Content upgrades are an effective way to grow your email list and engage your audience. By offering exclusive bonus content in exchange for an email address, you incentivize readers to subscribe.
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll cover everything you need to know about creating and implementing content upgrades in WordPress.
Contents
What is a Content Upgrade?
A content upgrade is premium or exclusive content that you offer to readers in exchange for their email address. For example:
- eBooks
- Checklists
- Worksheets
- Cheat sheets
- Interviews
- Templates
- Access to a private community
Essentially, it‘s additional high-value content relevant to your blog post topic.
Content upgrades utilize the psychological principle of reciprocity. When you give someone something valuable for free, they feel inclined to return the favor.
By offering an upgrade, you provide immediate value. In exchange, readers feel compelled to subscribe to your email list.
Why Content Upgrades Work
There are several reasons why content upgrades are so effective:
1. Increased Perceived Value
A content upgrade demonstrates you offer premium value beyond your free content. This increases trust and establishes you as an authority.
2. Improved Lead Magnet
Rather than a generic opt-in bait, content upgrades are highly relevant to each post. This results in subscribers who are truly interested in your niche.
3. Utilizes Reciprocity
When you give something of value for free, recipients feel obligated to return the favor in some way. With content upgrades, that favor is joining your email list.
4. Captures Email Earlier
Because upgrades are directly connected to your content, they allow capturing emails higher up the conversion funnel. Readers don‘t need to wait until the end of a post to subscribe.
5. Boosts Engagement
Content upgrades entice readers to click and subscribe to access more value. This increases overall engagement with your content.
In summary, content upgrades tap into human psychology and provide more tailored value to effectively grow your email list.
How to Add Content Upgrades in WordPress
Now let‘s get into how to actually create and implement content upgrades in WordPress.
There are a few different ways to go about it:
Option 1: OptinMonster
One of the easiest ways to add content upgrades is using the OptinMonster WordPress plugin.
OptinMonster allows you to create popups, slide-ins, and other "conversion forms" that gate your upgrade content.
Here‘s how to set it up:
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Install and activate the OptinMonster plugin.
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Create a new campaign and select the "Popup" campaign type.
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Choose a template and customize the copy, design, and layout.
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On the Display Rules tab, select the "OnClick" display option.
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On the Actions tab, configure the success message shown after opting in.
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Copy the unique MonsterLink code.
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Paste the MonsterLink code into your post content to gate the upgrade.
When visitors click the link, OptinMonster will display the popup. After subscribing, they‘ll see the success message granting access to download the upgrade.
This makes it super easy to create and implement content upgrades without coding skills.
Option 2: Homegrown Approach
Alternatively, you can create your own content upgrade delivery system from scratch. Here‘s an overview:
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Create an opt-in form using a plugin like Ninja Forms or WPForms.
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Connect the form to an email newsletter service like Mailchimp.
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Set up a "success message" that displays after opting-in.
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Include a link to download the upgrade in the success message.
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Gate your upgrade content behind a password protection plugin like Members.
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In your post content, add a call-to-action linking to the opt-in form.
This homemade approach requires more technical work but allows limitless customization.
Option 3: Membership Sites
If you have a membership site, you can gate content upgrades behind your paywall.
When visitors land on a post, display a call to action offering the content upgrade with membership access.
You can build this using a WordPress membership plugin like MemberPress, WishList Member, Paid Memberships Pro, etc.
The advantage here is subscribers get immediate access to all gated content.
Best Practices for Content Upgrades
To maximize the impact of your content upgrades, keep these tips in mind:
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Offer upgrades frequently but not on every post. Balance value with email capture.
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Make sure upgrades are highly relevant to each post‘s topic. Generic opt-ins have lower conversion rates.
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Use upgrades primarily on high-traffic posts or pillars. Prioritize where they‘ll generate the most leads.
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Experiment with different types of upgrades like checklists, templates, courses, etc. See what resonates most with your audience.
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Prominently display your upgrade offer within posts. Call attention with images, formatting, and compelling copy.
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Change up placement occasionally. Test as in-content CTAs vs. popups vs. sidebar widgets.
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Combine with other email capture methods like bottom-of-post optins for multi-layered lead gen.
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Provide immediate access to the upgrade upon opting in. Quickly fulfilling what was promised builds trust.
Examples of Effective Content Upgrades
To spark ideas, here are a few examples of content upgrades that perform well:
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For Blog Posts: Downloadable PDF version, related checklist, resource list, related video tutorial
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For Software Reviews: How-to guide, video walkthrough, free trial sign-up, comparison chart
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For Courses: Bonus lesson, exclusive Q&A call, course templates, student resource vault
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For Ebooks: Free companion workbook, access to private community, exclusive discount code
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For Webinars: Slide deck, audio recording, transcript, behind-the-scenes footage
Think through what would add value and get readers excited based on your content format and niche.
Driving Traffic to Content Upgrades
Creating compelling content upgrades is only half the battle. You also need to drive traffic to them with smart promotion.
Here are some effective strategies to get more eyes on your upgrade offers:
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Link to the upgrade-gated post from your email newsletters.
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Promote on social media with behind-the-scenes teasers.
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Run social media ads specifically targeting the gated post.
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Highlight the upgrade in related pin, tweets, and forum posts.
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Build anticipation by mentioning the exclusive bonus early in the post.
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Add the gated post to lead magnet landing pages as a featured resource.
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Remind email subscribers when a new members-only upgrade is published.
Tracking Content Upgrade Conversions
Finally, make sure you‘re tracking key metrics to gauge the performance of your content upgrades.
In your email service and analytics platform, monitor:
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Total content upgrade clicks – How often is the upgrade CTA being clicked?
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Content upgrade to email subscribe rate – What‘s the opt-in conversion rate?
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Pageviews of gated content – How many visitors access the full upgrade?
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Bounce rate of gated pages – How many leave without opting in?
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Email open & click-through rates – How well do recipients engage with your emails?
Use this data to identify which upgrades perform best and fine-tune your promotional efforts.
Final Words
Implementing content upgrades takes some upfront work, but the long-term payoff is well worth it.
Offering exclusive, premium content in exchange for emails taps into human psychology and provides massive value for your audience.
As you experiment with different types of content upgrades, optimization tips, and promotional tactics, you‘ll see your email list, engagement, and authority grow.
What kinds of content upgrades have you tried on your own website? Let us know in the comments below!
