Why should content play such a crucial role in your inbound marketing strategy?
First, it allows you to showcase your insight and knowledge. Second, it builds your brand. learn digital marketing today which might be useful in the future find the best institute which has provided the best digital marketing course in Delhi join there today. Third, it is a low-cost lead generator that produces returns long after it has been launched. Finally, content marketing is now seen as a critical go-to-market strategy, one that permits you to introduce new products, drive traffic to your website, and assist you to become that all-important authoritative market influencer.
Gated and Ungated Content
Gated and ungated content is the foremost obvious method for lead generation in content marketing. Gated content includes providing users with access to videos, white papers, eBooks, webinars, infographics, podcasts, and webcasts only after they’ve filled out a lead capture form. Any user can have access to ungated content. One requires a form to be filled out, while the opposite is obtainable freely.
Supporters of gated content argue that it produces higher quality leads which end in more conversions. It is sensible. Only the foremost interested user will fill out a form to urge that high-value content. However, some believe that ungated content is downloaded 20 to 50 times more often, which invariably results in more sharing and it’s the act of sharing that builds your online reputation.
Ultimately, you would like both approaches. you would like to encourage sharing of everyday content, while also build up anticipation for content that can’t be found elsewhere. this is often why your inbound marketing strategy must have the proper strategies for both approaches. So, how does one maximize both gated and ungated content so that you’re generating more leads?
Your Gated Content Should be Easy to Download
This is not the time to overwhelm your customer with an intrusive form. Keep it simple. If you’re getting to use gated content for lead generation then the whole process must be painless. It must be welcoming. the most important mistake companies make is to use a lead capture form that asks an excessive amount of prospects. you would like only the user’s contact details. Nothing more is required.
Be sure to trace your conversion rates. If you suddenly see large numbers of users abandoning your lead capture form, then it’s a sure sign something is amiss. Keep it short and to the purpose.
Your Gated Content Must be Your Best Content
Your best content doesn’t need to drive traffic to your website. gated content aims to supply the type of insight that can’t be found elsewhere. Its purpose is to incentivize your prospect to maneuver forward together with your solution.
Your company may have in-depth knowledge of your market, where that market goes, the emerging trends within your market, and your market’s long-term outlook. Or, you’ll want to use your content to demonstrate an unmatched and unparalleled history of performance by providing a summary of the savings or other benefits your customers have gained with the utilization of your products.
Business whitepapers or eBooks are ideally suited to gated content. Yes, it’s going to get on a .pdf or another downloadable file format, but don’t worry. Customers will share that content regardless. However, the main target with gated content is that it must be something your customers can’t find anywhere else. Gated content carries more importance due to the insight it contains, so uses it sparingly.
Use Your Ungated Content as a Traffic Generator
Your ungated content must be easy to share and accessible to everyone. Social media is that the perfect platform for ungated content. this is often where you promote your latest corporate video, where you provide links to specific landing pages on your website, where you promote your latest discounts and rebates, or where you promote your latest blog posts.
Free access to webcasts and podcasts should even be promoted. Webinars increase customer face-time by allowing you to interact directly with customers. You present your case, define your solution and end the presentation with an issue and answer session that permits you to realize invaluable insight into your customers’ business concerns. Video-sharing websites like YouTube are another perfect example of ungated content.
Combining Both Strategies
Your inbound marketing strategy should leverage both of these approaches. In fact, combining them is usually the simplest thanks to generating leads. Your ungated content builds momentum. It builds your brand. It helps you manage your online reputation and it sets the stage for your gated content. Use your ungated content to demonstrate your insight and knowledge and offer only enough information to pique your prospect’s interests so that your gated content stands out.
While there are varying opinions on where to use ungated versus gated content, one issue that can’t be ignored is that the ratio you offer. Ultimately, you want to have a better amount of ungated content. Customers don’t want to download content they will get elsewhere. they need to understand that the majority of your content is definitely accessible and only the absolute best is gated. Offer only enough to urge their interest then push them forward with the insight they can’t get from your competitors.
Use Every Step of the Journey
Regardless of whether you employ ungated content at the front of your buyer’s journey or gated content at the center and end, ultimately, you want to promote your content throughout your buyer’s journey. Keep the ratio on the side of free content. Keep your prospects engaged and wanting more. Your gated content can then be wont to convert and separate the more serious prospects from those just surfing.
Take advantage of the free economy and use your ungated content to create trust and brand recognition, while using high-value gated content because the hook that showcases your company as that long-sought market authority your customers need.
