Grow Your Marketing List with the Help of Gated Content
Gated content, if you don’t know what it is, is just like it sounds. It’s quite literally content behind a gate, or paywall.
But are people really willing to pay for access to exclusive content from brands? Yes!
While gated content isn’t a replacement for the free content that your followers and audiences love and expect, gated content can help you build community and boost your marketing efforts.
Here is everything you need to know about gated content and how it can help improve your marketing strategy.
What is Gated Content?
Think of gated content like buying a VIP access ticket to a concert, except in the digital world. Super fans of your brand will pay monthly or yearly for access to your exclusive gated content. But what type of content can be put behind a paywall and what platforms can help you offer this content? This content can be photos, videos, live videos, Q&As, behind the scenes, blogs, newsletters, and more. Some of the popular platforms for gated content include Patreon, Substack, and OnlyFans. But other platforms are jumping on the gated content bandwagon. Instagram is testing out Instagram Subscriptions.
People really are willing to shell out for exclusive access to your brand. However, you do have to put in the work and make sure that you fulfill your promise on what you will be delivering, or you’ll see people drop their subscription to your content that is behind a paywall.
Gated Content Can Help with Fatigue
You might think it is odd that gated content can help with fatigue, especially since you may feel you are bombarding your super fans with both free and gated content. But many online users are suffering from “suggested content” fatigue. In other words, they are just tired of only seeing what pops up on their feeds and are searching for a way to get more curated content.
Gated Content Builds Community
You have constantly heard us talk about how important it is to build a community around your brand. Today’s consumers are savvy and they don’t want to only be sold to. They are looking to get a deeper connection with the brands they love, and there is no better way to build a close-knit community than through gated content!
Because gated content is exclusive, it can make your fans feel a closer connection to your brand. These audiences are generally smaller, so there is also less competition for your attention, helping fans feel more seen and heard by you. It can also mean that you can have deeper and more meaningful conversations with these audiences. These fans are then much more likely to interact with you on your organic content, helping boost your engagement numbers.
The cumulative effect of the deeper conversations and higher attention level is a more loyal following and a stronger community around your brand. It goes beyond just the gated content area, having a ripple effect into your organic content and broader brand following. Your super fans can give you amazing insight into your larger target audience. They are willing to answer polls or offer suggestions for what type of content to feature, helping you improve your overall marketing strategy!
Key Takeaways
Gated content has long been a way for creators to rely on a more steady income, but many larger brands are also finding great value in offering content behind a paywall. Gated content is one of the best ways to build a more loyal following and build community around your brand. It can even help with your organic content creation strategies!