Gated content: The deal is simple… Exclusive content in exchange for data

What is Gated Content?

Gated content, i.e., exclusive content that is only accessible after providing personal information, plays a central role in modern lead generation. Examples include comprehensive guides, eBooks, advice guides, checklists, webinars, and detailed case studies. This type of content requires potential customers to provide personal data—a trade-off in which high-quality content is exchanged for contact details. The psychology behind this is simple: if you offer valuable content, potential customers are more willing to disclose their contact details, which is the first step in the customer journey.

The advantages of gated content for B2B lead generation

The implementation of gated content strategies enables providers to generate leads. But limited access also adds value for readers. To access premium content, readers must overcome the registration hurdle. Compared to ungated content, gated content is thus considered to have a higher value, because “if it costs nothing, it’s worth nothing.” Finally, the willingness to disclose personal contact information is also a signal that the person is genuinely interested.

Implementation of gated content

To use gated content effectively, it is essential to carefully select appealing content and tailor it to the specific needs and interests of the target audience. The best approach is to focus on the customer journey and create appropriate content for each stage. A customer journey map is very helpful:

Customer Journey Map	Awareness	Evaluate	Compare	Purchase interest	Try/Advocate
needs / questions	What is the problem?	Welche Lösungen gibt es? Ist das was ich suche verfügbar und wenn ja wo?	How do the options differ? (Price, features, support?)	Where and how can I place an order?	Did I make the right choice?
Message Content	Problem description, topic overview, tips & tricks, industry overview	Application examples, feature overview, provider comparison, technical articles, white papers, checklists	Price information, product comparison, reviews, manual, test reports	Order information, financing, installation	Survey, feedback discussion
Offers	Blog posts, web content, video, podcast, interviews, branding campaigns	Catalog, product data sheet, unboxing video, brochure, lead campaigns MQL	Case study, cost/benefit comparison, trials, test period, lead campaigns SQL and BANT	Online inquiry form, reorder options, sales contact	Offers for existing customers, loyalty bonus, customer referral program, customer card
performance measurement	Website traffic, page traffic, bounce rate, video views, Google ranking,	Website and page traffic, page dwell time, number of downloads, search engine ranking	Traffic on product detail page, installation views, software downloads	Number of inquiries, offers, leads, customer contacts, appointments, deals	Purchase history, number of paying customers, recommendations, Net Promoter Score

Depicting the customer journey by answering questions and gathering ideas is an effective strategy for adopting a customer-centric perspective and identifying premium content for your content strategy.

Data protection and GDPR as a challenge

When implementing gated content, there are a number of challenges to consider. In Europe in particular, data protection/GDPR issues must be taken into account. This includes ensuring that online contact forms are GDPR-compliant, which encompasses SSL encryption, data minimization, and purpose limitation. Mandatory fields should be limited to necessary data, and personal data should only be used for other purposes with consent. Data protection information must be clearly communicated in the privacy policy and contact form. For further details on this topic, we recommend this link: https://www.strato.de/blog/datenschutz-rechtliche-anforderungen-an-online-kontaktformulare/

Case studies and success stories

Numerous companies have significantly improved their lead generation by using gated content. These success stories offer valuable insights and best practices that can serve as inspiration for your own strategies. They show that remarkable success in lead generation can be achieved by using suitable software and collecting relevant information, coupled with a well-thought-out content strategy. Prominent representatives who pursue a structured gated content strategy:

Siemens
Hubspot
Infor
Bosch
Arvato Systems

Use of technology and tools

The use of specialized software and tools can greatly simplify the process of creating, distributing, and managing gated content. Automation tools play a key role in increasing efficiency and enable valuable leads to be segmented and processed more effectively. A good overview and description can be found, for example, at https://omr.com in the following categories:

• Marketing automation software optimizes online marketing, email marketing, social media marketing, and lead generation. It increases productivity through automation and improves customer loyalty and sales processes. A key element is the support of gated content, enabling targeted campaigns for the release of exclusive content that prompts users to enter their data. This not only promotes lead generation, but also enables deeper segmentation and personalization of marketing measures. The software enables scalable marketing activities and offers trial versions for evaluation. In campaign management, it facilitates planning, execution, and analysis. Automated workflows improve new customer acquisition and customer data maintenance. Marketing automation tools segment customer data for personalized measures and support customer support, resulting in a standard technology with annual revenue growth of approximately 30% since 2009. Overview of marketing automation software: https://omr.com/de/reviews/category/marketing-automation
• Content management systems (CMS) are digital platforms for creating and managing web content without extensive programming knowledge. They enable the separation of design and content, facilitate the editing and publication of text, images, and media, and offer templates and editors. In addition, CMS are crucial for implementing gated content by allowing users to create access restrictions and place personalized content behind registration or login forms. This promotes lead generation and customer loyalty by exchanging valuable information for user data. CMS support the assignment of editing rights, extensions, and design customizations, improve collaboration, and offer a personalized user experience. They range from open source to proprietary solutions, are scalable and can be used for everything from blogs to complex websites, support SEO, and offer a user-friendly interface for efficient digital marketing and strategic use of gated content. Overview of content management systems (CMS): https://omr.com/de/reviews/category/content-management-systems-cms
• Conversion tracking software is crucial for gated content because it records in detail how users interact with a website or app until they complete a conversion, such as downloading an e-book or signing up for a newsletter. This software provides valuable information about user behavior, enabling marketers to assess and optimize the effectiveness of their demand generation activities. By understanding which shared content drives users to convert, decision-makers can offer more targeted and valuable content behind registration forms, which directly improves lead generation and customer retention. The ability to accurately measure the effectiveness of various marketing campaigns helps companies maximize the return on investment (ROI) of their gated content offerings. In addition, conversion tracking supports the optimization of the user experience by providing better insight into the preferences and needs of the target audience. This enables finer tuning of content offerings and marketing strategies to increase conversion rates and achieve stronger customer loyalty. Conversion tracking is therefore an indispensable tool for successful gated content strategies, as it promotes informed decisions based on user data. Overview of conversion tracking software:
  https://omr.com/de/reviews/category/conversion-tracking

In addition, there are many other software solutions and leads that support the generation of qualified leads, such as email marketing, A/B testing, funnel builders, lead generation software, website trackers, and much more.

Conclusion

Gated content is a powerful tool in B2B lead generation that, when used correctly, can lead to a significant increase in qualified leads. This blog post has shown how important a strategic approach is and which factors are crucial for success.
We would be happy to support you in generating qualified leads and help you with tips and recommendations. Just get in touch with us.