To gate or not to gate?

In years gone by, sellers held the keys to product information. If buyers wanted to learn about a product, they had to go through a sales team, often trading their time for access. Fast forward to today, and the power dynamic has completely flipped. 

Now, all that information is only a click away, complemented by third-party reviews and peer insights. According to 6sense, 70% of the buying journey is completed before sellers even get involved, and it’s now the customer—not the sales rep—who initiates contact. In fact, buyers are reaching out 83% of the time. 

In this new landscape, the role of content in the buyer journey has never been more critical. But the shift to online research isn’t the only change we’re seeing. 

The current state of content marketing 

We are at a tipping point. Where once strong gated content was a no-brainer, the landscape has changed. Several factors are challenging the traditional gating approach and pushing marketers toward more creative ways to engage audiences: 

• Content Saturation: The market is flooded with high-quality, free content, making it easy for buyers to find what they need without filling out a form. 

• Buyer Control: Today’s buyers want to navigate their own journey. Gating content too early can disrupt this process and push potential leads away. 

• Trust Issues: Buyers are wary of giving out personal information, often fearing a barrage of sales emails or have risk their data shared elsewhere. 

• SEO and Reach: Ungated content is discoverable and shareable, expanding your reach and driving organic traffic. 

• Changing Buyer Expectations: Buyers expect upfront value. Offering freely accessible content helps establish your expertise and build trust before asking for a commitment. 

Finding the Right Balance 

So, does gated content still pay dividends? The answer isn’t straightforward. Every B2B sale varies in length and complexity. Whether or not to gate content depends on a myriad of factors including your audience, organisational objectives, product and the customer journey. However, one principle remains constant: always take a customer-centric approach, considering the entire customer journey and buying committee. Based on this logic, we see three scenarios where gating content makes sense:  

1. You Have Truly Valuable Content 

Customers aren’t stupid, they know that big research pieces or in-depth eBooks require time, energy and resources to create and they are willing to trade their data for that content. However, betray your customer’s trust by gating unworthy content and your credibility will take a hit, risking losing that potential buyer forever.  

2. Bottom of The Funnel Content 

Buyer’s guides, solution guides, demos. By the time your customers reach this type of content they have likely done extensive research and shortlisted your brand. At this point, they are more likely to be open to a sales call and are therefore more willing to fill in a form to receive the high-value content.  

3. If It Isn’t Broken, Don’t Fix It 

If you’re considering whether to ungate your existing gated content, check the data first. According to WordStream, a landing page conversion rate over 5.31% puts you in the top 25% of sites. If it’s working well, there’s no need to throw the baby out with the bathwater.  

Gating content is a powerful tool in B2B marketing, but it’s not without its challenges. It’s clear that content needs to do more than build databases with poor quality leads—it must also influence the decision-making process. 

If you want to discuss your content strategy and how you can use your content to influence the buying decision making process, reach out.