Your Marketing Campaigns Should Be Inclusive: 8 Tips for Creating Accessible Content
In today’s digital age, the importance of creating content that is accessible cannot be overstated. From social media posts to websites, businesses, and individuals must ensure that their content can be accessed and understood by their target audience, including people with disabilities.
Unfortunately, many individuals with disabilities still face barriers to accessing online content. As a result, people with disabilities tend to use the internet less frequently than people who don’t have them; in fact, according to a 2021 Pew Research poll, people with disabilities are three times more likely to claim to “never go online” and are less likely to use the internet daily.
Inaccessible content not only limits the ability of people with disabilities to access important information and resources but also puts businesses at risk of violating accessibility laws and missing out on potential customers.
In this article, I will explore the problems associated with inaccessible content and provide eight key ways businesses can make their content more accessible.
1. Use alternative text.
Alternative text is a great way to help people with visual impairments view your posts. Screen readers can use alternative text to describe the image to visually impaired people. While many websites automatically populate the Alt Text, it’s still best practice to make sure to add to or at least double-check the Alt Text to ensure that visually impaired people have the best experience.
How to Use Alternative Text
Alternative Text is simply a description of an image. Alternative Text is not a caption, but rather a separate set of text that usually appears as a popup in a corner of the post.
Alternative Text: Image of a single tree with green leaves in a field of green, healthy grass. The tree is in front of a background of pink clouds in a blue sky.
2. Use high-contrast colors.
If you place text on a background that is too similar to the color of the text, it’s a challenge to read the words, especially for people with visual impairments.
How to Contrast Your Colors
The best way to make sure your colors are easy to read is to use a dark background with light text or a light background with dark text. If you’re having trouble eyeballing it, don’t worry; tools are available to help. Use tools like Coolors.co’s Contrast Checker to ensure that your words are legible.
Pro-Tip:
If you’re having trouble creating a high contrast between your text and your background, use white text with a black outline around it. It will be universally legible regardless of the background.
3. Use plain language.
Plain language and simple words are the best way to ensure that your marketing text is easily understood across all educational backgrounds and experience levels. Jargon-filled or excessively lengthy text can confuse your audience, which is the last thing you want. The reality is that your audience likely won’t take the time to try to unpack difficult-to-understand campaigns and products. Instead, they’ll move on to a competitor. Unless your client base is highly educated or highly specialized, you should probably keep the jargon and fancy language to a minimum.
How to Use Plain Language
In most cases, your copy should be simple and to the point. The more complicated your text is to understand, the more people you potentially alienate from your audience. Here are some examples of jargony statements versus easier-to-understand sentences.
Jargon-filled statement
We need to increase our brand awareness through a comprehensive marketing campaign that includes paid advertising, social media marketing, and content marketing.
Simplified sentence:
We need to inform people about our company by advertising online and by creating helpful content.
Jargon-filled statement:
We will leverage our core competencies and synergize our resources to achieve our strategic objectives.
Simplified version:
We will use our skills and knowledge to reach our goals.
4. Use inclusive language.
When you’re marketing to your audience, you must be very careful to use language that is respectful to everyone, regardless of their background. In doing this, you avoid alienating potential customers and allow your business to reach a wider audience of people who may be interested in your product or service. When you respect your audience beyond their ability to give you money and become dedicated to providing value, they’ll trust you.
How to make your writing inclusive
Be respectful of people’s cultures and identities.
For example: Instead of “handicapped” or “crippled,” use “person with a disability.”
Be willing to do the research.
We don’t always have the answers — and that’s okay! But we must always be willing and open to learning the answers. If you’re unsure if a term is acceptable or respectful — Google it or talk to community members.
5. Use inclusive images.
Take a minute to think about your target audience and anyone else who may use or benefit from the use of your products. Now look at the images you use in your marketing. Is there a gap? Who is represented in your pictures? Who isn’t? Have you considered members of your audience of different races, genders, and disabilities?
Above all, audiences want to feel seen and see themselves represented when they consider purchasing a product. Otherwise, you risk having audiences feel like the product wasn’t meant for them.
6. Use subtitles & closed captions for your videos
Subtitles can help hearing-impaired people and people who are not auditory learners watch and comprehend your videos. These can be done in a variety of ways. You can use automatic transcription programs that are available through different websites, hire someone to do it, or do it yourself.
7. Create content using a variety of mediums.
Some content can be more easily consumed than others. One idea can be turned into so many different types of content. For example, if I were to advertise a speaking engagement, I could turn that content into: :
- Long-form video of the speech
- Short-form video clips
- A single image of a quote
- An image of the speaker with a caption that explains the key points
- A carousel of the critical issues made in the speech
- A statistic quoted by the speaker
- An infographic that breaks down key points
8. Camel-Case your hashtags
For people that use screen readers, camel-case hashtags make life easier. An example of a camel-case hashtag is #MakeSocialMediaAccessible instead of #makesocialmediaaccessible.
Final Thoughts
All in all, accessibility matters! To market well (and be a good person overall), you must be empathetic towards others — so make your audience feel welcomed and included!
Social media marketing can be a complex task to take on, especially when you’re busy running your business. That’s why I’m here to help you! If you’re still struggling with building your digital presence, email me at hello@briannamwalton.com to get started.
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Socially Interstellar
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