Let’s learn about what gated content is by first taking a look at a comprehensive definition for the purpose of clarity. Next, we will look at the difference between gated and ungated content and some examples to compare and see how they are both useful for achieving different marketing objectives.
What is gated content?
Gated content is content that can only be accessed by audiences after they give their information in exchange. This content is usually only accessible through a form that has been filled out and is particularly useful for gathering and generating leads with the intent of making more sales. Examples of this type of content include white papers, ebooks and webinars.
How does gated content work?
A visitor will click through to your website and will either be prompted by a call to action or a pop up that offers them free access to a helpful or interesting piece of content. All they need do is fill in their information in exchange. The call to action or pop up will ideally take them to a landing page where the visitor will be allowed to access said content after filling in their info.
It’s worth noting is that this type of content is designed to be free and you should never make people pay for it. The only thing visitors should be required to do is fill in their information to receive the content being offered.
Why should I hide my content?
Gated content is designed this way for a specific purpose, to bring in more leads and it works! Creating content to pique your targeted audience’s interest and using it to attract more leads is a tried and proven methodology that has been done over and over for many years by countless marketers.
This content isn’t used for the purpose of brand awareness or for marketing campaigns because hidden content doesn’t naturally tend to bring in high traffic. It is created solely to generate more leads for your business.
What is the difference between gated and ungated content?
So we know that gated content is used as a strategy that is purely created for lead generation, but what exactly is ungated content then? Good question, ungated content is created with the intent to improve SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and brand awareness. Examples of ungated content include blog posts, infographics, or case studies.
Pros and cons of gated content
We know that both gated and ungated content serve their own purpose by attracting different desired marketing outcomes. Now, let’s dive deeper and take a look at gated content even more closely to see what the pros and cons when it comes to creating this type of content.
Pros
- Increased lead generation which means more opportunity for sales
- Provides useful insights and analytics about your audience
- Creates email list segmentation
Cons
- Fewer webpage views and traffic to your website
- Does nothing to boost or improve your SEO
- A poor form of brand awareness
- Fewer visitors are likely to consume this type of content
So what can we take away from the above information? We know that gated content is made to generate leads while at the same time, nurture your prospects. Whereas ungated content is made to increase traffic, improve trust with your audience and build brand awareness.
Both types of content add value to your business and should definitely be added to your marketing strategy.
How can I best use gated content?
- Start by creating different pieces of content for each stage in the buyer’s journey and then conduct a competitive analysis.
- The next step is to provide an incentive for your audience and build a suitable landing page.
- Once you have gathered visitors information, it’s time to segment your email lists.
- Finally, look at the results and measure the analytics.
