Should you gate content with forms in your marketing strategy?

On this occasion, I want to invite you to explore the ever-enigmatic world of content gating in digital marketing. A tactic that, despite generating divided opinions, has proven effective for many companies seeking to attract and convert visitors into leads.

It's true, the last thing you want after spending hours creating an exceptional piece of content is to display it without asking for anything in return. But to understand when it's beneficial and when it's not to gate content, let's address the following questions:

What happens if this content gating is used within an inbound marketing strategy? How does it impact user experience and the value of the offered content? Is there a balance between gating content and providing free access to valuable information?

To clarify these doubts, let's break down each aspect of this technique and its use in inbound marketing. But before that, it's important to understand the basics of these marketing strategies. Therefore, we will start with brief definitions of the key elements I'll be mentioning.

Inbound marketing is a methodology that aims to attract customers by providing valuable content and personalized experiences. Within this methodology, a common tactic is content gating. This refers to restricting access to certain valuable materials unless the visitor provides information, usually through a form.

Introduction to Content Gating in the Context of Marketing

Content gating is a marketing tactic that involves "hiding" valuable content behind a form that requests information from the user. This content can be an ebook, a practical guide, a webinar, a template, or even a blog post, among others.

The main goal of this strategy is to generate leads, obtaining contact information from the visitor in return.

This tactic is based on a simple principle: users will be willing to provide their contact information if they believe the offered content has a value that justifies the exchange. Therefore, companies must ensure that the gated content is of high quality and offers considerable value to their target audience.

In the context of digital marketing, content gating can be an effective way to convert anonymous website visitors into identifiable leads. This can provide companies with valuable data that can be used to segment and personalize future marketing campaigns.

It's important to mention that content gating is not just about "hiding" valuable information. It also involves a commitment from the company to continue providing value to visitors who have become leads, whether through additional content, services, or products.

Before delving into the advantages of using content gating forms in an inbound strategy, I'd like to share a quote from Arash Asli, co-founder and CEO of Yocale: "The idea behind content gating is simple: visitors get free content and companies get information. It's a win-win." This mutually beneficial approach is crucial to understanding why content gating can be a powerful tactic in inbound marketing.

Furthermore, according to a study by DemandGen Report, 76% of buyers are willing to share personal information in exchange for quality content. This statistic highlights visitors' willingness to engage in this exchange when they perceive that the content has genuine value for them.

Advantages of Content Gating Forms in the Inbound Strategy

An important point to emphasize is that the content chosen to be placed behind a form should be of high quality. This will make users genuinely believe it was a fair exchange and encourage them to continue consuming content from your company.

With that said, let's explore the top 5 advantages:

1. Lead Generation: As mentioned earlier, one of the primary benefits of content gating is lead generation. By offering valuable content in exchange for contact information, companies can build a database of potential customers for their future marketing and sales strategies.
2. Audience Segmentation: With the information collected from forms, companies can better understand their audience and segment it according to various characteristics, such as interests, industry, company size, etc. This can help personalize future communications and offer more relevant content to each segment.
3. Content Quality Evaluation: If visitors are willing to provide their information in exchange for your content, it's a good indicator that they consider it valuable. This can help measure the effectiveness of your content strategy and adjust it as needed.
4. Long-Term Relationship Building: By completing a content gating form, visitors are expressing their interest in what you offer. This could mark the beginning of a long-term marketing relationship, where you can continue providing value through relevant and personalized content.
5. Sales Funnel Optimization: With the information obtained through forms, you can identify where a lead stands in their buyer's journey and adjust your strategy accordingly to guide them toward conversion.

Despite the benefits that content gating can offer, there are also some disadvantages to consider. Here are the most common ones:

Disadvantages of Using Forms to Gate Content in the Inbound Strategy

Here are the top 5 disadvantages of using a form to gate content:

1. Access Barriers: While it can be an effective strategy to generate leads, content gating can also create barriers that prevent users from accessing the information they are seeking. This can result in a poor user experience and decrease customer satisfaction.
2. Low-Quality Data: Not all users who complete a form will provide accurate information. Some may provide false data simply to access the content, which could lead to the collection of low-quality data.
3. Reduced Content Reach: By gating content, the potential for that content to be shared and, therefore, its reach is reduced. This can be counterproductive if the goal is to increase visibility and brand awareness.
4. User Rejection: Some users may feel uncomfortable providing their personal information in exchange for content, especially if they are not familiar with your brand. This can discourage them from interacting with your content and website.
5. Resource Demand: Creating high-quality content worth gating requires time and resources. If the content doesn't attract users as expected, it might not generate a satisfactory return on investment.

We've examined the advantages and disadvantages of gating content behind a form. Now, a natural question that arises is: How do we determine what content should be gated? To help you make an informed decision, let's present some points to consider.

How to Decide What Content to Gate

The decision of what content to gate can be challenging, but there are some key factors that can help you make the right decision:

1. Content Value: Not all content needs to be gated. Higher-value content, such as ebooks, research reports, webinars, templates, etc., are ideal candidates for gating, as users will be more willing to exchange their information for these resources.
2. Stage in the Sales Funnel: The type of content you choose to gate can also depend on where your target audience stands in the sales funnel. For example, more general and informative content is often better for the awareness stage, while more specific and detailed content might be more suitable for the consideration and decision stages.
3. Audience Data: Know your audience. If you understand what they value, you can offer gated content that aligns with their interests and needs. This can increase the likelihood that they'll be willing to provide their information in exchange for the content.
4. Testing and Analysis: There's no definitive rule about what content should be gated. Therefore, it's essential to test different types of content and analyze how your audience responds to them. This data will allow you to make adjustments and informed decisions about what content to gate in the future.

Remember, the decision to gate content should be based on a deep understanding of your audience and the value your content offers. Now that you know how to decide what content to gate, let's explore some tools you can use to implement this strategy effectively.

Tools for Effective Content Gating

To implement a content gating strategy effectively, you'll need tools that allow you to create forms, manage leads, and analyze the performance of your content. Here are some tools that can help you achieve this:

1. HubSpot: As a comprehensive marketing platform, HubSpot offers a range of tools for content gating. From form creation to lead tracking and segmentation, HubSpot has everything you need to implement this strategy effectively.
2. Ocean Pro Theme: HubSpot's award-winning theme in 2021 features a powerful module that makes it very easy to gate content you've created on a website page or HubSpot landing page, with no coding required. This module is useful for a pillar page format or a case study page. Similarly, the included module in Ocean Pro can gate specific blog posts. In both cases, your site's search engine performance will be optimal, helping you gain traffic and leads from the same content.
3. Google Analytics: Google Analytics can be a valuable tool for analyzing how users interact with your gated content. You can use it to track how often your gated content is viewed, how many users complete the form, and how many exit the page without interacting with the content.
4. Unbounce and Leadpages: Both platforms are popular for creating landing pages and offer options for gating content. With their variety of templates and customization options, they can be useful for creating engaging pages that encourage visitors to share their data.
5. WordPress Plugins: If your website is built on WordPress, there are several plugins you can use to gate content. Some of the most popular ones include "Content Locker Pro" and "Opt-In Content Locker," which allow you to gate content in various ways and customize forms to your needs.

Now, let's discuss the importance of a balance between open and gated content.

Balanced Strategies and Inbound Marketing Case Studies

An effective inbound marketing strategy requires a balance between gated and free content. To better understand this, let's examine some case studies that have successfully employed this strategy.

1. HubSpot: As one of the pioneers of inbound marketing, HubSpot offers a variety of free resources to educate its audience about inbound marketing, SEO, content, and other topics. However, they also use gated content, such as their annual marketing and sales reports, to capture user information and nurture leads. The combination of free and gated content has allowed them to build a strong following and convert those followers into customers.
2. Salesforce: Salesforce, a customer relationship management platform, offers detailed and free guides on a variety of sales and customer service topics. At the same time, they use gated content, such as detailed webinars and product demos, to collect user information and guide users through their sales funnel.
3. MOZ: MOZ, an SEO software company, provides a wealth of free content, including their blog, SEO guides, and Q&A forum. However, they also offer gated content, such as their premium SEO software, to capture user information and convert visitors into customers.

These case studies demonstrate that when implemented effectively, a balanced content strategy can attract a broad audience, generate high-quality leads, and lead to a higher conversion rate.

As HubSpot indicates, 55% of marketers say blog content is their number one inbound marketing priority.

Furthermore, marketing content generates 3 times more leads per dollar than traditional marketing methods, according to Demand Metric. As Joe Pulizzi, founder of the Content Marketing Institute, said, "Content is the engine of the inbound marketing machine."

Conclusion

Content gating has been a controversial tactic in digital marketing for quite some time. While it can be an effective means of generating leads and collecting information from website visitors, it can also deter some users who are seeking quality information without commitment.

However, as we've seen, the key to success in using this tactic lies in balance. Providing valuable and free content to users is essential to attract them and establish your brand as an authority in your industry. Simultaneously, strategically using gated content can help you convert those users into leads and eventually customers.

Ultimately, the decision to use gated content and the forms that come with it depends on your brand, your goals, and your audience. It's essential to experiment and analyze to understand what works best for your business.

Remember, in the age of the informed consumer, where relevance and personalization are crucial, it's not just about driving traffic to your website. It's about attracting the right traffic. With a balanced content strategy that combines open and gated content, you can do just that.