Another case for using The Oklahoman’s ‘Go Code’
Eddie Roach came to my desk Tuesday morning.
A customer says she can’t vote in the daily poll anymore, he said. She voted every day on the daily poll question that’s published in the newspaper. She used her phone and voted. But now she can’t.
But he couldn’t answer this question. What is she talking about, he wondered? What would she have been doing before that she can’t do now?
Ahhh. The QR code. She was probably using that. And as I reported two weeks ago, we stopped using the QR codes in the newspaper. Instead we’ve started making it easier for newspaper readers to access our videos, galleries and podcasts through ‘Go Codes’ on Oklahoman.com.
On Tuesday morning, I told Eddie that she can go to NewsOK.com’s home page and vote instead of using the QR code. And that we would look at how to add a ‘Go Code’ for the poll in the newspaper.
Then I heard from the reader who noticed the change.
She told me, “I never go to my computer. I only use my iPhone.”
I love that quote. That’s exactly who we’re trying to serve, and she represents readers of all ages. Why get up and go to a computer when her phone is right there in her hand? She can vote in a poll she’s reading in the newspaper or she can watch a video on the story she’s reading.
There’s no reason for her to get up.
We moved a little faster. By Thursday’s newspaper, the ‘Go Code’ was placed next to the poll.










Alan Herzberger is the Vice President of Audience Development at The Oklahoman Media Company. He focuses on digital strategies for The Oklahoman and for NewsOK.com. He’s been with The Oklahoman since 1997, when he joined the sports department.... Read more ›