QR Codes, Promo Codes and Vanity URLs: Turning OOH Views into Action

Awareness is good; action pays the bills. An effective OOH call to action gives people a reason to act and a way to act that fits the moment they encounter your ad, whether that's a driver passing a billboard, a commuter waiting at a shelter or a listener in the car. It also makes your campaign measurable. Here's how to choose and track the right one.

This guide is part of our complete guide to measuring offline advertising.

Match the CTA to the moment

Where they see or hear you	Attention available	Best CTA
Highway billboard	A few seconds, driving	Brand name, a short URL, or a direction ("Exit 12")
Urban poster / digital board	Seconds, often in traffic	Short URL or a memorable search term
Transit shelter, platform, mall	Waiting, phone in hand	QR code, short URL, promo code
Radio	Listening, often driving	Easy-to-say vanity URL, memorable phone number, location
TV / connected TV	Watching, phone often nearby	On-screen URL, QR code on screen, search term
Print, flyers, events	Holding it	QR code, promo code

The options

Vanity URLs

A short address like yourbrand.ca/win that redirects to a campaign landing page with tracking. Keep it short, easy to spell, and easy to say (read it aloud before you commit). For radio, avoid anything that needs spelling out.

QR codes

Best where people stand still. Tips:

• Make it large enough to scan from a realistic distance.
• Add a short line explaining the benefit ("Scan for 20% off your first visit").
• Point it to a mobile-optimized page with tracking parameters.
• Use a dynamic QR code so you can change the destination and see scan counts.
• Never place them where scanning would be unsafe, like on highway boards.

Promo codes

A unique code per channel or location shows exactly which ad drove the sale. Make codes short and meaningful (RADIO20, not X7Q9K2).

Call tracking numbers

A unique phone number per channel records calls from each ad, which is useful for radio and TV, and for service businesses that sell by phone.

Branded search terms

"Search Blastily radio" invites people to look you up. Make sure you rank for that term, and consider search ads on your own brand during the campaign.

Location-based CTAs

"Next exit," "2 blocks ahead," "on 17th Ave." Directional CTAs drive visits and pair well with foot traffic measurement.

Give people a reason to act now

• Time limits: "This weekend only," "Until Oct 31"
• Scarcity: "First 100 customers"
• Event dates: "Saturday at the Stampede grounds"
• Exclusive offers: "Only for listeners of…"

Without a reason, even a perfectly tracked CTA gets postponed and then forgotten.

After the click: the landing page

Most offline CTAs send people to a web page, and that page decides whether the ad works:

• Match the ad's message and look, so they know they're in the right place
• Load fast on mobile
• Repeat the offer
• One clear next step (book, buy, claim, call)

A weak landing page is one of the most common reasons behind high visibility but low conversions.

Tracking setup checklist

1. A unique URL, code or number per channel and, ideally, per placement
2. UTM parameters on every redirect
3. A "How did you hear about us?" question
4. A baseline of traffic and sales before launch
5. A weekly report through the campaign

This data feeds straight into your billboard ROI calculation and helps you decide which placements to renew.

Keep it simple

One ad, one action. Asking people to scan, follow, visit and call guarantees they'll do none of them. See how this fits into planning in our billboard advertising guide and radio advertising guide.