When it comes to collecting data on potential customers a strong content gating strategy is key for your businesses’ marketing success. Traditional web forms and content gates are distinctly different, with gates allowing you to optimize your web conversions and get more value out of each lead. Here we’ll explain the difference between a traditional web form and a GatedContent.com gate, and how our method works to create optimal lead generation.
What is a Content Gate?
A gate is a value exchange where a web user exchanges data for content. The level of information requested should match the value of the content being delivered. Rather than a one dimensional set of fields (a simple Form) a Gate is a Form that tracks user behaviour; dynamically updates messaging and language depending on region; tracks data and easily enables the use of addons where necessary.
How does a Gate differ from a Form?
Forms
- Fields on a web page
- Static web components
- No marketing measurement
Gates
- Perform lead capture
- Deliver content
- Scale submission capture into a single master form
- Monitored and centrally optimized
- Changes propogated and updated in bulk
- Connected to analytics, data enrichment etc.
- Built to measure and attribute marketing
What does a more effective lead gen process look like with GatedContent.com?
A Master Form in your marketing automation platform is the main intake point for new leads and includes all the fields that may be needed.
Standardized Form templates in GatedContent.com then allow your team to optimize conversion depending on content; purchase intent or place in the customer journey. Eg. most people are reluctant to give out their phone number without good reason, so this allows marketers to amend the template to request a telephone number only if necessary, helping to improve conversion rate.
These templates can then be used to generate your gate. Multiple gates can leverage the same template but they are considered different entities with their own customizations and relevant 3rd party addons. This enables marketing teams across multiple regions to use Gates according to the activity they’re running, but all analytics are consolidated centrally for high quality overall reporting.
See the example below to visualize how the process comes together.
For more detail on GatedContent.com’s approach to Content Gating watch this video.