Content unlocking has received a lot of press of late. Not only because it is the new kid on the block in monetizing the web, but because it yields real results. Content locking is now considered the best way of giving returns to webmasters, bloggers, forum administrators as well as owners of any type of digital content from photos and pictures to mp3s, videos, PDFs. No other method is as simple nor as effective as the content lock. Wewould go so far as to say, it is as a new wave of advertising that threatens to eclipse the “obsolete” methods others use to create revenue from web and mobile assets.
One of the first questions we get asked by almost every publisher in the Leadbolt network is – what kind of content should I be locking? The answer is simply – any kind of digital content.
A product’s success is typically achieved through being the centerpiece in a situation of high demand and low alternatives – success with content locking stems from that very same idea. If you’re providing content that is valuable to the user, and enough users know this content exists (enter SEO, social media, etc. strategies here), that is theroot of a winning content unlocking campaign.
For example, you may be a gifted writer and illustrator authoring your own digital comic books. Instead of selling these comic books at a flat rate or adopting a subscription service, why not monetize each download without charging the user a dime?
This is where content unlocking is at its prime. Once the user is engaged with the comic and has made the decision to download, they are prompted with the content unlocker that will ask them to complete one of three targeted offers prior to downloading. As an offer is completed, the user now has access to your comic book and the advertiser will pay you anywhere from$0.40-$12, for that lead.
You’re also provided the opportunity to customize your unlocker, giving this intelligent monetization layer a professional look that accurately reflects that aesthetic of your content. Insert one of yourcolorful illustrations as a background skin and draw up some appealing copysuch as, “Please complete ones of these offers in order to receive the latest edition of [insert title here] and help support the author!”. Marketing at its finest.
Here are some great ideas on how you can join the content locking revolution.
E-book
Say you are very knowledgeable about auto repairs, computer programming, bird watching, or just about any other hobbythat you could easily blog about. Now, draw out some thoughtful topics thatprovide valuable insight of the hobby. Populate those topics with some helpful tips, interesting trivia, and additional content other aficionados would find interesting.
Once you have yourself a comprehensive document on this hobby, turn into a PDF and upload to any file sharing service that provides a download link to the file. Create a simple WordPress blog that gives a brief overview of the e-book; basically selling the valuable content the e-book provides. Place the link on a sub-page of the blog and provide an attractive call-to-action.
On the sub-page of which the download link toyour e-book is placed, this is where you will embed the content unlocker script. Before the user has access to the download link, the will unlocker will prompt and require the completion of one out of three targeted offers. Once the user has completed this offer, they will have access to your valuable e-book and the advertiser will pay you for this lead.
Old Documents
Take some of those old documents from your university days and turn them into potential goldmines. Students are alwayshunting for documents they can reference for their own essays, so why not provide them a valuable resource that you can monetize?
For example, that stellar overview you wrote for your exam on Of Mice And Men could serve as quite a benefit for students studying for their exam on the same topic. Convert that overview into a PDFfile, create a promotional blog, incorporate some effective SEO strategies, and rank for the relevant keywords.
Following the same strategy as the e-book example, make sure you lock the sub-page of the blog containing your download link and clear call-to-action. Now those old documents clogging up your hard drive can generate passive income for you!
Video Collections
Let’s assume you and your friends are aspiring filmmakers and have a collection of short films featured on your own Youtube channel. Let’s also assume that you create one every three weeks and upload it to your channel as soon as it’s complete. Now you’re at the point where you have quite a number of fans and receive thousands of views for each video but generate little to no revenue as a result.
Let’s create a blog that will act as your “showcase theatre”, where all the current and future fans of your films come to view your latest installment. Before the user is able to view the video (uploaded by a third-party video upload service that locks the video), theymust complete one of three targeted offers provided on the content unlocker. In return, each view will result in dollars as the advertiser will pay out anywhere from $0.40-$12 for each offer completion.
Not only have you monetized no-cost products, you have increased the potential for download numbers based on your attractive price tag (or lack thereof). Content locking is so easy, the skys the limit. Go ahead, try these strategies and witness the awesome monetization potential that only content locking provides.
