Terms
The process of securing content with a paywall might be the most significant decision a content creator can make. Find the optimal balance between creating content that is free as well as monetizing it could be a challenge. It is important that people find your content however, you must also be able to build a sustainable business. Let's explore the details of how to the process of securing content, and address some of the most important questions.
What is the definition of a paywall?
Imagine a paywall as a gate restricting access to content, much like a shared garden with secured gates. If you have a key to unlock the gate, they can go into the garden as often as they like, but for people without the key, they must stay behind the locked gate.
Like a gate that allows people to enter the garden and a paywall allows access to content, a paywall permits users to gain access to a certain portion of your online content (which is referred to as gated content). It could be the form of a newsletter, podcast or blog as well as a course or something similar. the key in this case is likely the password of a specific account that allows access to specific people. Gaining a 'key' might be accomplished through becoming a subscriber of that podcast, or buying an online course or by signing up to be a member of that blog.
Why use a paywall?
There are two primary reasons to gate content behind a paywall. Both have to do with the development of your business's success:
Putting content behind the paywall will mean that users will need to pay to view it either through setting up a monthly/annual subscription or through a one-time purchase such as a lifetime membership or donation. It will open the door' to allow access to your blog, page or podcast. There are a variety of applications that offer the ability to facilitate the link between users and paid content.
Content that is categorized allows you to collect information from customers, to gain more of an understanding of them and to build more lasting relationships. This information can be used to gain a better understanding of your visitors by creating an email database, or by customizing the experience of your website. As an example, you can ask for a member's preferred language, then prioritize showing your content in the language they speak. It's important be clear about the fact that you're seeking your data for the purpose of contacting them as per the GDPR.
Why not use an online paywall?
Like all other decisions there are pros and pros to blocking content. "Hiding" content behind a paywall means that the content is not visible to the crawling algorithms of Google. If not strategic it could seriously impact your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) initiatives, which is one of the most important ways for searchers to discover the site. It's why it's not advised to restrict or gate all of your content.
Also, in order for consumers to make a decision to pay for their purchases, they need to 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 most loved and (popular) material publicly, and for free; this will help to gain confidence from readers.
What is the best time to use a paywall?
There needs to have a proper balance between the content that can be given away in free offer and what content to place behind a paywall. This balance will be about the hardest and most crucial thing for anyone who wants to generate revenue from their creations.
Our customers and potential customers frequently ask us "How many pages of content can I place behind a paywall?" but it's better to think about which content should be gated instead of deciding how much. When deciding what content should be gated then you must ask yourself a few critical questions:
What's the goal? When creating a blog post, article, or podcast, consider your (primary) purpose of the piece of content. Are you looking to increase your brand visibility, including creating yourself as a thought leader within your field? Are you looking to monetize / earn money from the contents? Are you looking to expand your database (often known as "generating leads')? Answering these questions will help you determine what data you need to restrict or gate.
What is your competitor? It's no use asking anyone to buy some thing if they can find it for free elsewhere! While researching your next piece of content look up if related content from the same industry or topic is easily and readily available. You shouldn't be afraid to write more content on the same subject, but as with all content the key is to be certain that your readers are getting something from you that others don't have. This could be a personal experience, or an unique insight that no other source can provide.
Do you have enough value? If your content does not add value for the public, it should not be considered for gated. The content you offer must be unique and provide content that can't be found in other places or be presented in a way which has a significant 'production value'. For example, longer content such as in-depth analyses and ebooks or downloads can be used as paywalled or gated content, while shorter content like blogs with more than 1000 words tend to be better as unlocked/free content.
How to make the gate
Another aspect to take into consideration when gated contents, which is how much of each individual piece must be gated. Recall the metaphor of the gate in the garden If you'd like people to visit a special part of your garden (perhaps a building within the garden) is it better for them to be allowed to explore only a tiny portion of the garden initially, then make them curious, and then reveal the location that they require to unlock.
Then, you can 'upsell' a metaphorical ticket for the private space. If you do this you'd construct the gate once visitors have visited the gardens that are open to public, but and not at the entry point to your property.
When it comes to 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 becomes active. This way the reader is already interested in the tale and will be more inclined to give their personal information or buy a subscription in order to continue reading.
How do you block content that is behind a paywall
There are several alternative platforms that could assist you in 'building the gate'. Instead of offering the entire list, we'll stick to what we know best: the ability to gate content using WordPress. Below are some well-established WordPress plugins to aid you with gating your blog content
If you'd like to know more about our services, please reach us. Press the red button below to begin chatting with us today!