QR Codes or SnapTags: What’s Better For Your Brand?

Which is better?

A few days ago, I wrote a post about the different tools brands could use for mobile engagement of their audiences.

Two of those tools, QR codes and SnapTags, generated a slight buzz, and I thought I’d explore them a bit deeper today.

Kris was definitely not checking for QR codes.

By now, I’m sure you’ve seen or heard all about QR codes.

They’re those strange looking blocks with squiggly lines and boxes inside of them.

They’re on magazines, in subways, on business cards, the sides of soda cans, on posters, even in commercials and television programs.

If you’ve got a QR code reader on your mobile phone, you can snap a QR code, and unlock a text message, a picture or be navigated to a static web page, video or trigger an mp3.

SnapTags are a little more sophisticated than they’re less aesthetic cousin.

SnapTags are rings, with visual information aligned in a pattern of bars and breaks, that impacts what content is accessed by a compatible reader app.

What makes SnapTags unique is the fact that each tag also has a unique short code, enabling people without smart phones to send and receive text messages which will connect them with the associated campaign.

Both QR Codes and SnapTags accomplish essentially the same thing: navigating the user to a particular destination or piece of content.

So which is better?

To hear Spyderlynk tell it, SnapTags are better.

Among the reasons they give for why, include:

Better looking. Why have a blurry blog of blocks, when you can promote your complete logo (in a ring)?

Easier to use. Unlike QR Codes, which require a QR code reader, SnapTags work with any camera phone that can send and receive texts.

Web not required. SnapTags work whether you have an internet connection or not. If you can send and receive a text, you can still take advantage of SnapTags.

Comprehensive analytics. Because SnapTags can be triggered in multiple ways, you can generate and track layered analytics.

SnapTag's self-serving diagram.

Despite their superior looks, ease of use and utility with or without an internet connection, SnapTags do have their drawbacks.

For one, they’re not free. In order to create a SnapTag and utilize it, you’ve got to pay Spyderlynk to set up a campaign for you.

Since they don’t publish their prices on their website, we can assume it’s not cheap.

QR Codes, on the other hand, are free, and don’t require any elaborate set up to enable.

A second shortcoming is the fact that SnapTags are proprietary. You can only create a SnapTag through Spyderlynk, and (presumably) every new campaign requires a new ring.

QR Codes aren’t quite ‘open-source’ but there are a number of free QR Code generators, and you can create as many different codes for as many different campaigns as you can dream up.

Finally, SnapTags are relatively new and not particularly widespread. While several major campaigns have used SnapTags (Neutrogena, Coors Light, Toyota), there’s no rush on them quite yet.

QR Codes have been around for several years, and although they are not the dominant standard, they are very well recognized and heavily used.

I, for one, think SnapTags are pretty fresh. The multiple things you can do, the aesthetic appeal, the ability to maximize the full breadth of mobile marketing, truly make it a marketers playground.

If you’re thinking about jumping in to mobile marketing, and don’t know whether QR Codes or SnapTags are right for you, try them both out and decide for yourself.

If you’ve got any questions, feel free to reach out to me and I’ll see if I can help you decide!

Mobile Giving. Fundraising the SMS way!

I’ve recently been in discussions with a number of not-for-profits, who weren’t aware of the fact that they could use mobile for fundraising.

Red Cross raised million for Japan from text donations.

With organizations like Yele and the Red Cross generating millions of dollars in response to the catastrophies in Haiti and Japan, it’s clear that mobile donations work.

Wyclef Jean's Yele organization raised $11 million for Haiti following the quake.

Being a self-styled mobile veteran, I take for granted the fact that some of the things that I know are not common knowledge.

Mobile Giving Foundation let's approved 501c3 organizations raise money through mobile.

The Mobile Giving Foundation is one such example.

MGF (in mobile parlance) is an organization that (and this is directly from their website) “was founded in 2007 by veterans of the wireless industry who wanted to harness the immense power of wireless communications to empower non-profit organizations. The concept was simple: give the 250 million American wireless users a single “Mobile Giving Channel” over which they could receive and respond to appeals from worthy causes.”

In layman’s terms, MGF gives not-for-profit companies the ability to accept donations from contributors who donate directly from their mobile devices.

Now, you must know, if you were to set up your own short code to have people give you money for your cause, the carriers would take anywhere from 40 to 60 percent of every dollar you raised.

And that’s after you’ve forked over $500 a month for a short code, at least $1,500 a month for a connection to a Tier 1 aggregator (that connects you to the majority of wireless carriers) and another, say $1,500 a month for the web interface (from an application service provider) that let’s you configure and manage your mobile giving campaign.

Whew! That’s a mouthful! And at about $3,500 a month, that’s also quite a hit on the pockets as well!

Mobile Giving Foundation makes the process of receiving mobile donations simple(r).

But with MGF, all that is eliminated.

To make the process of getting your not-for-profit hooked up with the ability to accept mobile donations, I’ve provided a little instructional to help you out.

1.  Determine whether your organization is qualified to accept mobile donations. Answer these three questions: (i) Are you a bonafide 501c3 organization” (ii) Did your company raise $500,000 in your last fiscal year? (iii) Is your company at least one (1) year old? If the answer to any one of these three questions is “No” stop here. You can’t accept mobile donations. But if you answered “yes” to all three questions (and even if you didn’t but are curious) keep reading.

2.  Determine which Application Service Provider (ASP) you want to use. The ASP is the middleman between the Mobile Giving Foundation and your organization. Select ASPs have been approved by the MGF to provide the platform and expertise to help not-for-profits set and an manage their mobile giving campaigns. You’ve got to sign a contract with an ASP before you’ll get the application for MGF to process. No ASP, no MGF. No MGF, no mobile donations. Each ASP charges a fee for the use of their platform, and each donation received. These fees are typically nominal, but it pays to shop around.

3.  Submit your application to MGF. Once you’ve selected your ASP, signed the contract, and completed the application with MGF, you’ve got to submit it to them to review and process. They’ll review your application, confirm your 501c3 status, examine your financial records, and ensure you comply with the balance of the criteria they’ve established for qualifying organizations. The process takes about two weeks, after which (if everything comes up roses) you’re eligible to begin accepting mobile donations.

Once you get MGF's seal of approval, you're set!

Once you are vetted by MGF you’ll be able to accept donations simply by having folks text your designated keyword to a short code. The carriers will collect the money and pay MGF, who will pay the ASP (after MGF takes their cut), and the ASP will pay you (after the ASP takes their cut).

Now the process I’ve outlined isn’t a walk in the park, but any stretch of the imagination. If you fail to meet even one of the criteria I’ve outlined, you will be rejected.

But for those organizations who satisfy this threshold, mobile giving is a way to increase both engagement (you can send messaging afterwards – as long as you disclose it to the donor prior to sending them messages) and revenues.

If you want to learn more, feel free to drop me a line or visit www.