Downloadable content assets like white papers and e-books can and should be used to build brand identity, generate demand and contribute to thought leadership. They can be excellent lead generators, but only when used strategically.
To keep your content working for your business, make sure you follow these best practices to encourage potential customers to share their information in return for your downloadable content.
Marketers recognize the value of customer contact information to their own efforts, but need to remember that individuals value their own personal data even more highly. If you’re trying to get people to turn over their email addresses and phone numbers in exchange for generic or low-value content, give up: you need to offer your audience a fair trade.
Only ask for contact information in exchange for content that gives your targets something they can’t just find for free elsewhere online. Whether you’re offering original data, like the results of a survey or study you’ve commissioned, a well-researched white paper, or an in-depth case study, gated content must go above and beyond the scope of an average free blog post. Think of it this way: would you consider asking someone to pay real money for the content you are offering? If so, it may be a good candidate for a content gate.
Especially at the top of the funnel, a lengthy form soliciting reams of personal information will turn away more leads than it captures. Ease your targets into sharing by asking only for the most basic information (like name and email) in exchange for top-of-the-funnel content.
Then, as leads continue to move through the funnel, you can begin requesting more detailed information in exchange for more substantial content. Think of this like pricing a commodity: your leads’ information is valuable to them, so you need to offer them something of equal value to compel them to give up more of their information. While a short 3-page white paper may be enough to capture a name and email address early on in a buyer’s journey, a larger piece of content like an 30-page e-book is justification to ask a lead for more detailed information like their position titles, phone numbers and places of employment.
Whenever you offer a download in exchange for personal information, give people a meaningful preview into the content. Nobody likes to give up their information only to find that the content they receive has little value, just as no one likes to pay for a product and then find out it does not perform as advertised.
Show your leads why your content is worth it. For an e-book, provide the table of contents before soliciting personal information, and perhaps even an excerpt of the first chapter. If you are sharing the report from a recent survey, consider sharing an infographic with a few key findings to intrigue readers and prove the relevance of your piece.
A strong downloadable content program can keep your content generating leads long after it is first produced. When deciding what you should require people to provide in order to access that content, put yourself in your audience’s shoes and ask what it’s worth.
To learn how Movéo helped grow one client’s lead generation program, take a look at our case study:
Photo by The Natural Step Canada via Flickr Creative Commons