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Free the Content!
February 18, 2010
| Registrations have long been the status quo for measuring
program performance and building your database online. In fact,
they're fairly ubiquitous to most landing pages and microsites. The
perception is that, by capturing data through forms, we build a
tangible database for future marketing. And the performance of
these forms has also provided empirical data and metrics about the
number of visitors, their interest in the offer and content, and
the overall success of the program. But the psychology of the user is changing. Think about it: we all know that filling out forms can be irritating - and yet, we expect our prospects to "acquiesce" to that very requirement. I believe that most interested parties are willing to leave their personal data IF the content is valuable enough (we've seen it time and time again). But how many opportunities are you missing, simply because a visitor isn't interested in being "dumped" into your marketing list? How many more prospects could you be influencing? The answer might be staggering. And that's why you might want to consider giving them some of your content – for free. Yup. I said "free". But don't panic - there's some logic to this line of thinking. By eliminating some of these "obstacles" to your offers – from white papers to eBooks to executive briefs – you're actually nurturing the relationship with the visitor BEFORE capturing any data. This might lead to other high-value offers (an analyst whitepaper, for example) that the user might be more willing to register for. And the other benefit is trust: you've given something to them, and they might be more willing to reciprocate. I'm not advocating "giving away the farm." I think you can develop classes of content - some more suited to the "free" category, while others still require a registration. You can also promote a free eBook as incentive for registering for a Webinar. You can also expand your reach with your free content through social media: elevate the offer message through Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, driving more traffic to your microsite or landing page. This can translate into more significant reach and visibility - and push prospects to contact you before you send a single email or pick up a phone. As executives and business people, the word "free" can have a distinctly negative connotation. It might not seem prudent to give away any content, but remember the true goal of your effort: to develop a relationship with well-qualified prospects, and convert them into sales. Relationships require trust, and giving something away demonstrates an investment in building that trust. |
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