of a business. It helps you better understand your consumers, including what they like and dislike and what drives them. Mix these emotions with demographic and physiographic data, and you have a complete picture of who your consumers are. 

Once you have this information, you can better communicate with your audience, run tailored and informed marketing campaigns, and see better marketing outcomes — leads, sales, and revenue. 

For many years, marketers have relied on third-party cookies to understand audience behavior and continuously engage them with retargeting ads. But now that Google is removing third-party cookies from Chrome, marketers must collect first-party consumer data. 

Here’s where QR codes can help. 

Follow this complete guide to collecting first-party data with QR codes to enrich your marketing campaigns.

Google’s goodbye to third-party cookies

Brands, especially their marketing teams, love cookies. They enable you to understand your audience’s behavior, interests, and the websites they visit. Moreover, you can show targeted ads on those websites (retargeting). This way, you can engage them continuously even if they’re not on your website. 

However, amid the consumers’ rising expectations for privacy, Google has announced to phase-out third-party cookies. Simply, Google won’t allow websites to collect cookies, track users, and show retargeted display ads. 

When will Google phase out third-party cookies?

Like many Google updates, the Phase-Out is being recurrently delayed. It was initially announced in February 2020, but the latest updates are that Google has delayed it until late 2024. 

It makes sense, though. With cookies being the essence of many marketing campaigns, marketers need time to adjust to their unavailability.

First-party data is the need of the hour

Even though the phase-out is delayed, it will be implemented someday. If you want your marketing to be future-ready, you need to collect and leverage first-party data. 

For the uninitiated, first-party data is the information you collect from your sources, often directly from your consumers. Some sources of first-party data are:

• Website
• Social media
• CRM
• Email
• Surveys and polls
• Feedback
• Meetings and interviews

QR codes to the rescue: How to collect first-party data?

There are numerous ways to collect first-party data online. Bring users to your website, social media, and other touchpoints, and you’re all set. But what about offline consumers? 

If you sell physical products or serve offline consumers, you may find it challenging to collect first-party data. You can’t just ask them to visit your website, social media, or other online destinations. 

QR codes make it possible. With QR codes, you can create digital touchpoints in physical locations, like stores and restaurants, to bring offline consumers online and collect first-party data. 

Here’s how to do it.

Collect important user information when they scan your QR codes

If you use a dynamic QR code, you get first-party customer data as soon as someone scans it. When a user scans a dynamic QR code, the following data gets captured in your dashboard:

• Time of scan
• Location of scan
• The device used for scanning
• Browser used after scanning

This information can be helpful in creating targeted marketing campaigns for better customer engagement and outcomes.

Bring users to a landing page and get signups

Email and phone number signups are the most effective way to collect customer data. By bringing people to a landing page, you can encourage them to share useful information. 

You can use QR codes to bring users to a landing page and generate first-party data. It’ll also enable you to get qualified leads that can convert into paying customers.

Let’s say you sell biscuits. You can have a QR code on your product packaging to bring people to a landing page where they can share their information and connect with your brand.

Note: QRCodeChimp offers a dedicated Page QR Code solution to create custom landing pages with QR codes.

Send users to your digital business card/business page to get leads

Digital business cards are the norm in networking. You no longer need to rely solely on standard business cards to share your contact details. A digital business card allows you to share it in a flash!

You can print a QR code for your digital business card URL on your physical business card. People coming across your digital business card can scan the QR code to reach your digital business card and save your information. 

You can include buttons on your digital business card to allow users to email, message, and call you with a single click. When they contact you, you get access to their information — first-party data.

Connect with users on social media

Social media is an excellent source of first-party data. You can engage your audience on a personal level and get valuable insights about them. Then, you can use this information to tailor your marketing strategy. 

QR codes help you promote your social media profiles and increase followers. You can use a Social Media QR code to share multiple social media profiles in one place and connect with users on social media.

Engage users with gamification

You can also use QR codes to offer gamification experiences to your audience. Allow people to scan a QR code to participate in online games like “Spin a Wheel” and “Scratch and Win.” 

Users must sign up with their email ID or phone number to obtain the reward. This way, you can collect first-party data. 

Importance of first-party data for brands

The removal of third-party cookies is a blessing in disguise for marketers. First-party data offers various benefits for your business, some of which are discussed below. 

Offer data privacy to consumers

Over 86% of consumers consider data privacy a priority, which is a wake-up call for brands and marketers. When you collect first-party data, you only get the information that consumers share with you. This way, you can get valuable consumer data while ensuring the highest standards of data privacy and integrity. 

Build trust with your consumers

Since data privacy is every consumer’s priority, your audience will trust you if you respect their data privacy. By collecting first-party data only, you present yourself as a brand that prioritizes the privacy of its consumers’ data. 

Know your consumers better

If you want to understand your audience better, there’s no better way than collecting first-party data. First-party data comes directly from the consumers, so it’s the most accurate and unfiltered form of data you’ll ever get. Hence, you’ll be able to run targeted marketing campaigns and engage your consumers. 

Generate qualified leads and more sales

First-party data, being the most accurate, will help you generate more sales. 

A big reason why brands fail to generate sales is the lack of good-quality leads, a result of poor customer data. First-party data, coming directly from consumers, offers the best chance of a conversion. 

Final thoughts

Collecting first-party data should be a priority for every forward-thinking brand. It’s important not only because Google is eliminating third-party cookies but also because that’s what consumers prefer.

If you want to collect first-party data from offline consumers, QR codes are your way to go.

And if you’re wondering how to create and manage QR codes, QRCodeChimp has got you covered.

Create a QR Code