Terms
The process of securing content with paywalls could be the most crucial decision a content creator can take. The perfect balance between creating content free of charge and making money from it isn't easy. You want people to find your content, but you also need to create a viable business. Let's discuss the details of how to creating content and answering some of the most important queries.
What is the definition of a paywall?
Consider a paywall to be an obstacle that restricts access to the content. It's as a garden shared with locked gates. For the people who own an access key that unlocks this gate can enter the garden whenever they want, however for people without the key that do not possess a key, they have to stay within the gate that is locked.
As a garden gate unlocks to let people access a garden, a content gate or paywall allows users to access a portion of your online content (which is also known as content that is gated). It could be a podcast, newsletter or blog as well as a course or something similar. the 'key' in this case is likely the password of a specific account that grants access to certain users. Gaining a 'key' might be achieved by becoming a subscriber to the podcast, purchasing the course, or even becoming an affiliate of the blog.
Why use a paywall?
There are two major motives behind putting content behind paywalls. Both have to do with the development of your business's success:
Placing content by a paywall implies that the audience has to pay for access - either by making a monthly or annual subscription or making a single purchase, such as a lifetime subscription or donation. It will open the gates' and allow access to your blog, page or podcast. There are numerous software platforms out there which allow you to facilitate the link between users and content that is paid for.
Gating content allows you to obtain information from your users, allowing you to build an understanding of your visitors and build stronger connections. You can use this info to better understand your audience by creating an email database, or by altering the user experience on your website. For example, you could request a user's preferred language and prioritize showing your content in the language they speak. Of course, you'll need be clear about the fact that you're seeking your data for the purpose of reaching them according to the GDPR.
What is the reason to you don't use a paywall?
Like all other decisions, there are pros and cons to gating content. 'Hiding' content behind paywalls means that it is hidden from the Google crawling algorithm. If it's not done in a strategic manner the paywall could have a significant impact on your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategies, the primary way for users to find your website. That's why it's never advised to restrict or gate all of your website's content.
Additionally, for people to open their wallets, they need to trust you and that trust is created by the people who interact in your posts. Share a bit of your most loved and (popular) content publicly as well as for no cost; this will help to gain the trust of your readers.
When should you use a paywall?
There needs to find a compromise between giving away content at no cost and what you can hide behind a paywall. Finding this balance is just about the most difficult and important thing for any creative looking to make money from their work.
Our clients and prospective clients often inquire "How much content do I need to place behind a paywall?" but it's better to think about the type of contents should be protected instead of how much. In order to decide what content should be gated, you need to think about a few important questions:
What's your objective? When creating a blog post, article, or podcast, consider your (primary) goal of this piece of content. Are you seeking to improve your brand visibility, including creating yourself as a thought leader within your sector? Are you trying to monetize or earn revenue from your content? Do you want to create your database (often known as 'generating leads')? These questions can help you know what content to gate/restrict.
Who is your competition? There's no need to ask customers to purchase some thing if they can find it at no cost elsewhere! While researching your next piece of content check if related content from the same industry or topic is easily and readily available. You shouldn't be afraid to write new content related to the topic, however, like all good content the key is to be sure your audience is gaining something from you that others don't have. This may be an experience that is firsthand or unique information which no one else is able to provide.
Are you bringing enough to the value? If your content doesn't add value to your people who read it, then it shouldn't be considered for gated. It must provide information that isn't found elsewhere or it needs to be presented in a way with a high production value'. For example, longer content such as in-depth analyses or ebooks, downloads, etc. can be used as paywalled or gated information, while short content like blogs with up to 1000 words generally work better as free or untagged content.
The location to construct the gate
There's one extra factor to be considered when it comes to gated content and that's how much of each piece of content must be gated. Go back to the analogy of a garden gate: if you want people to visit a special part of your garden (perhaps an area within your garden) It's best to allow them to visit a small part of the garden to make them curious, and then show them the secret zone that they'll need to unlock.
You can then 'upsell' a metaphorical ticket for the private space. In this case you'd construct the gate once visitors have visited the public garden, and not at the entry point of your private land.
With the advent of digital content, the best way is for a user to allow them to take a look at a few paragraphs your content prior to the paywall gate becomes activated. The reader will be already immersed in the content and more likely to share their personal information or buy an account to keep reading.
How to gate content behind a paywall?
There are several other platforms that can aid you in building the gateway'. Instead of giving you the entire list but instead, let us stick with the things we've learned about: the ability to gate content using WordPress. Below are some well-established WordPress plugins that will assist you in gating your blog content
If you're interested in learning more, feel free to reach us. Hit the red button and begin chatting with us now!