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

If you've been to a webinar or taken an online free course You may have noticed that it was required to input your name and email address (and maybe other details) in order to gain access.

Video-based content that is housed in form forms for lead capture are referred to as gated content for video -- and they're efficient in helping businesses get new customers.

In this document we will explore:

•         What is gated content?    
•         The benefits of video content that is gated
•         Types of video content that is gated
•         Content strategy for gated videos      
•             Doing SEO for restricted video content
•         Best practices to ensure that videos are not censored
•         Gated video platforms      
•             Choosing the right gated Video platform
•         Measuring the success of your strategy to create gated videos
•         Make your company more efficient by incorporating gated content video
•         FAQ

What is the meaning of gated content on video?

Gated video content is videos that are free and which users are able to access once they have submitted the necessary information about themselves including your email address and name by filling out an online request for leads. The nature of the content, as well as the product(s) the business provides in the lead capture process, it might ask for more information than just a email address and name. It may also ask for the user's job title, organization size, and industry.

When people submit their email addresses, you get access to important user information, which allows you to tailor your communications with them. If your subscribers are able to think that your messages are specific to them, they'll be more inclined to open your email and engage with your brand.

The benefits of gated video Content

The ability to access video content is among of the most effective strategies an organization can implement in order to grow its customer base. There are a few reasons to do this:

Lead generation

Gated video content, however, is hidden behind an application. Most people don't like having an inbox full of emails, so if someone provides your email address in order to gain access to your content it's an indication of their interest in the brand. This type of person is more likely to respond to the marketing strategies you employ than those who merely stumbled onto your website.

Segmentation of the audience and content personalization

The ability to tag your videos will allow you to categorize your target audience, and develop marketing tools with them in the mind of your audience. With your lead capture form you will be able to gather user data such as the name of the user, their email address, demographic, position, organization size, and industries, providing insights into your audience's interests and preferences.

This information can be used to build buyer personas of every subset of your customers. This eliminates the guesswork; you'll know precisely who you're targeting that makes it easier to create material that meets their requirements that solve their problems and makes their lives easier.

Perceived value increased

Website visitors often place more worth on content with a gated access because they're providing their details to gain access to the content.

Between one's longing to satisfy one's desire to know more, getting exclusive content, and other advantages you provide your customers who sign up for emails, offering restricted content is the perfect way to improve your brand's image. If done correctly, it can help you get more leads of high quality, build trust with your prospects and establish yourself as a specialist in your industry.

There's a caveat, though. If you're asking people to provide your contact details and information, they're expecting high-quality quality content back. Therefore, if your video content isn't packed with valuable details, you could alienate the people who watch it and damaging your brand reputation.

Data collection and analytics

Gated video content provides a method to gather data on viewer behavior. The metrics like time to engage, click-through rates and completion rate aid in determining the kinds of videos that are popular with your target audience. By using this information you will be able to optimize your content and marketing campaigns for better results.

Improved content ROI

The use of gated videos will help you gain a greater ROI (ROI) in the production of content and marketing. Because the videos are concealed within a form, they can easily assess their effectiveness in terms of the amount of leads they generate as well as how they progress throughout the sales funnel.

Types of gated video Content

Gated video content comes in various formats. A few of these formats include:

Webinars

With webinars, you can present other experts in your field, show participants how to reach their goals in real-time, interact with your audience, promote your products, and generate leads of high quality. These events often have limited slots available, which creates a sense that of FOMO (fear of not being able to attend) that drives participants to register.

As an example, Hotjar is hosting a live virtual event where Web strategy experts will show attendees how to create a high-converting web page using Hotjar as well as HubSpot.

The landing page Hotjar described the significance of the topic and what people will learn from the webinar if they attend it. Then they embedded a lead capture form where individuals can submit some personal information regarding themselves to get the possibility of receiving a Zoom link invite delivered straight to their inbox.

Online courses

For the best value the online learning experience, pick a subject or skill that's related to your industry and aligns with your broader marketing strategy and create a series of in-depth videos on the subject. This not only attracts new leads, but it can help people comfortable with your brand along the sales funnel.

In this case, Semrush, the SEO company, works with experts in the field to design classes that are based around marketing, such as this one by Brian Dean.

The landing page breaks down the audience that will be attending the course, what they'll learn, and the course outline. The site concludes with a form interested users must fill out for access to the free course.

Exclusive interviews

Similar to webinars, exclusive interview sessions feature successful conversations with industry experts and thought-leaders, as well as the key players. In addition, these discussions help you build your brand authority, but they also increase brand awareness by attracting 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 an excellent method to follow as you'll be able to gain personal experiences, analogies, and instances that cannot be available elsewhere. Furthermore, you'll boost audience engagement by getting the interviewees to address your viewers' most pressing questions. The idea is to encourage people to sign up, watch the videos, and send inquiries.

Pro tip: Some companies such as Omniscient Digital interview subject matter experts, then publish the audio interview on their podcast as well as video interviews on their YouTube channel and website. This can be a good way to repurpose your interviews.

Product demos

Demos of products (or demonstrations) show how a product or service operates by highlighting its strengths, functionality, and the benefits users will enjoy if they decide to purchase the item or service. The purpose of these demonstrations is to convince potential customers who may be unsure about whether your product will meet the needs of their customers and resolve their issues better than rivals'.

Demonstrating your products through a product's demo will allow you to collect leads from people at the bottom of the funnel who are actively keen on the product. Like, Demio, a company which offers webinar software to marketing professionals, offers interested customers the opportunity to book an opportunity to demo your product.

In limiting the demo it offers, Demio only gets high-quality prospects who will have a one-on-one meeting with an Demio expert.

Case studies and success stories

Although most businesses offer their case studies for free available, making a few of them could be an excellent way of gaining leads that are interested in particular usage cases.

The reasoning behind the reason for this is because cases studies can be a very convincing type of material because they present real-world instances of how your products/services have benefitted customers from the past or present. They provide the answer to a question every prospect has before making a purchase: "Will this product deliver on its promise?"

The case studies you have created can work really well at filtering potential customers, particularly when your service or product is targeted to certain types of customers.

Video content that is gated

If you're planning to restrict your content, here are some steps to follow to make sure you get the most out of this marketing tactic:

Define your goals

When recording video or planning an event, establish your objectives. In accordance with the initial CoSchedule research, marketers who establish goals have 376% greater chance to be successful.

If you decide to define your goal Be specific. In the case of, say, if you're planning to organize a webinar, your goal could be to attract 100 participants. For instance, if you're creating an online course, your aim could be to reach 1,000 people to take it in the span of six months. Being specific with your goals will help you determine what goals 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 gender, age, interest and even their place of residence. It also shows you the pages that people are visiting frequently on your site -- which can be useful for brainstorming topic ideas for your video. If you're on any social platforms, you can also check out your analytics on social media sites for more information.

Examining your competition's target market is also a good method to determine the types of people who you must be targeting, their demographics and their buying behavior. So, you are able to make content that is tailored to their needs and solves their problems better than your rivals.

Choose the best video content topics and types

Based on the research you conducted about your audience, brainstorm content ideas that are in line with your mission and resonate with your target viewers.

Analyze the data of every promotion channel that you employ, such as search, social media, and email to find out which topics your target audience is engaged with the most. If you've got sales and customer service teams, get their input about the issues that current or potential customers are attempting to address with your products.

For example, if your product is a website creator, you can create an instructional video that teaches people with no any programming experience how to utilize your drag-and drop editor for websites to create a functional web page. Or if you learn that customers and prospects frequently ask support for what they should do to connect their existing technology stack to your service and you want to help them, host a webinar to show people how to do it.

When you have chosen your topic Choose the content format that best communicate your message. This includes webinars, online courses, tutorials, interviews, and behind-the-scenes (BTS) video.

Create compelling content

When you've settled on your topic(s) and content format(s) you'll be using It's now time to write value-packed information. Below are a few tips to remember:

• Use a high-quality camera to capture your video. The camera doesn't have to be expensive, though. If you're unable to afford professional cameras, then an iPhone and a tripod with great lighting, will work.
• Provide value to your viewers. In the first couple of minutes of video content will decide if viewers watch till the conclusion. It is possible to use stories, analogies or even shocking information to entice viewers at the start. You can then add more worth throughout the video(s) with expert insight, research that is original as well as proprietary information, and even a walkthrough of the procedure in the event that it is applicable.
• Hire 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 the audience will love.
• Incorporate interactive elements in your videos. If you're developing your online courses, quizzes or assignments as well as polls are great ways for your audience to take part in the process of learning. If it's a webinar, the Q&A sessions allow you to engage with attendees and offer value at any time.

Create a dedicated landing page

The most effective landing pages contain three components: persuasive copy, compelling design and a powerful CTA (CTA). A great example is the landing page for CXL's Brand Marketing mini-degree.

The black-white-red colour scheme immediately makes an impression, but what's more compelling is how the hero's guideline outlines what that you'll be learning if you complete the minidegree, and shows those who will be teaching the course, and why they're competent to teach it.

Following, the landing page provides the benefits of subscribing to CXL which is then and then a form allows users to see the pricing options as well as request a trial. The landing page ends with a comprehensive FAQ section, which answers most common questions that prospective customers may have.

Similar to CXL's landing pages Yours must include an online form (or CTA) that users have to complete before they can access the video.

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

After your landing page has been put up and your video is safely gated, it's time to make it a point to advertise the landing page. There are a variety of marketing channels that you could use, including:

• Search Although Google's algorithm cannot crawl content with gated access but they will scan the content of your dedicated landing page and rank it for the right terms, which can increase its visibility and drive visitors to your page.
• Social media: You can create momentum by sharing your video's gatekeeper before you create it. Let your viewers be part of the journey of creating your video and explain the value that they will get from the finished product. In this way, when your landing page is online, people will be ready to sign up.
• Paid advertising: Building momentum with organic SEO and social media marketing may be a lengthy process. If you want quicker results, and you have the budget, run pay-per-click (PPC) advertisements for your site's page for websites and on social media.

Iterate and analyze HTML0

Once you start getting email conversions from your gated video content, monitor your performance by using tools for analytics. Track metrics and important indicator of performance (KPIs) including viewing retention, conversion rates and the quality of leads.

Make use of the knowledge you gain to improve your plan of action, whether that's improving your video creation techniques or adjusting the content type or distribution channels or revising your targeting.

Doing SEO for gated video content

Google's algorithms don't crawl and search for content hidden behind an application. So, if you gate your video content, it won't rank on the search engine results pages (SERPs). It is possible to make use of SEO to improve the search engine visibility of the videos you have gated by

• Optimizing your specific landing page for search engines
• Embedding your lead capture form within unaltered, SEO-optimized material like blog articles
• Making videos more efficient

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

In-page SEO

The process involves conducting keyword research to identify relevant high-volume, low-competition keywords that your target public is likely to be using to search for relevant content to your video.

To optimize your blog, landing pages, posts, and videos, you should include these words in your title tags, (sub)headings and page copy. meta (and video) description, as well as URLs, if applicable.

As Google's algorithms crawl your website, these keywords will give them some context so they can determine if your site's content is relevant to the correct search terms/query.

Off-page SEO

The most crucial element of SEO off-page because Google regards them as the primary ranking element. An effective backlink profile is requirements for the "T" in E-E-A.T. (trustworthiness), which is the basis Google employs to evaluate the credibility of content of a site.

The process of building backlinks is to get reputable websites to hyperlink to your website or blog where people are able to join your newsletter for gated video content. If this occurs the algorithms of Google interpret the result to mean that your offer is relevant to the user's needs and is valuable. It also fulfills your search-related intent.

Technical SEO

Technical SEO involves upgrading the technical components of your website to increase your rank on SERPs. This includes making your website mobile-friendly, boosting your site's speed of loading, adding video/website schema markups, and submitting your website/video sitemap to Google, creating an SEO-friendly web structure and fixing content that is duplicate.

These techniques are not only some of these strategies (like improving site speed or creating responsive websites on every device) ranking aspects, 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 videos that are gated

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

Make sure videos are at the optimal length

There is no way to manage every aspect, however there are some you can improve, such as your sales funnel as well as the content format you use.

As an example, those who are at the stage of awareness in your funnel could have heard about your company at first, thus they're probably not prepared to sit through a long video. People in this stage often benefit more from ungated media, including blogs and videos on social media.

If they are considering purchasing your product or weighing your product's value against the competition will be open to attending your expert-led webinars, buying online courses and watching stories of success or booking demos of your product.

The lengths of these various video content formats differ, also. For example, the videos in an online course can be between 3 and 20 minutes, with the entire course taking a bit longer. Webinars and exclusive interviews often run for 1-2 hours. Likewise, case study videos are usually between 5 and 10 minutes in length.

Pro tip: Create multiple edits. Following your initial recording will result in lots of video. Edit the video several times in order to eliminate any fluff, off-the-tangent commentary or filler phrases, for example. Additionally, you'll be able to make animations and add various other engaging, interactive aspects into the film.

Design appealing 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 on which you post your video that is gated. These components must catch your visitors' attention and entice users to sign-up for access to the video.

You can create your thumbnail yourself if you are a skilled graphic designer. If not, you'll need to hire a graphic designer or marketer with design skills to help you.

Pro tip: Don't use clickbait titles. Your title should accurately represent what's in the video. If it's not accurate, it will create an unpleasant user experience hurting your brand's credibility and reputation.

Streamline your lead capture form

Many companies only ask people to provide their personal information and email address in order to gain access to their restricted content and some ask for more details, such as job title the size of the organization, as well as the industry. Many companies even require their users to fill out a brief survey to gain access.

The name-and-email address approach works pretty well because it allows you to send customized (by name) emails to your subscriber's inbox. If you're attempting to group your email recipients according to their profession and job title, you should request that information also. This will help you develop specific content for each group, which increases the chances of people engaging with your company and purchasing your product.

Pro tip: A lengthy application form is often rejected. Therefore, if you don't think it's necessary, take the name-and-email address approach.

Include clear calls-to-action

When you are creating your landing page Make use of persuasive and simple language to prompt action, e.g. "Access expert insights now" or "Download the course right now". Then, in your video, you could encourage viewers to go to your social media site or website, or to subscribe to the YouTube channel depending on the goal you're aiming to accomplish.

Whatever the CTA is, make sure that it's specific, actionable, and easy to find. Place them in strategic places on your landing page and videos, particularly if the materials are lengthy.

Pro suggestion: Consider offering incentives, such as discounts, download resources or a membership to an exclusive group to make the offer more appealing and make it easier for people to sign up.

Run A/B tests

While you track your results, conduct A/B testing on various elements of your video content gated strategy, including the titles, thumbnails, message formats and CTAs. These will provide an insight into the variations that resonate most well with your target audience. It will also help you optimize the conversion rate over time.

Gated video platforms

If you're pondering what tools you can use to make gated video, we've compiled a guide to four of the top gates for video, along with their pricing and features.

Choosing the right security-enabled video platform

If you're confused about which security-related video streaming platform you should use, here are some guidelines to help you choose the best one for your needs and goals:

Determine your requirements

Before choosing a video platform, ask yourself what you would like the platform to help you accomplish. The answers you provide will allow you to pick the best tool to meet your needs.

In the case of example, if your goal is to generate leads, Vimeo would be an excellent choice because it has lead generation tools and can integrate seamlessly with marketing tools for email. But if your priority is to increase organic traffic by using SEO, Brightcove and Sproutvideo might be better choices.

Consider your budget

The price tiers provided by the platform are a great starting point to figure out the price you're able to pay, but you should also take into account any potential extra costs such as bandwidth charges or transaction fees, as these could impact the price of the service.

Explore possibilities for customization

The choice of video player will allow you to control the appearance and functionality of the player. So look out for features that allow users to alter the design, branding and even interactive elements such as CTA buttons.

Consider integration capabilities

If you're preparing to implement an approach to gated content it's likely that you've numerous other devices within your technology stack. To simplify the process of creating content, you'll need select a platform that integrates seamlessly with the tools you already have and systems.

This includes your website, content management software (CMS), CRM software, customer relation management (CRM) software as well as email marketing services marketing automation software, payment gateways, and any other software crucial to your business.

Review privacy and security functions

If you're dealing with confidential or sensitive data, be sure that the video platform that you select has strong security measures. SproutVideo is one of them. It is a fantastic tool to use for this purpose because it comes with features such as security for passwords, geo-restriction protection, IP address limitation, and encryption protocols to protect your data.

Assess analytics and reporting

Complete reports and analytics can be crucial in evaluating the success of your gated content as well as understanding how your customers interact with your company.

Look out for platforms that give you detailed insights, such as the duration of a view, click-through rates (CTR) and percentages of conversion, audience demographics and many other important KPIs. This information will help you improve your content strategy and optimize for better engagement.

Verify scaleability

If you work or manage for a growing company, the video platform that you select must be capable of handling increased video uploads and higher traffic volumes without compromising on performance. Also, the platform should scale to meet your needs.

Therefore, consider factors like the available storage space as well as bandwidth choices, along with support for high definition (HD) video in order to make sure that your platform can be scalable and that your investment remains relevant as your business evolves.

Demos as well as trial period

Most video platforms have trials or product demonstrations, which you can take advantage of to get hands-on experience with the application. You'll not only know whether it meets your requirements, but you'll also learn how to navigate through the platform if you decide to use it.

Monitoring the effectiveness of your content creation gated strategy

In order to measure the effectiveness of your video content gated strategy, there are three steps you need to accomplish: monitor key performance indicators (KPIs), use analytics tools and then continue to improve your strategy.

Track key performance indicators

A few commonly used KPIs to track comprise:

• Rate of conversion: It measure the proportion of viewers who provided their personal information in order to access the protected content.
• Click-through rates (CTR) on CTAs: This shows how frequently viewers click on the CTAs in your landing page or videos. This is a measure of the efficacy of your CTAs in driving desired actions.
• Engagement metrics: Monitor metrics like average watch time and video completion rates and video interactions (likes comments, likes or shares). This shows how effectively your content resonates with the viewers.
• Lead generation: This measures the quantity of new leads created by gated content. It shows how convincing and persuasive your content.
• Lead quality is a measure of the likelihood that your leads are to convert into paying customers. You can assess this KPI via lead scoring or qualifying criteria.

Use analytics tools Use analytics tools

Analytics tools can retrieve and categorize the data from different sources in order to give you a better insight into your operations overall. Some common analytics tools to use are:

• Google Analytics (GA): This platform assesses user behavior on your website, monitors the effectiveness of landing pages and tracks traffic sources, among other things. Through GA you are able to create goals and set events to specifically measure interaction with your gated content.
• Platforms hosting video: Video hosting platforms like Vimeo, Wistia, or YouTube provide detailed insights into video performance. In conjunction with lead capture forms they can monitor parameters like play rates or engagement as well as conversion rates.
• Marketing automation platforms: Tools like HubSpot, Marketo, or Pardot offer analytics tools which allow you to monitor the behavior of leads after they interact in your content gated for them.
• CRM tools: CRM tools like Pipedrive and Salesforce can help you track leads generated from gated video content and monitor their progression throughout the sales funnel.

Continuously optimized and improved

Establish regular intervals of reporting to track the effectiveness of your content that is gated using a strategy. Compare information over time (including data generated from A/B testing) to determine patterns and trends.

Make use of the data you collect from your analytics for making informed changes to your strategy such as optimizing your lead capture forms, using different video content formats, or switching distribution channels.

Change the way you do business by using gated video content

The use of gated videos is a fantastic option to enhance your marketing strategy. In offering quality content in exchange for user information, you're not only making leads, you're also creating a direct line of communication with an engaged public. It allows you to send specific messages that nurture buyers throughout their buying journey.

A gated content video allows you to showcase your knowledge, position your company as an authority authority, and build an impression of exclusivity and the value to your customersand ultimately, this drives sales and brand loyalty.

Plus also lets users to create and manage private communities to help build an even deeper relationship to your customers, increase the sales of your offerings, boost conversions, and generate revenue to your business.

FAQ

    What is gated video content? Why is it crucial?

The term "gated" video content" refers to video content that can be accessed only after users provide their personal information, such as their email address and specific demographic information. This strategy for marketing lets businesses to capture and nurture high-quality leads through specific emails as well as specific marketing campaigns.

    What are the advantages of gated video for marketing?

The use of gated videos in marketing allows businesses to identify leads, collect important customer information, and deliver personalized content, which fosters trust in their target audience, which increases the number of conversions.

    How can I create an effective gated strategy for video?

This is a step-bystep breakdown of developing a successful gated video content strategy:

• Define your goals
• Identify your target audience
• Pick the right content video and the appropriate type (e.g. webinars, video courses, product demos, etc. )
• Create compelling videos
• Make a special landing page
• Promote your content for video that you have made available to the public
• Iterate and analyze Based on the information collected

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

If you're creating video content that is gated Here are the best techniques to remember:

• Make sure videos are at the optimal length
• Create compelling thumbnails as well as titles
• Streamline your lead capture form
• Include clear calls-to-action
• Test A/B to improve your strategies

    What gated video platforms are best for my business?    

The most popular platforms for creating gated videos that resonate with your audience are:

• Vimeo is a well-known site with a variety of customization options and high-quality video playback.
• Wistia: Offers customizable video players, capture email forms, and detailed statistics.
• Brightcove: Comprehensive platform with robust capabilities for large corporations as well as media firms.
• SproutVideo: Video hosting platform with an commitment to security. features like domain restrictions and password protection.

    How do I measure the efficacy of my video content that is gated strategy?    

Two ways to track and analyze the results of your videos that are gated:

• The tracking of Key performance indicators (KPIs), including the conversion rate, click-through rates (CTR) as well as engagement measures (likes shares, likes, and comments)
• Analytics tools like Google Analytics  or video hosting platforms as well as CRM tools and marketing automation tools
• Compare KPIs to the industry standard for more information regarding your performance