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<\/a><\/p>\nUngated content requires no exchange of information, and it has more SEO value \u2014 giving you brand visibility.<\/p>\n
Here, we’ll explore what gated content is and dive into best practices and examples.<\/p>\n
Table of Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n It’s important to note that gated content for inbound marketing is free and not hidden behind a paywall. Users need to submit their information \u2014 not their credit card number \u2014 to access the content.<\/p>\n Now, you might be wondering, \u201cWhy would I hide my content from my audience?\u201d<\/p>\n Typically, the goal of gated content is to generate leads. Gated content isn\u2018t used for brand awareness or visibility campaigns because the nature of hidden content doesn\u2019t allow for high traffic.<\/p>\n Below, let’s discuss the pros and cons of gated versus ungated content.<\/p>\n Gated content is usually protected by a paywall, which allows the publisher to require users to sign up or pay for access.<\/p>\n Gated content generates leads you can nurture into prospects, whereas ungated content is meant to increase traffic and improve audience trust.<\/p>\n Both types of content are valuable to your content marketing strategy, as long as you\u2019re finding the right balance for your business goals.<\/p>\n After reading this list, you might be wondering, \u201cHow do I know if I should gate my content?\u201d<\/p>\n Well, it all depends on your priorities \u2014 brand visibility or lead generation.<\/p>\n Additionally, consider the type of content. Longer-form content like an ebook is well-suited to gated content, while most shorter-form content like blog posts are better off ungated.<\/p>\n Once you\u2018ve decided to create gated content, you\u2019re probably curious about how to get started. Let’s review some best practices below.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n When a prospect goes through the buyer\u2018s journey, they\u2019ll go through three stages: awareness, consideration, and decision.<\/p>\n Here’s a quick rundown of each stage:<\/p>\n During each stage, your audience needs content that meets them where they are.<\/p>\n For instance, visitors in the awareness stage are probably interested in reading an ebook. On the other hand, a visitor in the decision stage might prefer a product demo or webinar.<\/p>\n That\u2018s why it\u2019s important to design content offers for each stage of the buyer’s journey. If your gated content aligns with their stage in the journey, your audience is more likely to convert.<\/p>\n Once you\u2018ve brainstormed some content ideas for each stage of the buyer\u2019s journey, it’s time to conduct a competitive analysis.<\/p>\n In a competitive analysis, you’ll research the types of content your competitors offer. activities.<\/p>\n Pay attention to what content is gated versus ungated \u2014 this will give you an idea of what types of content are valuable enough to place behind a gate.<\/p>\n As an inbound marketer, you know that providing value is of the utmost importance.<\/p>\n Your content offer shouldn’t be a quick blog post. Instead, your gated content should provide actionable, valuable content.<\/p>\n Just as importantly, your gated content should be relevant to your audience.<\/p>\n When your content provides true value, it gives your audience an incentive to fill out that form and give you their contact information.<\/p>\n When a user clicks on a CTA for a content offer, they’re usually led to a landing page. So, one of the best practices for gated content is to build a strong landing page (we\u2019ve got 41 examples<\/a> if you need some inspo).<\/p>\n For example, HubSpot’s State of Marketing report landing page<\/a> contains a strong headline, compelling copy, and a sneak preview of some of the key findings.<\/p>\n Once you decide to download, the form is simple and fast.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n The technical steps for gating your content will vary depending on your CMS. But chances are, your landing page will include a form where visitors can input their contact details in exchange for your content offer. It’s important that your form is straightforward, easy to use, and user-friendly.<\/p>\n HubSpot offers a free online form builder<\/a> that enables you to create and customize forms with a drag-and-drop form maker.<\/p>\n Once your audience has downloaded your gated content and you receive their email address, it’s time to segment your email lists.<\/p>\n This will help you develop targeted and effective email marketing campaigns.<\/p>\n Additionally, segmenting your audience means you can send nurturing emails to move those leads to prospects.<\/p>\n When you’ve decided to gate a certain piece of content, you can track conversions and measure your analytics.<\/p>\n As with any marketing strategy, measuring your success is extremely important. This data will help you understand your audience better and improve your content strategy.<\/p>\n Now that you know some best practices for creating gated content, let’s look at types of content and examples of what this will look like in action.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n There\u2019s lots of ways you can build gated content landing pages \u2014 here\u2019s five of the most common types of content that businesses gate.<\/p>\n White papers, case studies, and other reports are great examples of gated content because they can provide targeted value to your audience.<\/p>\n A white paper is an authoritative, in-depth report on a specific topic; case studies look at a specific use case; and other reports might not fall into either category but still use a text-heavy, longer-form format. (Think: HubSpot\u2019s State of Marketing report<\/a>.)<\/p>\n All three of these content types can position your brand as an industry expert. And when you\u2018re a trusted expert, people want to know what you have to say \u2014 which means you\u2019ll get more downloads and conversions.<\/p>\n Usually, offers are long-form content that are interesting and valuable to your audience, like this one from IMO Health about high-quality medical data and research<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n
Pros and Cons of Gated Content<\/h3>\n
1. Create content for each stage in the buyer’s journey.<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\n2. Complete a competitive analysis.<\/h3>\n
3. Provide incentive.<\/h3>\n
4. Build a strong landing page.<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\n5. Segment your audience.<\/h3>\n
6. Measure the analytics.<\/h3>\n
Gated Content Examples<\/strong><\/h2>\n
1. White Papers, Case Studies, and Other Reports<\/h3>\n
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