Intermediate/ Digest...

• 13% keep their content free: These are typically either very small businesses that don’t automate marketing lead generation processes or businesses that are very focused on a single call to action such as a Download or Free Trial, leaving the rest of their content marketing product free.
• 26% lock 67% or more of their content: These are typically sophisticated lead-generation organizations who work hard to drive audiences to premium content. These organizations may offer free blog posts, but the majority of their marketing content (i.e. webinars, eBooks, white papers etc.) is locked.
• The largest group locks 33-66% of content: About 35% of businesses surveyed locked 1/3 to 2/3 of their content. This is the most complex group, as it combines more sophisticated small businesses and fast-growing companies that are continually adding locked content. This latter group will likely move quickly into the 67-100% locked group, alongside older businesses that are not as aggressive in their content strategies

 

How do you establish enough trust that a consumer will willingly part with their contact information? Here are some guidelines:

• Provide free content first: To build credibility and warm up new visitors, show your content is indeed valuable by offering free items early in the buyer journey.
• Content for all buyer journey phases: Study your buyer journey or cycle and offer content for each stage, from general market interest (industry articles or metrics); to product-specific interest (brochures, case studies); to the buying stage (demo, trial or eBook signup).
• Experiment: Variables such as your industry, product and pricing will influence the balance you can successfully strike between locked and unlocked content. Try locking part of your content as a test, and see how it performs vs. your other content (assuming you know how each piece performs when unlocked).

 

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