The rise of NFC readers in smartphones makes engaging with customers cheap and simple. QR codes are great, but they create friction in the user experience. They require the two step hassle of opening an app and focusing the camera on the code. By placing an NFC label underneath your typical packaging and product labels, you will create richer interactions and build loyalty among customers.
Here’s what you will need to try it out for yourself in your marketing campaigns:
NFC tags come in many different shapes and sizes. Unlike UHF RFID tags which have different read ranges based on the size of their antennas, NFC tags all have similar read ranges. As long as your NFC tag has the correct IC type, such as the NTAG203, it will be writable/readable by smartphones. One of the the main difference in NFC tags is their form factor. Basically, larger tags will be easier for people to find and require a less precise placement of the phone in relation to the tag. Smaller tags take up less space, but the phone has to be in just the right spot to read the tag. For using NFC tags to a shipping box or onto the product itself, we recommend a medium size NFC inlay
Step One: Encode the NFC Tag
Encode the tag using NFC tags enabled smartphone and make the tag point toward your desired URL (We recommend you tag your links for web analytics tracking). For demonstration purposes, we decided to link our tags back to our blog, but there are many options. Here are some ideas for links:
Direct the NFC tag towards your website.
Direct the NFC tag towards your blog.
Direct the NFC tag towards a how to video.
Direct the NFC tag towards a coupon.
Step Two: Place label over NFC tag
NFC N-Mark Logo
Any label applied to your products can be printed with text or a symbol indicating the presence of an NFC tag. This will let your customers know that they can use their phones to read your tag. The beauty of this step is how low cost it can be to utilize this technology. If you were willing to make an investment and buy a roll of tags, it would cost about 40 cents per tag. The labels that you already use on your packaging can be used on top of the NFC tags. This will provide a much more aesthetically pleasing result than a QR code.
Step Three: Measure your efforts
By campaign tagging the links that you include in your NFC tags, you can accurately calculate your ROI using vendors like Google Analytics. If your customers aren’t using the NFC tags, you can redesign the label that you put over the tag to make it more visible.
