Content-gate 2024

To gate or not to gate isn’t a yes or no question. [View Message in Browser]( / [Add Us to Safe Sender List]( WEEKLY NEWS 9.6.24 WEEKLY NEWS 9.6.24  FEATURED [How To Create a Video Strategy for Now and the Future]( By Ann Gynn Creating more videos for the sake of video won’t get you far (even when the requests come from your CEO or other executives). But a customer-centric video strategy will. Here’s what to consider as you build yours. [Read more](  READ OR LISTEN TO MORE OF THE WEEK'S BEST STORIES: [8 Ways To Ensure Your Content Is Accessible]( by Irina Weber Making digital content accessible is a must-do for any marketer and brand. To welcome all members of your target audience and adhere to accessibility laws, follow these eight tips. [Go for the Win-Win: Game Your Paid Media Strategy]( by Content Marketing Institute Team Big brands like Disney and Amazon have upped their advertising options with interactive “advergames.” The technique is a play that B2B marketers should consider for their paid advertising strategies. [Gating Content: Where Do You Stand in the Great Debate?]( by Robert Rose Gating content is a controversial move in some marketing circles. Sales teams want gated content because it drives qualified leads. Some marketing teams say gating creates a barrier between potential audiences (and search engines) and great content. Who’s right? [ICYMI: 4 AI-Assisted Content Remix Ideas]( by Lieu Pham Ready to put out a new album filled with remixes that will prompt your audience to groove? These step-by-step processes let you remix four types of albums using your original work, a generative AI assist, and some creativity.  A NOTE FROM ROBERT ROSE Content-gate 2024 Does gating content still make sense in 2024? In B2B content marketing, tension typically arises between marketing and sales teams over how much (if any) content should be gated. How much content should be accessible only to those willing to provide contact information? The gating content debate has been hot for as long as I can remember. Sales teams argue content should be gated because that’s the only way the business can drive qualified leads and opportunities. They say it’s the only way content marketing can be measurable. That’s wrong, of course. It’s not the only way. Some marketers argue that gated content always loses because it makes engagement more challenging, can’t be indexed for SEO purposes, and acts as a barrier between audience building and selling. That’s wrong, too. Some engaged audiences do come through content gates. Recently, a new player has entered the discussion: AI search. Should you protect your most valuable content behind a gate so it doesn’t show up as a “no click” answer on a search page or in someone else’s AI-generated content? There’s no good answer. #TheStruggleIsReal. There is nothing inherently wrong with gating some content. First-party data acquisition is a priority for B2B marketers. And it’s not just the qualified lead or contact information that provides the value. The insights you can glean from the first-party data help optimize many other parts of the journey. Gated content can produce leads, opportunities, and sales. And it’s often the first step in a successful buyer’s journey. Awards have been given, case studies have been written, and budgets have increased because content marketing campaigns that led to gated assets produced results. However, positive results also come from content marketing, which supports an audience journey. These audiences are typically filled with people who provide their contact information because they’re genuinely interested in a future relationship with your brand — carried out by consistently delivering valuable content. But should you care about their audience journey if these people aren’t destined to become buyers? Absolutely. That’s because audiences (and the insights they provide) are one of the most valuable attributes of a successful marketing operation. Gating content isn’t wrong. Promoting content downloads through short-lived, paid promotional campaigns (advertising) isn’t wrong. The question is how to balance content creation, distribution, and promotion for the different journeys you design to support your business goals. In [Rose-Colored Glasses]( this week, I explain how to decide when to use gated and ungated content based on whether you’re building or moving an audience. [Let me know if you still have questions after you read it.](mailto:robert@contentadvisory.net?subject=CMI%20content%20feedback%20%E2%80%94%20content-gate&elqTrackId=CE83DDA3C60503BC74EAD773B35E7DE4&elqak=8AF5DF0E8C0568D2343F59C33C3AB26E5C081767132254E332D86832A1ECB5BDBAD7) It’s your story. Tell it well. Robert Rose Chief Strategy Advisor Content Marketing Institute Robert Rose Chief Strategy Advisor Content Marketing Institute Would any of your colleagues or friends benefit from Robert's weekly updates? Please invite them to [subscribe]( here.  A WORD FROM ONE OF OUR SPONSORS Delve Into the Latest CMS Trends Today’s CMS platforms offer the flexibility to deliver personalized content across multiple digital channels. Future-proof your marketing performance by embracing these four CMS technology trends. [Step into the future of CMS »](  MORE FROM CMI Finalists Announced for Top Content Marketing Awards This week, we announced the finalists for the top seven categories in the 2024 Content Marketing Awards program! [See who made the list.]( Then, join us as we unveil the winners in a livestream ceremony next Thursday, September 12 at 1 p.m. ET. Watch live as we recognize the remarkable achievements that are defining excellence in content and marketing. Learn who’s behind the award-winning work and let’s celebrate them together! [Attend the ceremony »](  Who Will You Meet at Content Marketing World? Why does the marketing community return to Content Marketing World each year? While learning the latest content trends and innovations certainly plays a big role, the people are at the heart of it all. When you attend Content Marketing World, you become part of a community of thousands of marketers from all over the world. Watch to learn more about your opportunities for connection at this year’s CMWorld, and take a look at who you’ll meet at this year’s event. Then, register to join us this October 21-23 in San Diego — use code COMMUNITY100 to save $100 on your pass. [Watch video »]( [Join us at CMWorld »](  Was this email forwarded to you? Please [subscribe here.]( To change your email preferences or unsubscribe, visit our [preference center.]( Copyright © 2024 Informa Connect, All rights reserved Content Marketing Institute, an Informa Connect brand 605 3rd Ave | New York | NY 10158 [Terms of Service]( | [Privacy Statement]( [informa tech]