Microsoft Tag

Basically, Microsoft Tag is a readable link to the web. By utilizing High Capacity Color Barcode (HCCB) technology, Microsoft Tag encodes data into some sort of recognition technology (QR codes, barcodes, etc.). Rather than square pixels that are used in conventional 2D barcodes, “HCCB uses a grid of colored triangles to encode data.” Microsoft Tags are read by a downloaded app on a smartphone with Internet access. When a tag is read by this app, the contained HCCB data is sent to Microsoft servers and the publisher’s intended content (i.e., website) is automatically returned to the user.

How do you generate a Microsoft Tag?

Microsoft Tags are easy to generate. And they’re free. To generate a Microsoft Tag you will need a Microsoft Live ID. Then you simply log into the Tag Manager and begin creating your tag by choosing the type of tag you would like to create, giving it a name, and filling in the necessary information. After you have completed all the requested information, click the download button to generate the tag graphic. Next, you choose the size, file format, and type of tag you want. Once you have finished making your selections, select download—the Tag Manger will then generate your customized file.

How do you track a Microsoft Tag?

Every time a tag is read, that information is sent to a Microsoft server. This allows Microsoft to track users and provide that information to the generator of the tag. These analytic reports generated by Microsoft enable the measurement of success for each campaign.

Why use Microsoft Tag?

A better question would probably be, why not use Microsoft Tag? Microsoft Tag enables marketers to bridge the gap between their offline and online presence. With these tags marketers are able to further engage customers with their brand, immediately providing them with more associated content. Further, as discussed above, Microsoft tracks the tags and, because of that, it is easy to measure the success of each campaign. Click here for more reasons to use Microsoft Tag!

 Below is an Example of a Custom Tag I generated that would direct you to this blog.

Sources: 

http://tag.microsoft.com/what-is-tag/home.aspx

http://tag.microsoft.com/my-tags/getting-started.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Tag#Microsoft_Tag