How to Create YouTube QR Code: The Complete Easy Guide

Did you know that more than 2.7 billion people tune in to YouTube every month, making it the second most-visited website globally after Google?

More than just an entertainment hub, YouTube has evolved into a powerful stage for visibility and connection. While leading brands use the platform to roll out ads and showcase their products, professionals use it to share their expertise, and creators, to build their own communities. 

But, on a platform where billions of videos are vying for attention, just creating great content isn’t enough for you or your brand to stand out. The real challenge is ensuring people find your video instantly and without friction. That’s where the YouTube QR code comes into play! 

The YouTube QR code is a scannable shortcut to your YouTube channel or video, making it effortless for your audience to reach your content in seconds. Delve into this easy, comprehensive YouTube QR code guide, and create yours to boost visibility and amp up your viewer base like never before! 

YouTube QR codes explained: What they are and why they matter

A YouTube QR code is a scannable link to your YouTube video URL, instantly and seamlessly redirecting viewers to your video no hassle of manual searching or copy-pasting links. 

For brands and creators today, a YouTube QR code is more than just a shortcut to their content. In a fast-paced world of intense competition, these codes enable instant connection between your audience and your content, thereby improving discoverability, driving engagement, and boosting subscriber growth. 

Top reasons to choose YouTube QR codes over plain links

• Easy, instant access

A quick scan is all it takes to land directly on your YouTube video or channel—no typing out lengthy URLs or any risk of errors. This makes the experience effortless and user-friendly for your audience.

• Increased engagement 

QR codes spark curiosity; people love to scan and see what’s behind the small pixelated squares. Therefore, every single scan contributes to more views, helping your video gain traction and your channel grow. 

• Custom branding 

There’s nothing eye-catching about a plain link, and it often goes unnoticed. Whereas, with customizable QR codes, you can match your brand colors, add your brand logo, and create a polished, professional look that helps you stand out.

• Space saving

Fitting lengthy, clunky links into posters, flyers, packaging, or any tight space can be difficult and look messy. A QR code, on the other hand, is compact and fits easily in small spaces, saving space and giving a neat look. 

• Versatility 

QR codes work seamlessly across both offline and digital channels. Whether printed on a flyer or displayed in a digital ad, they connect your audience with your YouTube content quickly and seamlessly. 

• Easy updates 

With a dynamic QR code, you can easily change or update the destination link at any time. YouTube QR codes are ideal for keeping campaigns fresh without the need for reprinting or redesigning materials.

Step-by-step guide to creating a YouTube QR code with QRCodeChimp

Here are the easy steps you need to follow. 

Step 1: Sign in to your QRCodeChimp account. 

Step 2: Navigate to the “YouTube QR code” solution on the Solutions page. 

Step 3: Under Basic Information, enter the YouTube URL you want to redirect people to. 

Step 4 (Optional): Select “Track precise location” to enable GPS or precise location tracking for your QR code. It provides detailed insights into location analytics, enabling you to fine-tune your campaign strategy. 

Step 5: Design or customize your QR Code, choosing from a unique selection of colors, QR shapes, and stickers to match your branding. 

Pro tip! Add your brand logo in the middle to make the QR code look brand-aligned and professional. 

Step 6: In the final step, save and download your QR code, and it’s then ready for use. 

Who should use YouTube QR codes?

®️ Brands and marketers

From product demos to campaign ads, YouTube QR codes let brands direct people straight to their videos that showcase their brand story and offerings.

▶️ Content creators and YouTubers

With these QR codes, it’s easier for content creators and YouTubers to share their vlogs, playlists, or YouTube Shorts, thereby promoting their channels and growing their subscriber base. 

📆 Event organizers

Event organizers can add YouTube QR codes to flyers, badges, tickets, or giveaways to instantly connect attendees to event highlight reels, promo clips, or even live streams. It’s an engaging way to keep the buzz around an event alive.

🤹 Artists and performers

For artists & performers, these QR codes can help showcase their work on YouTube (music videos, trailers, etc.), live shows/concerts, or exclusive interviews or behind-the-scenes content—all with a quick scan.

🧑‍🏫Educators and trainers

With these QR codes, educators can instantly make lectures, tutorials, or how-to videos accessible to students or trainees. They can place these codes on textbooks, printed handouts, campus notice boards, or even on classroom presentation slides to provide students with quick access anytime.

👥Non-profits and community groups

YouTube QR codes can help non-profit and community groups share awareness campaign videos seamlessly, connecting people with their mission and ideologies, and encouraging participation.

Best practices & tips to maximize scans and engagement

• Ensure proper size, contrast, and placement so that the QR code is easy to notice and scan.

• Add a clear call to action that tells users exactly what to do and what they’ll get.

• Customize the QR code to align with your brand tone, making it look professional and instantly recognizable. 

• Use dynamic codes to update links in real-time and track campaign performance.

• Test the code before sharing to ensure smooth scanning across devices.

• Optimize for mobile devices since most users will view the videos on their phones.

• Keep your marketing design clean with enough space around the code for easy scanning.

• Track results to refine QR code placements, calls to action, and the overall marketing strategy.

Where to place and promote your YouTube QR codes for maximum reach

• Make an impact offline: Print your YouTube QR codes on posters and flyers in high-traffic locations, include them in brochures, business cards, or direct mailers, and use them on packaging or product labels to turn everyday items into instant engagement tools.

• Boost visibility online: Embed the QR codes on your website or landing pages, include them in newsletters and email signatures, and share them across social media posts, stories, and ads to reach more people online.

• Stand out at virtual events: Place YouTube QR codes on presentation slides or meeting backdrops to let attendees connect and engage with your content instantly.

Track success with QRCodeChimp’s analytics

With QRCodeChimp’s analytics dashboard, you can go beyond just creating QR codes and actually measure how they perform in the real world. Here’s how:

• Monitor scan counts to see how engagement grows over time.

• Check location and device data to understand where and using what device people scan the codes. 

• Analyze campaign results to identify what drives the most results.

• Leverage the insights to fine-tune your video-sharing strategy and boost engagement. 

Conclusion

Creating a YouTube QR code is one of the fastest and easiest ways to share your content, grow your audience, and boost engagement. Whether you want to share the link to your YouTube video on posters, business cards, product packaging, or social media posts, adding this QR code instead of a plain link makes it faster and frictionless for people to access your content. Especially for brands and creators, it’s a powerful way to enhance visibility, engage viewers like never before, and, ultimately, drive more subscriptions.

Frequently asked questions