Gated content email templates

Creating valuable content that attracts users to your company and encourages them to take desired actions, like making purchases or subscribing to a service, is a form of inbound marketing activities. In some cases, it may be valuable to restrict access to certain content on your site in hopes of generating new leads or additional data. Content like this is called gated content, or premium content.

What is gated content?

There’s no universal definition of gated content, but we’ll define its main characteristics briefly. Any content that can be accessed only after you give something in return, such as an email address, is labeled as gated content. The most common information that is requested from people who wish to access gated content is their email address, although other strategies include asking for a phone number, liking or following social media pages, or sharing posts on various social media platforms.

The purpose of gated content is to generate leads by acquiring the contact details of potential customers. Potential customers are  people who have visited your site after conducting a Google search, or found your company from external sites like social media, etc.

An example of gated content could be a blog post that is freely accessible and provides valuable insights. However, if the reader wants to read more of your articles or access an extra content (such as a checklist), they’ll have to provide you with an email address to receive it. As such, gated content can drive relevant lead generation, since the users whose data you obtain are already interested in your business and what it offers.

Gated content email subject lines 

• Here’s the [ebook/white paper] you requested!
• Great content waiting for you inside, as promised
• Check out our video for tips on solving [pain point]
• We’re hosting a live video, and you’re invited to watch
• Welcome to the [topic] course from [company name]
• Thanks for signing up to receive our [daily/weekly/monthly] emails about [topic]

Gated content email templates

Gated content email template 1 – content download

Gated content email template 2 – link to video

Gated content email template 3 – email series

Frequently asked questions 

How much of my content should be gated?

It depends on the objectives of your marketing strategy, however, it’s not recommended to make all of your content gated. This is because you first need to offer enough to interest prospective leads for them to be willing to provide their email addresses. But exactly how much content should be freely accessible depends on whether your goals are more focused on lead generation or rather brand visibility and SEO. 

What are some examples of gated content?

The templates above have already covered email series, ebooks, and white papers, as well as different video content like webinars and documentaries. Besides those some other suggestions of gated content that you might choose to offer are:

• Content upgrades – access to additional material 
• Demos/trials – a period to test out a product or service for free
• Spreadsheet templates – save users’ time by providing a form with blank spaces to be filled in
• Process documents and swipe files –  such as an onboarding template

Can I charge for gated content?

By definition, gated content isn’t something that requires payment. Rather, it’s something you provide in exchange for completing a desired action like providing an email address, in order to access certain materials. You can charge users for access to content but that would mean it is paid content, which is another form of inbound marketing and is a completely different strategy from providing gated content.