5 Smart Ways to Use QR Codes for Your Online Course Promotion

Promoting an online course requires a blend of various strategies to turn prospects into paying students. People often use social media, email campaigns, or paid ads for this.

Yet one powerful tool that can fit with various advertising channels is a QR code. It allows students to quickly access your course page with a simple scan.

Let’s discuss five smart ways you can utilize QR codes for your online course promotion and get more students enrolled.

5 QR Code Strategies for Smarter Course Promotion

The following are some creative ways to use QR codes to promote your online courses.

#1: Promote Your Course Through Flyers and Posters 

Printed ads can still be effective. You can reach out to libraries, training centers, campus boards, and seminars. Ask them to put your poster in front of potential learners.

On your poster, you can add a QR code that leads straight to your course page. Keep the message punchy and short. Mention what students will learn and why it matters.

For instance, if you are promoting a beginner digital marketing course, you can write your key benefits and then mention “Scan to Claim Your Discount.” The code should link to the enrollment page right away.

Students can scan QR codes using their phone's built-in camera or an online tool, for example, the Imagetotext.info QR Code Scanner, if their device lacks a built-in scanner.

However, make sure your QR code is working properly and large enough for people to scan easily from a few meters away.

#2: Share Course Previews

People usually need to know exactly what they are buying before making a purchase. A preview allows them to get a bird's-eye view of the course content and teaching style. This aids them in making an informed decision.

You can share free sample lessons and short tutorial videos on social media. For printed previews or presentation materials, include a QR code that links to the full course. Let’s say you offer a course on business writing. Provide a free lesson on writing professional emails. The learners will get to know your course quality and teaching style. In the end, you can mention that you can scan the QR code to explore the full course, including lessons on writing sales copy and other marketing skills.

This way, people can see the value of the course with the preview, and can make an informed decision easily.

Photo by Marielle Ursua on Unsplash

#3: Add QR Codes to Webinars and Presentations

Live webinars and presentations can help you build trust with potential students. You can teach them and share your course details. However, it is quite common to lose their attention while redirecting them to the registration page.

So you should make the registration path simple. You can add a QR code in your slides. Users can easily scan it and visit your course page.

While giving a presentation, you can also use some punchy lines to sell your course. For example, you can say that students who enroll now by scanning the QR code will get 20% off. This may intrigue the participants and encourage them to scan the QR code and enroll in your course right away to claim the discount.

#4: Add QR Codes to Email Marketing Campaigns

Email marketing is one of the most commonly used and reliable digital marketing channels. By adding QR codes in your emails, you can easily connect with interested people. 

Normal links can sometimes blend with the text and might get ignored. QR codes can provide another way to access your course page, particularly for recipients viewing emails on a computer.

However, a quick tip you can use here is to use QR codes linked to trackable URLs. This way, you can know which emails are getting more QR code scans. You can then use such an email for your future email campaigns.

#5: Use QR Codes in Your Free Downloads

Free stuff often intrigues people. It helps build trust and allows people to test your product or course before actually making a purchase.

You can allow people to download free ebooks, cheat sheets, or mini-guides. In all of your free downloads, place a QR code on the final page. And link it to your full course.

You might be thinking about why it's on the last page and not on the front. The answer is the right timing. Once the readers finish your best free resource, they may feel impressed and interested in your full course. That feeling is brief and the best time for making conversions.

You can add a gentle CTA. "Enjoyed this? Scan to see the complete course." This way, you can get more scans and, in turn, more conversions.

Final Thoughts

People often use various marketing strategies to promote their online course. QR codes can make this promotion more direct. You can promote your course through flyers or posters. You can place your QR codes on them, which lead to your course enrollment page.

You can add QR codes in your presentation slides. Also, you can give a limited-time offer to enroll in a course at a discounted price by scanning a QR code.

These are some helpful ways you can use QR codes to market your online course. Give them a try and see how they can improve your course enrollment.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I create a QR code for free?

You can create a QR code using the free QR Code Generator. Simply paste your website or offer URL, customize the colors and size, and download your QR code as a PNG or SVG file. The tool is completely free, requires no signup, and adds no watermarks. You can then use your QR code on flyers, presentations, social media graphics, and other marketing materials.

What is the best way to use QR codes to promote an online course?

One of the best ways to promote an online course with QR codes is to link directly to your course landing page or a free sample lesson. Add the code to printed materials, webinar slides, event banners, or downloadable resources. Include a clear call to action, such as "Scan to Watch a Free Lesson," so potential students know exactly what they'll get.

Can I track how many people scan my QR code?

Yes. You can track traffic from QR code scans by adding UTM parameters to your destination URL. For example, you can create different QR codes for flyers, webinars, and promotional campaigns to see which channels bring the most visitors to your course. Heights Platform's free QR Code Generator includes built-in UTM tracking options that work with analytics tools such as Google Analytics.

Can I customize a QR code to match my course branding?

Yes. With a customizable QR code generator, you can adjust the colors, size, and background to match your course branding. For example, Heights Platform's QR Codes Generator lets you create branded QR codes and export them as PNG or SVG files. Make sure the foreground and background have enough contrast so students can scan the code easily.