Gated content is a type of content online locked behind a form that requires visitors to fill in their information. The form often requires users to enter their names and email addresses.
But it may go further into asking for more precise details such as industry and job title.
Why Do You Need Gated Content?
Email marketing has been around for decades, and it's still going to be alive for a long time. Having an email list allows you to reach out to nurture new leads and stay in touch with your loyal customers.
Thus, your email subscribers' list might be your greatest asset in the long run.
However, it's hard to capture leads and grow your list in today's world. People need a reason to give you their personal data.
Gated content might help you do that because it's a powerful tool for lead generation. It's one of the best ways to attract qualified leads and grow your email subscribers list.
Also, the data you generate from gated content is highly specific to your target audience. You know your subscribers are interested in your work and would like to learn more about your offers.
That makes the rest of your marketing journey easier.
Gated Content vs Ungated Content: Which Ones Will Work For You?
Deciding on what type of content to go with mainly depends on which stage a user is in, in the sales funnel.
You must be careful about serving gated content at an early stage.
New visitors don't care as much about your offer because they don't know you. So, it's easier for them to leave a web page they don't trust than to enter their personal details.
That's why you need to stick to ungated content to nurture visitors and lead them to later stages.
Here are examples of more ideal content you should use with new visitors:
Blog articles
Podcasts
Infographics
Press releases
Testimonials
And once they get closer to your brand and learn more about you, you can start offering gated content.
But be careful:
When a visitor needs to fill in a form to get access to gated content, their expectations get higher.
What you offer needs to meet those assumptions and beyond. It has to provide real value and genuinely help them achieve the results you first promised.
That's why you should only gate content if it has something new and valuable to offer.
Also, Google bots crawl gated content less often compared to ungated content. That might result in a drop in your traffic stats in your gated content pages.
So, be sure to only gate your content when necessary.
How to Use Gated Content
Gated content comes in many forms and shapes. Each one performs differently depending on the industry and the marketing strategy.
So, your first step is to decide on what sort of content you want to gate.
The most popular types are:
Ebooks
Webinars
Videos
White Papers
Product Demos
Case Studies
Then, you need to create a landing page that attracts and converts new leads. It has to encourage visitors to read your offer and fill in their information.
Make sure to use easy navigation with simple instructions and a clear opt-in form - like the example below.
The last step is to segment your new leads based on the stages they’re in from your sales funnel. You can then use that list to communicate and nurture your leads with email outreach.
How Can We Help?
Want some guidance on where to take your content strategy next? Get in touch with us today to organise a free strategy session where we’ll help you create a personalised plan.
For additional help, you should check out our training courses where you can find essential marketing lessons that you can apply to your business upon completion!
