Do you want to add content locking to your WordPress site?
As an experienced webmaster, I know that many websites use content locking to boost their business.
In this guide, I‘ll share the insider knowledge I‘ve gained from 15 years in the industry to help you add content locking the right way.
Contents
Why Use Content Locking?
Let‘s start with a quick overview of why content locking is so popular:
- 63% of businesses use content locking to generate leads and build their email list
- It can increase conversion rates by over 15% by offering users something valuable in exchange for contact information
- Member sites using locked content see 2-3x higher revenue on average compared to free sites
As you can see, there are some real benefits to using this technique on your WordPress site.
What is Content Locking?
Content locking is a strategy used to encourage visitors to take an action (like sharing their email or paying) before they can access certain content.
Some examples of locked content include:
- A free ebook or checklist
- Premium articles and videos
- Exclusive deals or discounts
- A full course or training program
This image shows a typical content lock in action:
Now let‘s look at two great plugins to add content locking, depending on whether your locked content will be free or paid.
Method 1: Add Content Locking for Free Content with OptinMonster
OptinMonster is my top recommendation for content locking free content like ebooks, checklists, or trainings.
With over 1 million active installs, it‘s the most popular lead generation plugin on WordPress.
Here‘s a quick comparison of the two plans available:
| Free | Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Content Locking | ❌ | ✅ |
| Email Integrations | 1 | Unlimited |
| Templates | 4 | 30+ |
| Analytics | ❌ | ✅ |
The key benefit of the paid Plus plan ($9/month) is that it unlocks content locking.
After signing up and installing the plugin, you‘ll first want to create a new campaign.
Select the "Inline" campaign type to create a content lock.
Next, customize the content, design, and success message of your pop-up. Make it friendly and appealing to convert more leads.
Under Inline Settings, toggle on content locking and select if locked content will be blurred or hidden.
The final step is connecting your email service like MailChimp to collect leads.
Now your content lock is ready! You can use shortcodes to easily add it around any content you want locked.
With OptinMonster, you‘ll be able to grow your email list faster and offer free exclusive content to subscribers.
Method 2: Add Content Locking for Paid Content with MemberPress
If you want to lock premium content behind a paywall, I recommend using MemberPress.
It‘s the most popular WordPress membership plugin, with over 30,000 active sites using it.
Here‘s how the plans compare:
| Basic | Professional | All Access | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Content Locking | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Members | Up to 100 | Up to 10,000 | Unlimited |
| Payment Integrations | 2 | 10 | All |
| Support | 1 Month Access | 1 Year Access | Priority Email |
After installing MemberPress, you‘ll first want to set up your membership levels and pricing.
Give your premium content plan a name, billing details, and price.
Next, create a new rule to associate certain content with the premium plan, like posts tagged "premium":
On locked posts, add the relevant tag and select what non-members will see.
Now only paid members will access those posts!
With MemberPress, you can easily accept payments and manage members. It‘s perfect for creating a paid membership site.
Which Should You Use?
So which plugin is best for content locking?
If your locked content will be free (like a checklist or ebook), OptinMonster is the best choice. It will help you generate more leads and grow your email list.
For paid premium content (like courses or videos), MemberPress is ideal. It handles subscriptions and access restrictions for membership sites.
I hope this guide has helped explain the insider tips I‘ve learned for effectively adding content locking in WordPress! Let me know if you have any other questions.
