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How to gate/restrict content using paywalls could be the most important option a content creator could make. Find the perfect balance between creating content that is free as well as monetizing it isn't easy. People want to discover your content However, you need to establish a business that is sustainable. Let's explore the ins and outs of creating content and answering a few essential concerns.
What is the definition of a paywall?
Think of a paywall as an obstacle that restricts access to the content. It's as a garden shared with locked gates. If you have an access key that unlocks the gate, they may access the garden at any time they like, but those who do not have the key that do not possess a key, they have to stay behind the locked gate.
As a garden gate unlocks to let people access a garden the same way, a content gate, also known as a paywall allows users to access a portion of your content (which is also known as gated content). It could be the form of a newsletter, podcast, blog post, course or similar and the key will be a special account or password that allows access to specific individuals. A key could be obtained through becoming a subscriber of this podcast, buying the course, or even becoming an affiliate of the blog.
Why use a paywall?
There are two major motives behind putting content behind a paywall. Both are connected to progressing your company's growth:
Placing content behind a paywall means that the audience has to pay to view it which can be done by making a monthly or annual subscription or through a one-time purchase such as a lifetime membership or a donation. This payment will 'open the door' to allow access to your website, blog post or podcast. There are many software platforms out there that offer the ability to facilitate the link between users and paid content.
Gating content allows you to obtain information from your visitors, to develop a deeper understanding of them and foster stronger relationships. You can use this info to better understand your audience by creating an email database, or by customizing the experience of your website. For example, you could ask for a member's preferred language and prioritize showing them content in that language. It's important to clearly state that you're requesting your data for the purpose of reaching them according to the GDPR.
What is the reason to not use an online paywall?
Like all other decisions that are made, there are pros as well as negatives to restricting content. 'Hiding' content behind paywalls means that the content is not visible to 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) initiatives, which is one of the most important ways for searchers to locate your website. It's why it's not advised to restrict or gate all of the content you publish.
Also, in order for individuals to be willing to spend money it is essential that they trust the person you are working with and trust can only be earned by people who are engaged in your posts. Give away a few of your favorite and (popular) contents publicly and at no cost. This helps to build readers' trust.
Why should you choose to put up a paywall?
There needs to find a compromise between the content that can be given away in free offer and what content to place behind a paywall. The process of finding this balance is about the most difficult and crucial thing for anyone who wants to generate revenue from their creations.
Customers and potential customers frequently ask us "How many pages of content can I put behind the paywall?" but it's better to consider which items should be locked instead of deciding the quantity. In order to decide what content is appropriate to be locked it is important to ask yourself a few critical questions:
What's your objective? When creating a post, article or podcast, take note of your (primary) purpose of the piece of content. Are you seeking to improve your visibility as a brand, and also establishing yourself as an expert within your field? Are you trying to monetize or earn revenue from your contents? Are you trying to build your database (often known as "generating leads")? The answers to these questions will let you decide what information to gate/restrict.
Who is your competition? There's no need to ask customers to purchase something if they can get it for free elsewhere! While researching your next piece of content, find out if any related content from the same area or subject is available accessible and free. You shouldn't be afraid to write additional content on the same theme but, as always it is important to make sure that the readers get some benefit from your work that other authors do not have - it could be a personal experience, or an unique insight which no one else is able to provide.
Are you adding the right worth? If your content isn't adding value to the audience, it shouldn't be censored. The content you offer must be unique and provide information that isn't found anywhere else, or be provided in a format that offers high 'production value'. Examples of this are longer-length content such as in-depth analyses and ebooks or downloads are best suited for paywalled/gated content, while shorter content like blogs with more than 1000 words tend to be better as unlocked/free content.
The location to construct the gate
There's one extra factor to be considered when it comes to gated content , and that's the amount of each individual piece must be gated. Recall the metaphor of the gate in the garden: if you want people to visit a special section in your garden (perhaps or a structure within the garden) is it better to allow them to visit just a little bit of your garden to get them interested, after which you can show them the area that they need to unlock.
You can then 'upsell' a metaphorical ticket to the private area. If you do this it would be a good idea to construct the gate once visitors have visited the gardens that are open to public, but and not at the entry point of your private land.
In the world of digital content, the best way is for a user to allow them to read a few paragraphs of your content prior to the paywall gate is operational. In this way, the user is already interested in the tale and will be more inclined to give their information with you or pay for an annual subscription to read on.
What can you do to block content behind a paywall?
There are a variety of different platforms to help you 'build the gate'. Instead of giving you an extensive list of options, we'll stick to 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 website's content
If you'd like to know more, feel free to contact us. Click the red button to start chatting with our team right now!