Publishing content regularly to your website is one of the best ways to build up a steady stream of leads for your law firm. Content marketing has become popular because it works. When the content you provide is relevant and well thought out, it adds real value to the readers who encounter it, and they will be more likely to see you as a potential solution to their law troubles.
Once you get someone to your site, the problem then becomes turning them into a lead. As consumers, we are highly guarded about giving out our personal information. To get anything out of us, website shave to offer considerable value in exchange. Gated content is one way that companies bring readers into their lead funnel and start the process of becoming customers. So, what is gated content? What are some good examples of gated content? How do you set up content like this for your website?
What is gated content?
Gated content is anything that you can’t access publicly on a webpage. This can include content that is behind a paywall. It generally refers to content that you have to fill out a form to view for lead generation purposes. These are the articles, videos, and ebooks that you need to provide your email to access.
Not all content is ideal for use in a gated context, but there can be some serious advantages when used correctly. Asking for something from the consumer makes the content seem more valuable. It engages with the target audience and helps you collect more leads. Websites that adopt this practice will often see drastic increases in the number of email leads coming in, citizens wanting to know more about a legal service, or the number of subscribers to their newsletter.
The information you collect will allow you to market to them directly, knowing that they may be interested in your services.The firm can start building a relationship with users. You’ll learn valuable information about your readers that you can use for further marketing and segmentation.
This strategy isn’t always the best option. If the content isn’t worth the hassle, consumers will feel cheated. Asking too often can lead to annoyance and cause people to think about your firm in a negative light. The content will reach fewer people, so it will do less to drive traffic or boost your SEO.
What are good examples of gated content to consider?
Common content that is locked will be specific articles or posts that require you to opt in to read the entire thing. A website will show some of the content for free to pull the reader in, then require an action to continue reading. This has become standard procedure on news sites like the New York Times, Washington Post, and Financial Times.
Common content a law firm could use for gated contexts include:
- Research reports into what is happening in an industry the firm specializes in.
- Webinars that offer detailed law advice and let the user decide if they need legal counsel.
- Video replays filled with information on legal proceedings.
- Tools and resources for download that will help them fill out common paperwork.
- Ebooks, checklists, and cheatsheets that help consumers understand important steps to take in legal actions.
How to set up a gated sign-up form
The first step is to create content that is worth locking up. It has to have enough value that readers will want it enough to give up some information. Then you’ll need to create a landing page for the gated content, where they will fill out the form that will give them access to the content.
You’ll then decide how to provide them the content. They can receive the content in an email, they could have access to a download link, or filling out the form will redirect the user to the appropriate page.
How to create an automated email that delivers the gated content to the client
Most online marketing tools make this process easy to set up. Depending on the platform you use for marketing, you will signup for the service and integrate it with your website. Then they will usually have pre-made templates you can use to entice readers. Almost all marketing tools now will automatically add the person’s information into your database and then send them a welcome email with the content attached.
The exact process will depend on the marketing service that you are using. A service like Optinmonster will automatically get you set up and walk you through the process. Using a mail service, like Mailchimp, will require you to set up the signup box and then take care of the email from there once you launch the campaign.
If you want to drive more leads to your law firm, using gated content is an attractive option to collect contact information while offering consumers value at the same time. If you’d like assistance getting started, Denver Legal Marketing is here to help. Reach out to us today to start the conversation.
