To Gate or Not To Gate: Pros & Cons of Gated Content

Content is one of the more valuable tools for companies who want to market their business and engage their target audience. In the current digital landscape, content gating has become a strategy for businesses looking to capture leads while enhancing their user engagement. 

But the question stands: is it truly beneficial for businesses to invest in gated content? 

In this article, we will explore the advantages and disadvantages of gated content, popular examples, and more. 

What Is Gated Content? 

Gated content is a resource that requires someone to provide contact information or payment before gaining access.

Marketing is used to attract prospects seeking solutions to their business problems. Gated content qualifies leads by requiring contact information or payment for the content, leaving only those who are interested enough in the material to provide those things. While gated content can effectively capture interested users, it may also limit immediate access for prospects looking to browse without barriers.  

Naveed Usman, CEO and Principal of Usman Group, sees the benefits and drawbacks of gated content. 

“I have a love-hate relationship with gated content,” said Usman. “On one hand, it’s useful for collecting emails and tracking metrics—marketers appreciate this because it creates measurable leads. However, just because someone downloads content doesn’t mean they’re ready for outreach.” 

Gated content works best with a clear nurturing and marketing strategy behind it. 

6 Types of Gated Content & Examples

Businesses with strong marketing budgets have invested in establishing the best methods for gated content.

Matt Watson, CEO of Watson Creative, has worked with several clients, primarily sports teams and membership-driven organizations, to create gated content strategies. 

“The key to our success has always been pairing the gated content with a robust campaign designed to generate curiosity,” said Watson. “It's about creating a sense of exclusivity—offering something people can't get anywhere else.” 

Instead of going through the trial-and-error process yourself, use the proven examples below to streamline your efforts:

1. E-Books
2. Webinars
3. Whitepapers
4. Reports
5. Infographics
6. Product Demos

E-Books

One of the most popular gated content types, e-books can be used by businesses in almost any industry. Most companies require visitors to fill out a short form with basic contact information to access the content.

For example, a B2B cloud solutions company could create an e-book on maximizing cloud efficiency for storage and streamlined operations. The insights would entice businesses to provide their email and name to understand the basics of cloud solutions, leading to possible new customers.

Webinars

Education, tech, or SaaS companies often use webinars as gated content. The business's highly technical or informative nature is better understood when shown live in front of an audience.

Requiring visitors to provide their name, email, and additional details helps follow up with attendees and deliver additional value, like free slides or recordings of the event.

Whitepapers

A whitepaper serves two purposes: educating readers about a complex topic and promoting a service as a solution to a problem. Technology companies are the most likely to use a whitepaper since potential customers need to understand what the tech does before realizing its value. Use a gated whitepaper to attract decision-makers at the bottom of the purchasing funnel.

Reports

Similar to whitepapers, reports include market research, industry analysis, or performance metrics related to a particular service.

For example, a marketing agency could create a gated report on the latest AI business trends and strategies, offering it as valuable information for businesses looking to improve their online presence.

Infographics

Most infographics are included in a blog post or displayed on web pages, but downloaded versions are gated behind a short form. 

Because infographics distill information into easily digestible visuals, decision-makers use them as proof of concept or to showcase particular insights to their team.

Product Demos 

Software companies often gate product demos to show potential customers their products while capturing contact information. Personalized demos establish a quick connection between businesses while highlighting impactful features that solve specific problems.

Pros & Cons of Gated Content

Before deciding to invest in gated content, businesses need to consider the pros and cons of gated content.

4 Pros of Gated Content

Focusing on these four major benefits of gated content will concentrate your efforts and help align your goals with your materials.

1. Boosting Lead Generation: By gating your content behind a short form, you boost your lead generation efforts through gathering essential contact information from each user. This method grows your email list and opens up more marketing opportunities.
2. Increasing Sales: The qualified leads you earn through gated content give your business a pool of potential customers. You can continue to nurture these relationships through email campaigns or paid ads to convert leads into paying customers.
3. Segmenting Customers: Use the information you collect when visitors want to access your gated content to segment your audience into specific groups. For example, you can split your leads by industry, interests, or job title and create more personalized and targeted marketing materials with a better chance of converting the lead.
4. Managing Content Distribution: Instead of spraying your content across as many channels as possible, gated content concentrates efforts on identifying what your audience values most. If more of your audience is interested in webinars, you may reconsider creating whitepapers that require a significant amount of research and time.

If you're going to use gated content, make sure you understand the benefits your company will receive. This will help inform your marketing strategies and, ultimately, your business goals.

4 Cons of Gated Content

Understanding the potential drawbacks of gated content sets realistic expectations and strategies for achieving your goals. You won't have expectations that lead your efforts in the wrong direction or cause disappointing results.

1. Lack of Paid Views: Putting your content behind a paywall automatically decreases visibility and audience reach. Some potential customers won't be as likely to give their contact information or a small amount of money to access your gated content. Businesses that rely on advertising or paid sponsorships will have a significant impact on revenue and brand exposure opportunities.
2. No SEO Benefit: Search engines only display content they can access without restrictions. Having gated content eliminates any opportunity for your content to rank highly so potential customers can discover your brand organically. You may hinder your online presence and potential growth.
3. Minimal Brand Visibility: Restricting your content will limit the number of companies that share or refer your brand to other businesses. Using only gated content will make it challenging for you to attract new audiences and grow your online presence.
4. Lower Conversion Rates: You can only convert leads that see your company as a potential solution to solving their problems. Having gated content prevents a portion of your audience from seeing the value your company offers, reducing the likelihood of conversions.

Understanding these issues lets you make informed decisions about when to use gated content strategically and when it's best to keep access open to everyone.

How To Create a Content Strategy With Gated Content

Drew Blumenthal, Founder and CEO of Digital Drew SEM, believes that if done right, gated content can be a valuable lead generation tool, but it needs to live up to expectations and remain balanced.

“For me, it’s about delivering quality first, then asking for the gate,” said Blumenthal. 

Instead of immediately implementing gated content and experiencing the mistakes that come with trial and error, use the proven steps below to streamline your content strategy creation process.

1. Brainstorm & Research: Gated content only works if your audience sees significant value in the material. Research your audience's major pain points using surveys or industry reports. For example, a software company might see problem areas in data management and create an e-book that shows how to simplify the process.
2. Determine Your Authority & Value: If you want more conversions, establish why your company is the best source for this gated content. Use case studies that demonstrate positive results and testimonials from satisfied clients to highlight your expertise and showcase your successful track record.
3. Invest in Resources: Resources like Clutch, a B2B service marketplace, will improve your content creation by connecting you with expert digital marketing services. These companies have already figured out the winning strategies for gated content creation and will ensure you receive visually appealing and valuable materials.
4. Integrate Content Types: When you first start creating gated content, it's essential to use content types like e-books, webinars, and infographics to cater to different audience preferences. You could even have an infographic inside an e-book or a whitepaper promoting a webinar.

The quicker your business creates and experiments with gated content, the closer you'll be to increasing leads and driving conversions.

To Gate or Not To Gate

When executed effectively, gated content has the potential to propel qualified leads further down your sales pipeline, expanding your lead pool. 

The decision to gate content hinges on the specific marketing goals and audience preferences made by your company. 

To achieve this without draining time and resources, you need to partner with experts who have experience creating successful gated content.

About the Author

Anna Peck Content Marketing Manager at Clutch

Anna Peck is a content marketing manager at Clutch, where she crafts content on digital marketing, SEO, and public relations. In addition to editing and producing engaging B2B content, she plays a key role in Clutch’s awards program and contributed content efforts. Originally joining Clutch as part of the reviews team, she now focuses on developing SEO-driven content strategies that offer valuable insights to B2B buyers seeking the best service providers.

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