The Gated Content Strategy for Video: What to Do To Unlock the Potential of Success (+Platforms)

If you've attended an online webinar or enrolled in an online free course You may have noticed that it was required to input your email address and name (and perhaps other data) in order to gain access.

Video-based resources that are housed behind form forms for lead capture are referred to as gated content for video -- and are effective in helping businesses get new customers.

In this guide, we explore:

•         What is gated video content?    
•         The benefits of content with a gated access
•         Different types of gated video content
•         Video content that is gated      
•             Doing SEO on videos that are gated
•         Guidelines to ensure that videos are not censored
•         Gated video platforms      
•             The right choice for a security-enabled media platform
•         Monitoring the effectiveness of your video gate strategy
•         Change the way you do business with gated video content
•         FAQ

What is a gated video?

Gated video content is videos that are free and which users are able to access once they have submitted their contact information, such as the email address and name by filling out an online lead capture form. Depending on the nature of the content, as well as the product(s) the business provides that lead capture form may ask for more than a simple name and email address. The form may also request the user's job title as well as the size of the organization and industries.

If people provide their email addresses they are granted access to valuable user data and can customize your interaction with the people who submit their information. When your email subscribers feel that your content is specific to their needs, they'll be more inclined to open your email and engage with your brand.

Advantages of gated content

Gating video content is one of the best strategies a business can employ in order to grow its customer base. Here are some reasons why:

Lead generation

Video content that is gated, however it is concealed behind an application. Most people don't like having large email accounts, therefore if anyone gives you their email address in order to gain access to your website, that's a good signal to show that they're keen on your company. They are likely to respond to the marketing strategies you employ than those who just stumbled across your website.

Content segmentation by audience and personalization

By securing your video content, it will allow you to categorize your target audience, and develop marketing tools with them in mind. Through your lead capture form you will be able to gather user data such as names, email addresses as well as their demographics, location, company size and industries, providing insights into your audience's interests and interests.

You can use this information to create buyer personas for each subset of clients. This gets rid of any guesswork. You'll know the exact demographics you're targeting making it easier for you to design content that addresses their needs and solves their issues and helps them live their lives more easily.

Perceived value increased

Website visitors often place more worth on content with a gated access since they're providing contact information to get access to it.

Between one's longing to satisfy one's desires, and the satisfaction of getting exclusive content, and other special perks you offer your customers who sign up for emails, offering gated content can be a great way to enhance your brand's image. When executed well this can allow you to increase leads that are of high-quality, increase trust among your customers and establish yourself as an expert in your area.

But there's one caveat. When people give you their contact information They expect top-quality material in return. Therefore, if your video content isn't packed with valuable information, you risk alienating your viewers and damaging your brand reputation.

Data collection and analytics

Gated videos provide a structured way to collect information about the behavior of viewers. Metrics like the duration of engagement, click-through rate, and completion rates will help you determine the kinds of videos that are popular with your target audience. With this data, you can optimize your content and marketing campaigns for better results.

Increased ROI of content

These videos are a great way to get a higher ROI (ROI) for content production as well as marketing. Since the videos are hidden in a form, you are able to determine their impact and the quantity of leads they generate and the way they move along the funnel of sales.

Types of Gated Videos Content

Content from Gated videos is available in a variety of formats. Some of them include:

Webinars

Through webinars, you are able to include other experts from your field, teach people how to achieve their goals live and interact with the audience and promote your product and collect high-quality leads. These events often have limited slot availability, creating a sense that of FOMO (fear of not being able to attend) that drives participants to sign up.

As an example, Hotjar is hosting a live online event in which web strategy experts teach attendees how to create a high-converting web page using Hotjar and HubSpot.

On the landing page, Hotjar described the significance of the topic as well as what attendees will gain during the live webinar should they attend it. They also included an lead capture form that users can fill in some details about themselves in exchange for an Zoom invitation sent directly to their inbox.

Online courses

To get the most out the online learning experience, pick a subject or skill that's related to your industry and aligns with the overall marketing plan and then create in-depth videos on the subject. It's not just a way to attract prospective customers as well, but it may help people comfortable with your brand along the funnel of sales.

For example, Semrush, the SEO company, partners with industry experts to create marketing-based courses, like this one from Brian Dean.

The landing page explains who the intended audience is for the course, how they'll be learning, as well as the course outline. The page concludes with a questionnaire that interested students must complete for access to the course at no cost.

exclusive interviews

Similar to webinars, exclusive interviews provide successful conversations with industry experts, thought leaders, or key stakeholders. These conversations not only aid in building your brand's and authority, but they boost brand recognition by drawing the audience of the expert(s) whom you're interviewing.

If you want to create ideas that inspire others to your company, doing exclusive interviews is a great method to follow since you'll gain first-hand experience, analogies, and case studies that can't be available elsewhere. What's more, you can boost audience engagement by getting your interviewees to answer your viewers' most pressing concerns. It encourages viewers to sign up, check out the videos, and send their questions.

Tips: A few companies such as Omniscient Digital interview subject matter experts, and upload audio versions of their podcast as well as video interviews on their YouTube channel as well as their website. It is a great way to repurpose your interviews.

Product demos

Demos of products (or demonstrations) demonstrate how a particular product or service works by highlighting its strengths, functionality, and the advantages that users can enjoy when they buy the product or service. The purpose of these demonstrations is to convince potential customers who may be unsure that your product is able to meet the needs of their customers and resolve their issues better than competition's.

The ability to share your demos with customers can help you collect leads from people who are at the bottom of your funnel that are keen on your product. For example, Demio, a company that provides webinar software for marketers, provides interested buyers the opportunity to book a product demo.

In limiting the demo it offers, Demio only gets high-quality leads who are willing to have a one-on-one meeting with an Demio professional.

Case studies and successful story

Though most firms provide their case studies free of charge available, publishing a portion of them is an effective way to gather leads who are interested in certain use cases.

The reasoning behind the reason for this is because case studies are a highly compelling type of content since they showcase real-world examples of how your products/services have benefitted customers from the past or present. They address the fundamental question each potential customer must answer prior to buying: "Will this product deliver the promised results?"

Case studies that you can share with your customers work really well at filtering the leads you have, particularly if your product/service caters to an audience that is a particular type.

Content strategy for gated videos

If you're looking to gate your video content Here are some actions you should take to ensure you get the most out of this strategy for marketing:

Define your goals

Prior to recording videos or planning events, define the goals you want to achieve. According to original CoSchedule research, marketers who establish goals have a 376% higher chance to succeed.

As you define your goals Be specific. If, for instance, you plan to host an online webinar, the goal may be to have 100 people to attend. If you're planning to launch an online class, your aim could be to reach 1,000 people to take it in the span of six months. Specificity in your goals helps you know what to aim for while marketing your video content that is gated.

Identify your target audience

GA provides demographic details on your target audience, such as their age, gender, hobbies, and location. The tool also displays which pages are visited the most often on your website This can be useful for brainstorming topic ideas for your videos. If you're on any social platforms, you can look at your social media analytics to get more insights.

The analysis of your competitors' audience is also an effective way to know the people you should target, their demographics, and their buying behavior. This way, you can develop content that meets their needs and solves the problems they face better than rivals.

Pick the right videos topics and types

Based on your research into the audience Create content concepts that are in line with your mission and resonate with your target viewers.

Analyze the data of the various channels for promotion you use, including search, social media, and email to find out which topics your target audience is engaged with the most. If you're a company with sales and customer service teams, get their input about the issues that current as well as potential customers try to solve with your product.

If, for instance, your product is a website creator, you could make your own mini-course that shows people who don't have any programming experience how to utilize your drag-and-drop site editor for creating a fully functioning site. Also, if you find that your prospects and customers frequently inquire from customer service on what they should do to connect their existing tech stack with your product, you could host an online webinar that teaches the people how.

After choosing topic ideas After deciding on the topic, choose the video content formats that will best deliver your message. These include webinars, online classes, videos, tutorials, and interviews as well as behind-the-scenes (BTS) video.

Create compelling content

After you've chosen the topic(s) and content format(s) you'll use then you can begin to develop value-packed information. Here are some tips to consider:

• Make use of a camera that is high-quality to record your videos. The camera doesn't have to be costly, however. If you're unable to afford the best camera for your needs, using an iPhone and a tripod as well as a great light source will suffice.
• Give value to viewers. In the first couple of minutes of the video will determine whether viewers will be interested to watch until the very close of the video. It is possible to use examples, stories, or shocking facts to entice viewers at the beginning. Then, provide more value throughout the entire video(s) with expert information, new research, proprietary data, or even a demonstration of the procedure, if applicable.
• Engage professional editors, animators as well as designers, if feasible. They'll be knowledgeable and have access to top editing and design software and will produce an impressively designed video that your audience will enjoy.
• Incorporate interactive elements in your videos. If you're making an online class, using quizzes, assignments, and polls are excellent ways to get your viewers to take part in the process of learning. If it's a webinar, the Q&A sessions allow participants to interact with the attendees and give them value with real-time interaction.

Design a landing page

The most effective landing pages have three elements convincing copywriting, engaging design, and a strong calling-to-action (CTA). A great example of this is the landing page for CXL's Brand Marketing mini-degree.

Although the colour scheme immediately stands out, the most striking thing is the hero's guideline outlines what you'll learn if you take the course, as well as revealing to you who'll be teaching the course, and why they're competent to teach it.

Following, the landing page provides benefits of registering to CXL which is then which is followed by a contact form that lets users view pricing plans and request a demo. The landing page ends by providing a thorough FAQ section that answers the most frequently asked questions prospective clients might have.

Like CXL's page for landing, yours should include a questionnaire (or CTA) that people have to act upon prior to accessing your video.

Promote your content for video that you have made available to the public

When your landing page is online and your video secured, it's the time to promote it. There are a variety of marketing channels that you could use, including:

• search: While Google's algorithms cannot crawl content with gated access but they will crawl the contents of the landing page you have created and then rank it for the right terms, which can increase its visibility and drive traffic to the page.
• Social media: You can increase the momentum of the video you've created prior to the time you make it. Let your viewers be part of the video creation journey and describe the benefits that they will get from the finished product. This way, when the landing page goes online, people will be eager to sign-up.
• Paid advertisements: Gaining momentum through organic SEO and social media can take time. If you're looking for faster results, and you have the budget, run pay-per-click (PPC) ads on the site's page for social media and search engines.

Analyze and iterate

If you are beginning to receive emails that convert due to your gated content, monitor your performance with analytics tools. Keep track of key indicator of performance (KPIs) including viewer retention, conversion rates, and lead quality.

Use the insights you gather to improve your plan of action to improve your video creation techniques or adjusting the content type, changing distribution channels, or revising your targeting.

SEO is a way to optimize restricted video content

Google's algorithms don't crawl and look up content within the form. This means that when you block your videos and it doesn't appear on the search engine results pages (SERPs). It is possible to make use of SEO to improve the search engine visibility of your gated videos by

• Optimizing your landing page for search engines
• Integrating your lead-capture form inside ungated, SEO-optimized content like blog posts
• Enhancing the video itself

For the best exposure, it is necessary to apply the three different types of SEO: on-page SEO, off-page SEO, as well as technical SEO.

Search Engine Optimization on-page

It is important to conduct search engine optimization to find pertinent, high volume, low competition keywords that your target public is likely to be using in their search for information related to the video you are making.

For optimizing your blog, landing pages, posts, and videos, use these keywords in the title tags. Also, include (sub)headings, page copy, image alt texts, meta (and video) descriptions, and URLs, when appropriate.

When Google's algorithms crawl your website, these keywords will provide them with some context so they can determine if your site's content is relevant to the right search term/query.

Off-page SEO

The most crucial aspect of off-page SEO because Google regards them as an essential ranking element. A solid backlink profile meets the "T" in E-E-A.T. (trustworthiness) (trustworthiness), which is the standard Google employs to evaluate the quality of content that is on websites.

Building backlinks involves getting reputable websites to provide a link to the website or blog that allows people to join your newsletter for gated video content. In the event that this happens, Google's algorithms interpret this to indicate that the offer you are relevant as well as valuable and meets the search criteria.

Technical SEO

Technical SEO is the process of improving the technical parts of your website to increase the SERP ranking of your website. This includes making your website mobile-friendly, boosting your site's speed of loading, adding video/website schema markup, submitting your website/video sitemap to Google, creating an SEO-friendly website structure, and fixing duplicate content.

Some of these strategies (like improving site speed or making your website responsive on every device) ranking factors, but they also help Google to crawl and rank your site.

Pro Tip: Make your videos easily accessible to both humans as well as search engines, through accurate transcriptions and closed captions.

Best practices for gated videos

When you are creating gated videos Here are the best techniques to remember:

Keep videos at an optimal length

There is no way to manage every aspect, however there are certain aspects you could improve on, like your sales funnel, as well as the content format you use.

In this case, people at the stage of awareness in your funnel could hear about your business for the first time so they're likely not ready to watch a lengthy video. The people in this stage typically benefit more from ungated content, such as blogs and video clips on social media.

But, those who are considering a product from you or weighing up the value of your product against that of the competition will be open to attending your expert-led webinars, buying online courses or watching successful stories and scheduling product demonstrations.

The lengths for these different video content formats differ, as well. For example, the videos that make up an online course could be three to 20 minutes in length, with the entire course taking a bit longer. Webinars and exclusive interviews often take between 1-2 hours. case study videos are usually five to ten minutes long.

Pro tip: Create multiple edits. Once you've recorded your first video you'll have an abundance of video. It's necessary to edit it multiple times to eliminate any the fluff, off-the-tangent comments or filler phrases, for example. You'll also be able to make animations and add various other engaging, interactive aspects into the film.

Create captivating thumbnails as well as titles

The title and thumbnail of your page are the first elements visitors see on your landing page or the blogs where you have embedded the video you have gated. These elements need to grab the attention of your viewers and convince visitors to join your mailing list for access to the video.

Create your thumbnail yourself if you possess excellent graphic design abilities. If you don't, it's better to get a graphic designer or marketer with design skills to help you.

Pro tip: Don't use clickbait titles. Your titles should accurately reflect what's in the video. In the absence of this, you'll cause an unfavorable user experience damaging your brand's credibility and credibility.

Streamline your lead capture form

A lot of companies ask users to provide their personal information and email address to get access to restricted content while others ask for additional information, including job title, organization size, and industry. Many companies even require their users to complete a short survey before they can gain access.

The approach of using email addresses and names works pretty well because it allows you to send personal (by name) emails to the subscriber's inbox. But, if you're looking to segment your email subscribers based on their industry and the title of their job, it is best to inquire about that information also. This will help you develop contents that are tailored to each segment, which increases the chances of people engaging with your brand, and ultimately purchasing the product.

Tips: An overly long form often turns people away. If it's not needed opt for the name and email address approach.

Clear calls-to-action

For your landing pages Make use of persuasive and simple phrases to entice users to take action. e.g. "Access the latest information today" as well as "Download the course today". Then, in your video, you might encourage people to visit your social media site or website, or to subscribe to the YouTube channel according to the purpose you're trying to reach.

Whatever you decide to call your CTA is, make sure that it's clear, actionable and accessible. Place them in strategic places on your landing page and videos, particularly if the resources are long.

Pro tip: Consider offering incentives such as discounts, downloadable content, or a membership to an exclusive group to make the offer more appealing and encourage opt-ins.

Run A/B tests

While you track your results, conduct A/B tests of different components of your gated video content strategy, including the title, thumbnails, content formats, messaging, and CTAs. These will provide insights into which variations resonate best with your audience and help you optimize the rate of conversion over time.

Video platforms with gated access

If you're pondering what software you could use for creating gated videos here's a breakdown of four of the top gates for video, along with their features and pricing.

The right gated video platform

If you are stuck on which type of gated video platform to follow, here are a few tips to help you select the most suitable one to meet your goals and needs:

Determine your requirements

When you are choosing a platform for video consider what it is you would like the platform to assist you in achieving. The answers you provide will allow you to pick the best tool to meet your needs.

For example, if you're looking to build leads Vimeo can be a good alternative because it offers lead generation tools and can integrate seamlessly with tools to market your email. But if your priority is to increase organic traffic by using SEO, Brightcove and Sproutvideo could be better options.

Consider your budget

The price tiers provided by the platform is a fantastic starting point to figure out the price you're able to pay However, it is important to consider any additional expenses like bandwidth costs or transaction fees, as these can impact the overall price of the service.

Look into the possibility of customizing

The choice of video player must allow you to have control over the design and function of the player. So look out for options that permit you to personalize the branding, player design, and interactive elements like CTA buttons.

Consider integration capabilities

If you're preparing to implement an approach to gated content, chances are you have numerous other devices within your technology stack. To streamline your workflow, you'll need to select a video platform that seamlessly integrates with the tools you already have and platforms.

It includes your website, content management systems (CMS), CRM software, customer relation management (CRM) software, email marketing services, marketing automation software, payment gateways, and every other piece of software that is essential to the success of your business.

Review security and privacy options

If you're handling confidential or sensitive data, be sure that the video platform you choose has robust security safeguards. SproutVideo specifically is a fantastic tool to use to use for this as it has features like security for passwords, geo-restriction protection, IP address restriction, and encryption protocols to safeguard your information.

Assess analytics and reporting

Reports and analysis that are thorough are essential for monitoring the effectiveness of your gated content as well as understanding how your customers interact with your brand.

Check out platforms that offer details viewer information, including time-to-view, click-through rate (CTR) as well as conversion rates, audience demographics and many other important KPIs. This information will help you improve your content strategy and optimize for better engagement.

Verify the possibility of scaling

If you run or work in a company that is growing rapidly and you are looking for a video platform, the one that you select will be able to handle the increased uploads of videos and greater numbers of users without jeopardizing performance. In other words, the platform should scale with you.

Consider factors such as available storage, bandwidth options, and support for high-definition (HD) video, to ensure that your system is flexible and that your investment will remain relevant in the future as your company expands.

Product demos and trial periods

Most video platforms have product demos and/or trial periods, which you can avail to gain an experience in the real world of the application. In addition, you'll be able to assess whether it is suitable for your needs and requirements, but also how to navigate through the platform, should you decide to use it.

Measuring the success of your content creation gated strategy

To measure the success of your content-gated strategy, there are three steps you need to do: track key performances indicators (KPIs) Utilize analytics tools and then constantly re-evaluate your strategies.

Key performance indicators

A few common KPIs you should track comprise:

• Conversion rate: This measures the proportion of users who have provided their information to access gated content.
• Click-through rate (CTR) for CTAs It shows how frequently people click on CTAs within your landing page or videos. This is a measure of the efficacy of your CTAs to drive desired actions.
• Engagement metrics: Measure measures like the average length of time a viewer watches as well as video completion rate and video interactions (likes comments, likes as well as shares). This indicates how well your video content is engaging the viewers.
• Lead generation: This measures the number of new leads created by secured content. It reveals how persuasive and persuasive your content is.
• Lead quality: This measures the likelihood that your leads will convert to paying customers. It is possible to assess this KPI by scoring leads or qualification criteria.

Utilize analytics tools Utilize analytics tools

Analytics tools can retrieve and categorize data from different sources to give you a better understanding of your overall operations. Some common analytics tools to use are:

• Google Analytics (GA): It analyzes the user's behavior on your site, records the performance of landing pages, and analyzes the sources of traffic, among other things. Through GA it is possible to set up goals and occasions to measure specifically the interactions related to your gated content.
• Video hosting platforms: Platforms such as Vimeo, Wistia, or YouTube give detailed insight into the performance of videos. If integrated into lead form forms these platforms are able to track key the play rate or engagement as well as conversion rates.
• Platforms for marketing automation: Products like HubSpot, Marketo, or Pardot offer analytics tools that let you track lead behavior after they engage in your content gated for them.
• CRM software: CRM tools like Pipedrive and Salesforce allow you to track leads generated from gated video videos and follow their development through to the sale funnel.

Continuous optimization and iteration

Create regular reporting intervals for monitoring the success of your video content gated strategy. After that, you can compare the data over the course of time (including the results of A/B tests) to determine patterns and trends.

Utilize the information you get from your data to inform the changes you need to make to your plan such as optimizing the lead capture form or using different video content formats or changing distribution channels.

Transform your business with videos that are protected

Embracing gated video content can be a great way to supercharge your marketing strategy. In offering quality information in exchange for data, you're not just making leads, you're also creating the possibility of direct communications with a receptive crowd. This allows you to deliver personalized messages and nurture potential customers through the buyer's journey.

The content you create with your gated videos helps you showcase your expertise to establish your company as an source, and establish the impression of exclusivity as well as worth for your viewers -that ultimately leads to the brand's popularity and increases conversions.

Plus also lets you to build and manage private communities that help you build more intimate relationships with your prospects, upsell your products, drive conversions, and generate revenue for your business.

FAQ

    What is gated video content? Why is it important?

The term "gated" video content" refers to videos that are accessible only after users provide their details about themselves such as their email address, or other specific demographic information. This marketing tactic allows businesses to capture and nurture quality leads via specific emails as well as targeted marketing strategies.

    What are the advantages of gated video to promote your business?

Using gated videos for marketing enables businesses to capture leads, gather vital customer information and provide content that is personalized that builds trust with their audience and leads to increased conversions.

    How can I create an effective gated-video strategy?

Here is a step-by-step outline of how to create a winning guarded video strategy

• Define your goals
• Identify your target audience
• Select the best video for your content and type (e.g. webinars, video courses, product demos, etc. )
• Create compelling videos
• Create a dedicated landing page
• Promote your content for video that you have made available to the public
• Examine and modify HTML0 using the insights you have gathered

    What are the most effective methods to create engaging gated videos?    

When you are creating video content that is gated Here are the best practices to keep in mind:

• Keep videos at an optimal length
• Make compelling thumbnails as well as titles
• Streamline your lead capture form
• Clear calls to action
• Test A/B to enhance your strategies

    What gated video platforms would be most suitable for my company?    

Some popular platforms for creating secure videos that are resonant with the viewers you are targeting are:

• Vimeo is a well-known site with a variety of possibilities for customization and top-quality video playback.
• Wistia offers customizable video players, email capture forms, as well as extensive analysis.
• Brightcove: Comprehensive platform with robust options for large companies and media companies.
• SproutVideo: Video hosting platform with a strong emphasis on security, with features like domain restrictions and password protection.

    How do I measure the effectiveness of my content-gated strategy?    

The two options to monitor and analyse the results of your gated videos:

• Monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs) that include conversion rates, click-through ratio (CTR), and engagement metrics (likes shares, likes, and comments)
• Analytics tools such as Google Analytics , video hosting tools as well as CRM tools and marketing automation tools
• Compare KPIs to industry averages for more context regarding your performance