51%
More likely to read the entire document when using a delayed-gate model versus an upfront landing page—even with 25% fewer emails.
More effective at collecting emails with upfront landing page
More likely to read entire content with embedded form gate
Overview
Downloadable content will never leave you in the dark again.
Challenge
For most marketers, the performance of downloadable content is shrouded in mystery.
Which topics sparked intrigue? How did different audiences respond? Which distribution channels drove the deepest engagement?
To get these answers, Microsoft partnered with Contently to access Docalytics, a tool that turns documents like PDFs, PowerPoint presentations, and Keynote decks into dynamic web-based content and tracks reader engagement page by page.
Solution
Docalytics provided Microsoft the data it needed to understand different audience behavior. Heat maps and page-by-page engagement metrics told Freels and her team where and to what degree different readers focused their attention.
These insights helped Microsoft optimize its demand-generation strategy. With Docalytics, Microsoft could alter the topic, length, and structure of a piece of content.
In addition to improving content quality, Docalytics helped fine-tune Microsoft's distribution tactics. When the same asset was distributed across different marketing channels—say, an email campaign or a paid social campaign with a dedicated landing page—Microsoft could test how each audience engaged with unique content.
Microsoft had an internal debate about how to "gate" its content. Should it create a landing page that required readers to provide an email address in order to start reading? Or should it embed a form within the material, which would allow readers to access the first few pages before they had to provide their contact information?
Microsoft decided to test the two options.
Results
Using Docalytics, Microsoft saw that while the upfront landing page was 25 percent more effective at collecting emails, people who filled out the embedded form were 51 percent more likely to read the entire piece of content.
The results drove Microsoft to an important conclusion: While the landing page was effective for lead generation, the delayed gate was better for nurturing leads further along in the buyer journey.
"[Docalytics] helped us to not only improve our content, our e-books, our white papers, but it also allowed us to optimize our demand-engine streams. That was one of the groundbreaking things we were able to do with Docalytics."
Chauncy Freels · Marketing Analytics Lead · Microsoft
More likely to read the entire piece when using a delayed gate vs. landing page.