Gated Video Content: Getting Started

Gated content has long been effective at acquiring leads, but the rise of gated video has renewed debates about when and how gating should be used. While some have boldly declared the “death of gated content,” those claims feel premature—similar to past predictions about the demise of radio or email. What’s clear is that the question isn’t whether to gate at all, but rather how to choose what content to gate and what not to.

There’s compelling data to support a more thoughtful approach. Demand for gated content has increased by 77% between 2019 and 2023. But before you gate every asset in your library, it’s important to recognize that you risk alienating visitors if the content doesn’t meet their expectations. In fact, 71% of B2B buyers left feeling disappointed by the value of gated content, often because it’s too generic or lacks real insight. So, the challenge lies not in whether to gate content, but making sure that what you offer is truly worth the exchange of information.

If you regularly test and reevaluate your gated written assets, you’ve likely learned a lot about the kind of content that works best for your audience. But if you’re unsure how to apply the same principles to gated video content, it’s worth taking a closer look at what makes a strong asset.

What Is Gated Video Content?

Gated video is video content placed behind a digital gate, such as a lead form, to prevent public access. It requires visitors to provide information—typically their name, email, and/or company details—to unlock videos for viewing. Gating is used to attract engaged prospects who are actively seeking, or open to receiving, information or insights about a specific topic. The goal is collecting valuable data to nurture these leads through targeted marketing and sales outreach efforts.

Gated Content Attributes

While there isn’t an exact recipe for perfect gated video content, the most successful assets typically share these three attributes:

• Exclusive. Gated video content should provide something unique and valuable that users can’t find anywhere else. If viewers feel tricked by recycled or easily accessible material, it can be counterproductive and erode brand trust. On the flip side, exclusivity can increase the perceived value of your content while also strengthening your audience’s connection to your brand.
• Expert. The video should showcase deep industry knowledge or specialized expertise. Often, the people accessing your gated content are potential leads who are actively evaluating your company. Demonstrating your thought leadership helps build trust and confidence as they move through the buyer journey and compare your offerings, and your brand, to competitors.
• Exact. The content should be laser-focused and address specific use cases, problems, or solutions that your prospects are dealing with. Remember, capturing contact information is only part of the equation. It’s showing that you truly understand their industry and challenges and have the expertise to offer real solutions. This goes a long way in converting prospects into customers.

Gated Video Examples

• Webinars. Webinars, whether live or on demand (VOD), are among the most commonly gated video formats. They should be focused and drill down into specific niche use cases or address industry challenges as opposed to broad, high-level demos that cover general features.
• Interviews and panels. Featuring respected industry experts in interviews or panel discussions can be compelling enough to make a prospect agree to give their contact information. The key is that the content must provide exclusive and focused insights. Proprietary research often works well here. For example, a gated video could feature an analyst breaking down fresh data from your research and offering actionable takeaways for individual sectors.
• Case studies. While case studies are typically considered later-stage content meant to nurture leads, high-profile studies can be effective for generating them as well. The trick is to evaluate the potential impact. If the case study features a well-known brand and demonstrates strong, quantifiable results, it may be worth gating. However, you should also consider whether it may be more strategic as an ungated piece of content that can be used as an awareness asset.

How to Gate Video Content

• Choose the right form type. For live content, like webinars, landing page forms are typically the best choice. For VOD assets, use in-video forms to allow viewers to provide their information without ever leaving the viewing experience.
• Set up interactivity. If you’re using an in-video form, start by accessing your video platform’s interactivity module. For example, in Brightcove Interactivity, you’ll create an interactivity project and click the “Add Lead Form” button.
• Copy and paste the form code. Select the form you want to use from your CRM or marketing automation platform (MAP), then copy and paste its code into your interactivity project. To maintain data integrity and streamline lead management, make sure your video platform integrates with your CRM or MAP. For example, Brightcove integrates with Eloqua, Salesforce, Marketo, and HubSpot, allowing you to use pre-existing forms instead of building new ones each time from scratch.
• Edit gate timing and embed. Decide when the form should appear in the video and resize the form as needed. Once you’ve customized the timing and appearance, you’re ready to embed the form into the video.
• Automate lead forms. For large libraries of gated assets using the same form, you can automate adding lead forms with Brightcove. Just create a new interactivity template instead of a project, and follow the preceding steps. Then, you can apply the template to other videos by setting a tag. Now, instead of manually creating forms for each video, simply add the proper tag to it and the lead form will be added automatically.

Where to Gate Video

Pre-roll Video Gating

Pre-roll gating is generally not recommended, but there are exceptions. It works best when the expectations for the content are already well-established, such as with high-profile expert interviews, exclusive data reveals, or popular annual releases.

Avoid pre-roll gating in most cases, especially for on-demand webinars. Webinar content and viewer expectations can vary significantly, and gating too early often attracts lower-intent leads who are merely curious rather than seriously interested.

Mid-roll Video Gating

Mid-roll gating is effective for most types of content. It follows a “try before you buy” approach that draws viewers in and sets expectations by providing a sampling of the content. It also attracts higher-intent leads since viewers have engaged with some of the material and then show further interest by providing their information to see more.

Avoid mid-roll gating for marquee assets that you plan to segment and heavily repurpose. By keeping the content private, you preserve its value and exclusivity for the most high-intent prospects.

Post-roll Video Gating

Post-roll gating works best for content structured with a pyramid approach where the most impactful conclusion or solution is delivered at the end. Examples of this could be case studies or certain interviews and panels that analyze a data set or study with the key takeaways as a conclusion.

For most content, post-roll gating isn’t ideal. Few assets naturally save their most important information until the end, and trying to force this structure can risk losing leads who might otherwise be engaged.

Gated content can be an effective marketing tool when used strategically. Just remember that not all content is worth gating. Your audience is willing to exchange their information for exclusive content, but they’re expecting that content to be high-quality and relevant to their needs.

By understanding how to select content and how to set up lead forms, you’ll be prepared to leverage the growing demand for gated video.