Magazine QR code: measure a print ad by issue
A magazine QR code gives a print ad something it rarely has, a response number. Use a separate dynamic code for each title or issue, then compare scans to see which placement pays.
No credit card required. Plans from $9 a month after the trial.
Setting up the ad
- Create a dynamic code per title, issue or ad size.
- Download a vector PDF, with CMYK available on paid plans.
- Print it at 2 cm or more, clear of the gutter and any busy imagery.
- Scan a proof from the page before sign-off.
Why dynamic suits magazines
Magazines stay in waiting rooms and on coffee tables for months. An offer will end long before the copies do, so a dynamic code lets you point an old issue at the current offer. See QR codes for marketing for ways to use this across a campaign.
What you will see
Scans per code over time, with device and top countries. On Pro and Business, add UTM parameters so that visits are labelled in your own analytics. Scan data shows interest by code and does not identify readers.
Give readers a reason to pick up the phone
Readers scan when the code promises something the page cannot give them: a video of the product in use, an extended interview, a sample or an offer. Say so next to the code, in a few words. Send them to a page that matches the ad and works well on a phone, because that is where the scan lands.
Coated paper can create glare, so check your proof under ordinary light. Ask the publisher for their specification, including bleed and safe area, and allow for the code's clear margin in your layout. A deep gutter can bend the code, so keep it well away from the fold.
To compare titles fairly, use the same creative and offer in each and judge by scans per thousand copies. Ask the publisher for the circulation figure so that you can do the sum. A low count from a big title tells you as much as a high count from a small one.
Common questions
Can publishers use it for editorial?
Yes. Link an article to a video, gallery or longer version, and change the link later.
Is there a trial?
Yes. It lasts 7 days with no credit card and includes 5 dynamic codes.
Make a code for your next ad
Try it free and scan a proof before the deadline.
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