You may have noticed a tiny, weird looking square popping up more and more on the things you buy, in the restaurants where you eat and especially in the magazines that you read. These squares, known as QR (quick response) codes, are increasingly becoming a larger part of print marketing in the past few years as smartphones (such as an iPhone or Android) have become more popular.

The codes, which require a smartphone to work, are designed to transmit information such as a text-based message, a link, or multimedia content such as images (logo) and video (sponsored message). Most often, however, QR codes are used to promote community-wide contests or special vendor discounts. There are even services that can track and provide analytics for these codes so that you can manage your marketing even better.

Another way in which QR codes are effective is for social networking on-the-go such as sending out a tweet to your followers or “liking” a place or thing on Facebook, just by scanning the code. Google Places even offers a way in which to link a QR code to your business’ Place Page where visitors can read reviews or find special offers—all from their mobile phone.

The verdict among marketers regarding the effectiveness of these codes is still up for debate, but the trend among magazine publishers and retailers is growing. According to this QR Code Infographic by Lab42, there’s still potential for those who know how to use them to the advantage of their audience to make ads more “interactive, faster and easier.”

Have you ever scanned a QR code? Are you considering using QR codes as part of your marketing strategy? Let us know and leave a comment below.