QR Code FAQs
Bloomberg Connects uses QR codes to get people to access the app and content in your guide.
Any marketing material that gets developed to promote your Bloomberg Connects guide should feature QR codes generated by the Bloomberg Connects team or though the CMS. QR codes that you create through other platforms will not work properly. For more information, reach out to marketing@bloombergconnects.org.
Where do QR codes take people?
QR codes can take people to:
- Your guide's home screen
- Recommended for "awareness" signage, general collateral, and your website.
- An exhibition in your guide (lookup QR code)
- An item in your guide (lookup QR code)
- A tour in your guide (lookup QR code)
We suggest using lookup QR code on wall labels next to objects/artworks, exhibition walls, or signage dedicated to a specific gallery, tour or exhibition.
This is extremely beneficial with the mobile browser version of the app, which puts visitors one click/QR scan away from the content in your guide. As you develop your content and walk through your space, consider that wherever you see a story that can be told, that a QR code can take people to that story.
For more, see Lookup Numbers & QR Codes > Lookup QR Codes.
The Bloomberg Connects Marketing team can also provide tracking links that work the same way as a QR code, taking people on mobile devices to your guide/exhibition/item/tour. The main difference is that if someone clicks on a link from a desktop computer, they will be taken to bloombergconnects.org, since for now the mobile browser is not optimized for desktop use and so you have to be on a phone to download/access the app.
How do QR codes work?
If someone has Bloomberg Connects already downloaded on their phone, they are taken right to your guide/exhibition/item/tour when they scan the code.
If someone does not yet have Bloomberg Connects - which may be the majority of your visitors - they are taken to the mobile broswer version of your guide and to the homepage/exhibition/item that the QR code is associated with. The mobile browser has a persistent download button at the bottom to encourage visitors to download the app for the full Bloomberg Connects experience, but a download is not necessary to access your content.
We still encourage you to promote your guide on your websites and through any pre-visit communications so visitors can check out your guide before they arrive.
Should we use QR codes on our digital channels?
We recommend including a QR code, in addition to a tracking link, on your dedicated Bloomberg Connects landing page to make it easier for desktop visitors to your site to access your guide.
For emails, social media posts, e-tickets and other digital communications, we can provide you with tracking link, as noted above, but we strongly encourage our cultural partners to point all of their digital communications to their dedicated landing page.
With that said, if you need a link, contact marketing@bloombergconnects.org.
What data do you track?
As of February 12, we will track, and you will be able to view, how many people have scanned your QR codes or clicked your tracking links. With the launch of the mobile browser experience, a scan of a QR code will have a nearly 1-to-1 correlation to someone access the associated content in your guide. So tracking the number of clicks that each QR code gets is a great proxy for what content in your space your visitors are most drawn to.
For all of our promotional QR codes and links, we track the following metrics:
- Clicks: How many people clicked or scanned a QR code or link
- Downloads: How many people downloaded the app from that code/link
- Opens: How many people opened the app from that click
Reports can be shared upon request—we typically share insights and recommendations based on what we're seeing in the report. Reach out to marketing@bloombergconnects.org for information.
Some QR code data is also available for self-service in the Data Dashboard. For more, see Data Dashboard Overview > Understanding QR Code Usage.
How do I create Lookup QR Codes?
To request QR codes that link to your guide home page for use on your website, digital channels or promotional materials, email the Bloomberg Connects Marketing team - marketing@bloombergconnects.org.
You can download QR codes that link to items and exhibitions for use onsite directy from the CMS. For more, see Lookup Numbers and QR Codes.