The Secrets of Content Marketing Storytelling (and How To Find Your Brand Voice) Copy Copy Copy Copy
Our content marketing glossary is an always-evolving rundown of the need-to-know terminology in content and SEO.
What is gated content and does it work?
March 18, 2024 by Alex Long
We’re all trying to get our content noticed — that’s the whole point of content marketing after all! But that’s easier said than done. We know how hard it can be getting your work in front of people’s eyes these days, but there are some strategies you can use to help.
We’ve already spoken about repurposing content, why keyword research is crucial, and the power of visual content but what about gated content? Well, let’s take a look at gated content, what it is, its benefits, and whether it actually works as a marketing tool.
Read on to find out more!
What is gated content?
As with many of the strategies we’ve discussed on this blog, the name “gated content” pretty much tells us what it is all about. In short, gated content refers to any valuable piece of digital content, such as ebooks, whitepapers, webinars, or exclusive reports, that is accessible only after the user provides certain information.
In other words, it’s content that is gated behind the reader providing information, usually through the use of a form submission. This information can include a bunch of different contact details like name, email address, job title, or company name. Once the reader has submitted the required information, they gain access to the content.
Gated content is content that is gated behind the reader providing information, usually through the use of a form submission.
Important to note here — gated content is not locked behind a paywall. Some content may need to be purchased, which places it in a different category from gated content. Gated content is always free, otherwise it becomes paid content.
The benefits of gated content
Right, now we know what gated content is, let’s look at why we might want to use it. At first glance, if you’re not charging readers to view your content, then it might be difficult to see why you would require their information. After all, wouldn’t this just make them more likely to click away?
In short, yes. However, if your offering is compelling enough, readers should have no problem inputting their information to access it. But that still doesn’t answer the question of “why bother?”. Well, let’s look at a few of the benefits of gated content!
Lead generation
One of the primary benefits of gated content is its ability to generate high-quality leads. By offering valuable content in exchange for contact information, you can attract individuals who are genuinely interested in your products or services, and as a result, more likely to convert.
Nurturing leads
Once users have accessed gated content, you can continue to nurture them through targeted follow-up strategies, such as email marketing or newsletters. By delivering relevant content based on your audience’s interests and stage in the buyer’s journey, you can guide leads through the sales funnel and facilitate the conversion process effectively
Information gathering
Related to the above point but slightly different, gated content allows you to obtain information about your audience to better help you understand who is engaging with your content and what they are looking for.
Using the information gleaned from your gated content, you can then segment your audience more effectively. By analyzing the information provided by users, you can gain insights into their interests, preferences, and pain points. This data can then be used to tailor future marketing campaigns and deliver personalized content that resonates with specific audience segments.
Establishing authority
Creating gated content requires time, effort, and expertise, making it an excellent opportunity for you to showcase your knowledge and establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry. By offering valuable insights and actionable advice, you can build trust with your audience and position yourself as trusted advisors, ultimately increasing your brand’s credibility and authority.
Ryan Schmidt
Written by:
All businesses can benefit from telling stories.
The aim is to focus on an individual’s journey with a struggle or problem. Evoking emotions such as frustration, relief, dismay or joy. Details are important: the plot, an element of surprise, a revelation and almost certainly a satisfying ending.
Your website, social media posts, podcasts, blogs, newsletters, community work, your similar personal struggle — these all offer potential avenues to use your voice and tell stories.
Remember your target audience.
Who are you talking to? What are your customer’s values? What problems do they have? What platforms do they use?
But most importantly, what stories will your customers relate to?
How to find your business’s voice to create the baseline of your content marketing strategy
Consistency is key when using and defining your voice.
It will strengthen your brand and help secure high value customers and leads.
So, let’s look at how you can shape your voice to underpin all of your business’s communications.
1. Revisit your business plan
It’s easy to forget your original goals when running a business. Remind yourself why you went into business in the first place! Go over your marketing strategy, who your target customers are and how you plan to make an impact.
Check out your competitors. It’s worth looking at their language to see how they engage with customers. Ask yourself what you can adopt from their approach and look at how you can use your voice to differentiate yourself.
2. Customer research
Customer research is always a worthy pursuit. Instead of trying to figure out what you think customers want to hear… It will benefit you to go out into the field and talk to your customers to decipher what they perceive as a strong brand and tone of voice for your business.
If you can afford an external company to carry out research, this could be a smart move. If not, talking directly to your loyal customers, your colleagues, even trusted friends could provide valuable insight into how you come across to your audience, what they admire and what can be improved.
3. Create customer personas
Customer personas really help pin down your target audience. They outline specific details such as age, profession, earnings, what’s important to them and what problems they’re trying to solve.
You’ll gain a better understanding of what language they use, the platforms they’re using and the conversations they’re having. This will help you tailor your voice to better engage with your audience.
4. Produce a copywriting style guide
A copywriting style guide is an in-depth document that details a set of ground rules for language use, its delivery, style and tone.
It’s a vital document to help keep your brand voice consistent throughout all of your communications and customer platforms. For yourself, your employees and anyone who is talking on behalf of your business.
5. Apply your new voice guidelines
It may be that you only need to make a few tweaks here and there, but make sure you go through all of your online and print content to ensure your voice is consistent across the business. And talk through your guidelines with anyone who is creating content or talking with your customers.
And finally… Don’t be afraid to be different! Use your voice to strengthen bonds with customers and find new avenues and opportunities to attract new leads.
Here at Scribly, we work closely with our clients to create bespoke and tailored content — the type that truly makes an impact and resonates with customers. Let's plan your brand story together.
Get the latest from the Knowledge Hub straight to your inbox.
Learn how to create a killer content strategy, the latest on page SEO tips and tricks, and how to make the most out of content in your sales funnel.
Get the latest from the Knowledge Hub straight to your inbox.
Learn how to create a killer content strategy, the latest on page SEO tips and tricks, and how to make the most out of content in your sales funnel.