Checklist for How to Create Successful Gated Content

To gate or not to gate? Should I gate content on my website? Will I turn leads away by gating content?

When executed properly, your gated content can be a powerful lead generation tool that educates your target audience. If you don’t gate any content on your site, your sales team will have a harder time gathering contact information and will be more likely to engage with leads who aren’t qualified or ready to engage.

In this checklist, you’ll be guided through the process of gating content on your site so you can start fueling your lead generation strategy. Whether you’re considering gating long-form content, shorter checklists, or any number of other content types, this checklist will outline:

• What makes up an effective landing page
• The components of the content itself
• How to get your landing page in front of the right people

The answer will vary for each piece of content and what your goals are. But when it’s executed properly, gated content can be a powerful tool for lead generation. Read on this checklist to learn how to effectively gate content on your site.

Content Summary

The Landing Page
The Content
Distribution

Should I gate content on my site? Will I turn leads away by gating content? The truth is that you might. However, when executed properly, your gated content can serve as a powerful tool to convert your website visitors into leads, attract new leads, and educate your audience.

Without having gated content on your site, it’s tougher to turn site visitors into leads. You’re essentially relying on visitors to fill out a contact form or opt to subscribe to your newsletter. But with gated content, a whole other audience that could be qualified in the near future is encouraged to provide you with contact information in exchange for your high-quality content.

If you still need help deciding which content to gate, we love this flowchart from HubSpot. Once you’ve made that decision, it’s time to optimize your gated content. To do that, use the following checklists.

Quick Tip: Lists, webinars, e-books, and whitepapers are some of the resources website visitors are most comfortable trading their contact info for. Blog posts and infographics are expected to be ungated.

The Landing Page

Housing your gated content behind a form on a landing page is what makes it “gated.” This allows you to collect a person’s contact information in exchange for high-value content, converting a website visitor into a lead you can follow up with later. No one will interact with your gated content if they’re turned off by your landing page.

Here’s everything you need in place for an effective landing page:

• A form that captures information about leads, is easy to fill out, and doesn’t ask for unnecessary details
• A clear and concise description of the gated content on the landing page that entices readers to input their information
• A CRM that shares the information you capture about leads with the sales team
• A process for following up with leads after they download content

Keep in mind that if you’re marketing to people in the European Union, your landing page must be compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation. After completing the form, leads should be notified about whether they’re being opted into email marketing and be provided with a privacy policy that clearly states what information you collect about your leads and how it is used.

The Content

Someone is giving up his or her contact information in exchange for content, so you’ve got to make sure that content is worth it.

Here are some components of valuable gated content:

• An educational tone
• A clear design that’s easy for the reader to follow
• A description of what your business does without being overly promotional
• Visual elements that engage your audience
• A call to action for readers to learn more about your company, engage with more content, etc.

Distribution

If you build it, they will come, right? Spoiler alert: That’s not how it works with content. People won’t download your content if they don’t know it exists. A well-executed distribution strategy can direct qualified traffic to your landing page.

Here are a few ways to ensure you’re getting your landing page in front of the right audiences:

• Promote content on social media
• Include calls to action that are linked to your gated content throughout or at the end of your blog posts to direct readers to learn more
• Curate a resource library on your website that showcases your gated content
• Create a pop-up on your website that promotes your gated content
• Have a strategy in place to get industry influencers to share your content