Barketing Tips Inspired by Angus | McAllister Marketing’s Mascot and Barketing Director
Effective marketing is about understanding people’s basic needs, goals, fears and desires and then appealing to them with potential solutions.
This summer, Angus, our fun-loving boxer terrier, and McAllister’s official mascot, reminded us of this when his curiosity was piqued by playful sounds and delicious barbeque smells coming from the other side of our backyard fence. Was it something he could chase or eat? The only thing that could break his attention was the promise of a bigger, more easily attainable reward (aka: offering him a piece of cheese).
People pretty much operate this way to: we have an innate radar that is constantly, and subconsciously seeking out options to help us satiate our most immediate wants and needs, that searches for solutions to our most pressing pains or concerns, and scans our surroundings for information that answers our questions and helps us achieve our most pressing goals.
This is what makes gated content a powerful lead generating activity—it captures our attention by offering us something that will be potentially useful in fulfilling a need we have—in exchange for a bit of information.
“This fence won’t stop me if I smell bacon on the other side.”
Gated content can be an article, checklist, ebook, free trial or white paper, contest entry, newsletter, or (whatever would be intriguing and valuable to your target audience) that first requires a user to enter their email or contact information in order to see, read, access or interact with it. And it’s a great way to capture fresh leads that you can add to your lead nurturing database.
Here’s 5 tips to get you started in attracting leads with gated content.
Tip #1: Make it a Tasty Treat
There’s no point making gated content unless it’s something that your target audience would consider interesting, useful and valuable. The best gated content serves as an “appetizer” of everything else you have to offer. A clothing retailer can offer an ebook of “How to Create a Capsule Wardrobe.” A software company can offer a free trial. A manufacturer can offer a whitepaper or free demo. You can use gated content to offer free samples, Collect RSVPs for customer events, subscribe them to catalogues and updates, offer free recipes and more… Get creative. If you were your potential customer, what would you want? If you’re unsure, ask a few of your best customers what they’d want.
Tip #2: Don’t Ask For Too Much
Keep access to your gated content quick and easy. Once you’ve piqued your user’s interest, don’t lose them by asking for too much personal information. Keep it to a first name and email address, or even just their email address.
Tip #3: Remind Them That You Won’t Bite
People are hesitant to share their contact information, and for good reason. Work around this by conspicuously showcasing legible print under your email capture box that reassures your visitors that their contact information is safe with you. And by all means, keep your promise!
Tip #4: Make Their Tails Wag
While you want your gated content to inspire your leads’ interest in doing business with you, don’t make your gated content too salesy. If you do, it will feel like a dirty bait-and-switch. Your goal should be to make your leads feel like they’ve really scored something—that they got something great for free. If you succeed in making them feel this way, they’ll think of you favourably when they’re ready to buy.
Tip #5: Stay Friendly
Once you’ve captured fresh leads, and granted them access to your gated content, the action shouldn’t end there. It’s time to nurture them. Have a lead nurturing strategy in place beforehand so you have more helpful and interesting things to share with them as a way of staying top-of-mind, so they’ll remember you when it they’re ready to buy.
If you’re ready to attract, convert and retain more customers, we’re your people!
—————End Bark—————
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