For as long as we can remember, Eden Advertising has made it one of its top priorities to help clients with lead generation. In doing so, we’ve picked up a number of tips, tricks, and tools along the way. Especially when working with B2B clients (although B2C companies can benefit from this too!), we’ve found that gated content can be an effective way to capture new leads that are engaged and ready to listen. 

What Is Gated Content?

If you’ve ever filled out a form to access an online resource before (yes, that includes a free trial for Netflix), then you’re already more familiar with the concept of gated content than you probably know. Gated content is any online resource that requires the user to fill out a form prior to gaining access to whatever content is behind the “gate.” Since email address collection is worth its weight in gold for marketers, you can think of it as a sort of exchange of information, rather than money. As a consumer, you gain access to valuable resources (like these), and as a marketer, you have the chance to capture a new lead.

Some examples of gated content include:

• Webinars
• eBooks/white papers
• Calculators (eg. mortgage calculator, marketing budget calculator, etc.)
• Trends/predictions
• Video content
• Product demos
• Templates
• Free trials
• Other tools/resources

Here is a prime example of gated content in action. Using this form, HubSpot invites users to sign up for a free account, in exchange for this little bit of basic information.

When Is It Appropriate to Use Gated Content?

Gated content can be great at any stage of the customer journey! If you already have yours mapped out, try listing out each stage and matching it to a few pieces of gated content that would be useful for your customers at that point in time.

If you’re using the funnel method, for example, this might look something like:

Top of Funnel (ToFu or the awareness stage):

• eBooks
• Infographics
• How-to videos
• Podcasts

Middle of Funnel (MoFu or the evaluation stage):

• Surveys
• Downloadable resources
• Webinars/events

Bottom of Funnel (BoFu or the conversion stage):

• Free trials/demos
• Spec sheets
• Consultations

Once you’ve mapped this out (and again, it will most certainly look different for your business), you’ll want to start pairing each resource with specific content pieces. Feel free to brainstorm as many ideas as you like, turning them into a long list for each bullet point. If you ever feel stuck, simply ask yourself the same questions customers ask you over and over again at each stage, and figure out the best way to answer them in content form.

For example, if you’re finding that customers are often asking you for a specific calculation, such as “how much will I need for my down payment?” or “how many square feet of your product will I need for my project?” you should consider adding a simple calculator to your website. 

Using this method, you’ll be able to capture valuable information about your prospects, gauging where they’re at in the marketing funnel, and the types of problems they may be facing at that given time. By helping them solve small problems for free through your gated content, you’ll be opening the door to becoming their solution provider.

Interested in gaining new leads with gated content, but not sure you have the time? Contact Eden Advertising – we’re always here to help!