You’ve probably come across gated content before. Any website that gives you the opening snippet of an article and then tells you to register to read more is performing this function. It’s not surprising that some companies use this approach: it’s a simple way for them to see when readers are interested, and to willingly obtain their contact information. That also makes it easier for them to know who to distribute content to on a regular basis, thanks to website analytics.
But is this approach right for your content? That answer depends on a few factors.
First, you need to recognize how much of it you should gate, if any. Most of the companies that report using this service say they only do so some of the time, while a mere 5 percent report gating all of their content. The reason for this likely comes down to reader engagement. A potential subscriber isn’t as keen to sign up for material from your company if they’re never read anything from you before. But if they’re allowed a few free, “teaser-style” articles to see your knowledge about their market and the value your business offers, the more likely they are to sign up to learn more.
Second, you need to decide what content is worth teasing your audience with and what is worth a subscription. That’s heavily dependent on how well you know their market, what pain points they typically experience, and which SEO keywords they use when they’re looking for a provider of your products or services. All too often, companies throw together sales-laden material simply because that’s how they’ve “marketed” in the past, rather than developing a plan that identifies and leverages the most relevant messaging.
Last, make sure that your content—gated or not—benefits your overall inbound marketing strategy. It should be part of your website design that allows visitors to a) find the information they were originally searching for, b) learn information they might not have realized was also important, and c) receive an offer to discuss new business with your team.
If this sounds like a tall order, fear not—Marketing Armor has helped many companies like yours with their content curation, analytics, SEO, and website design. Let us know what questions you have, and we’d be happy to schedule some time to discuss them in more detail.
