Author Jeffrey Hayzlett is using mobile bar codes in his new book ?Running the Gauntlet? to let readers access additional content.

Mr. Hayzlett worked with SpyderLynk to deploy the company?s SnapTags throughout the book. Readers can access mobile video content via the new interactive initiative.

?There are three different strategies working together here simultaneously,? said Nicole Skogg, founder/CEO of SpyderLynk, Denver.  ?There is the big picture strategy, to leverage SnapTags to make the book stickier just as companies are leveraging mobile bar codes to make impressions stickier.

?If you can extend the time the consumer spends engaged with the book and create a deeper relationship by interacting across multiple media, you create an entry point for CRM with readers,? she said. ?The second strategy reflects the strategic alignment between the core power of SnapTags and the theme of Running the Gauntlet.  

?The book is about driving change in an organization and encourages business leaders to be forward-thinking.?

The SnapTags are featured at the beginning of each of the book?s 35 chapters.

According to Mr. Hayzlett, this offers readers a direct connection to video content further explain the core concept of each chapter.

?Putting mobile bar codes in a book is effective because it engages readers in a new, exciting and unexpected way,? Ms. Skogg said. ?The content provided in the videos served through the SnapTags is a value-add for readers and a great way to not only extend the relationship with the reader, but also deepen it by creating direct interactivity with the author.

?Never before have consumers been able to experience parts of the book in such a comprehensive way,? she said.

Reader engagement
Running the Gauntlet has an entire page dedicated to educating readers about SnapTags and how to unlock the mobile videos.

Additionally, the page also details the two ways in which readers can participate with SnapTags ? by scanning or texting a keyword to a short code. 

The SnapTag also connects readers to a video tutorial where Mr. Hayzlett walks readers through the process of using a SnapTag.

The book is scheduled for a Jan. 3 release.

?In the past year, mobile bar code use and awareness has exploded,? Ms. Skogg said. ?This has been the year where advertisers are getting their feet in the water and testing out what the solution has to offer. 

?Moving into next year, advertisers will use what they have learned from this year to become more sophisticated using capabilities beyond taking users to a mobile site,? she said. ?These capabilities, offered by mobile barcodes like the SnapTag, will be the focus moving forward.?

Final Take
Rimma Kats is staff reporter on Mobile Marketer, New York