Terms
How to gate/restrict content using paywalls could be the most significant choice a creator of content can take. The ideal balance between making content free of charge and making money from it can be tricky. You want people to find your content However, you need to establish a business that is sustainable. Let's discuss the ins and outs of the process of securing content, and address a few essential concerns.
What exactly is the definition of a paywall?
Consider a paywall to be an obstacle that restricts access to content, much similar to a common garden that has a locked gate. If you have a key to unlock the gate, they can enter the garden whenever they like, but those who do not have the key who do not have a key, they are required to remain within the gate that is locked.
Just as a garden gate allows people to enter a garden and a paywall allows access to content, a paywall allows users to access a portion of your digital content (which is also known by the name of gated content). This content may be a podcast, newsletter or blog article, course or similar and the key in this instance is probably the password of a specific account that allows access to specific individuals. The ability to gain access to a "key" could be obtained by becoming a subscriber to that podcast, or buying the course, or even joining as part of the blog.
Why use a paywall?
There are two primary reasons to gate content behind a paywall. Both of them are linked to the growth of your company's growth:
The content you put behind a paywall means that the audience has to pay for access which can be done by setting up a monthly/annual subscription or through a one-time purchase such as a lifetime membership or a donation. This payment will 'open the gate' and provide access to your blog, page or podcast. There are a variety of software platforms out there which allow you to facilitate the link between users and content that is paid for.
Gating content allows you to gather information about your site's users, allowing you to build more of an understanding of them and to build more lasting relationships. This information can be used to gain a better understanding of your visitors through the creation of an email database, or by making changes to the way you interact with your website. You could, for instance, request a user's preferred language, then prioritize showing the content they prefer in their language. Naturally, you'll have to make it clear that you're seeking their data with the intention of reaching them according to GDPR.
Why you don't create a paywall?
In all choices, there are pros and pros to blocking content. 'Hiding' content behind a paywall means that the content is not visible to the Google crawling algorithm. If you don't plan it well the paywall could have a significant impact on the effectiveness of your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategies, one of the most important ways for searchers to locate your website. That's why it's never recommended to block or restrict all of the content you publish.
Also, in order for consumers to make a decision to pay for their purchases, they need to trust your brand and this trust is earned by people who are engaged in your posts. Give away a few of your top and (popular) material publicly, and at no cost. This helps to build readers' trust.
When should you use the paywall?
There needs to have a proper balance between what to give away in free offer and what content to put behind the paywall. Finding this balance is just about the most difficult and important thing for any creative wanting to monetize their content.
Our customers and potential customers often ask us "How much content do I need to put behind the paywall?" but it's better to consider which items should be locked instead of deciding how much. In order to decide what content needs to be protected, you need to think about a few important questions:
What's the goal? When creating a blog, article or podcast, think about your (primary) goal of this piece of material. Are you seeking to improve the visibility of your brand, as well as establishing yourself as an authority within your sector? Are you looking to monetize and earn income from your contents? Are you trying to build your database (often called "generating leads')? Answering these questions will help you determine what data should be gated or restricted.
Who is your competition? There's not much point asking anyone to buy things if they could get it for free elsewhere! When researching your next post check if material related to your subject is readily and freely available. It's not a problem to create additional content on the same subject, but as with all content, you need to make sure that the readers get some benefit from your work that other authors don't have. This could be a personal experience or a unique perspective that no other source can provide.
Are you bringing enough to the value? If your content isn't adding value to the public, it should not be considered for gated. It must provide content that can't be found in other places or be in a format with a high production value'. For example, longer content such as in-depth analyses and ebooks or downloads can be used as paywalled or gated information, while short content like blog posts of 1,000 words or less tend to be better as unlocked/free content.
How to make the gate
It's an additional aspect to take into consideration when gated content and that's how much of the piece itself must be gated. Recall the metaphor of the gate in the garden If you'd like to invite visitors to go to a specific part in your garden (perhaps a building within the garden), it's better for them to be allowed to explore only a tiny portion of the garden to engage them, after which you can show them the zone that they'll need to unlock.
It is then possible to "upsell" a symbolic ticket for the private space. In this scenario you'd create the gate after guests have experienced some of the gardens that are open to public, but not right at the entrance of your private land.
When it comes to digital content, the equivalent is for a user to allow them to take a look at a few paragraphs your content prior to the paywall gate is active. This way the reader is already engaged in the story and is more likely to divulge the information they have about themselves or purchase a subscription in order to keep reading.
What can you do to block content behind a paywall?
There are a variety of other platforms that can aid you in building the gateway'. Instead of offering an exhaustive list, we'll stick to the things we've learned about: gatekeeping content on WordPress. There are a handful of well-established WordPress plugins that will help you gate your website's content
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