Social media has given businesses a platform to directly market to interested consumers. An accessible online presence has become essential for companies to maximize their social media marketing potential.
An accessible social media strategy meets all users where they are, including those with disabilities. This article will discuss how incorporating accessibility principles into a business’s online marketing can extend its reach and be a powerful marketing tool.
What is Social Media Accessibility?
Social media accessibility aims to make social media platforms usable by people with disabilities, including those with visual, physical, auditory, cognitive, speech, and neurological disabilities; this aims to ensure that these individuals have equal access to social platforms, consume social media content, and engage with others online.
How Accessibility in Social Media Can Be A Valuable Marketing Tool
Accessible social media platforms open the door to a broader audience, enrich the customer experience, provide unique growth opportunities, and significantly enhance the brand’s overall impact.
Increases Visibility
Nearly 60% of U.S. individuals with disabilities reside in households with internet access. Inclusive content has the potential to be discovered, consumed, and engaged with by many more users across various social platforms.
Greater visibility means expanded opportunities to reach untapped diverse audiences and grow the follower base over time. Accessible brands see more traffic from search engines because their content has better optimization for assistive technologies.
Helps to Reach a Wider Audience
Accessible social profiles aren’t just beneficial for users with disabilities. They also help the brand reach a bigger audience, including users with temporary impairments, poor network connections, and those viewing the content on mobile devices or older technology.
Considering diverse circumstances, the brand appears more thoughtful and welcoming to audiences beyond limited demographics; this can also appeal to the growing number of senior social media users and connect with potential customers from all backgrounds.
Communicates a Positive Message about Your Brand
Conveying accessibility through profiles and updates demonstrates a commitment to inclusiveness, diversity, and exceptional customer experience. It sends the message that the business values empowering all potential customers regardless of ability or circumstance.
Customers will feel respected when the business prioritizes their needs, whether a disability or other constraint; this strengthens relationships and trust as people recognize the brand as one that does not leave anyone behind in its service or vision. Ultimately, thoughtful inclusion reflects brand values and social responsibility.
Opens the Door to Better Customer Service
Inclusive design on social platforms establishes the framework for accessible customer experiences across all digital channels where people may interact with the brand. By understanding diverse needs and putting accessibility first in core operations, you’ll be better equipped to seamlessly provide inclusive service to any customer.
This lays the foundation for higher satisfaction and loyalty through a commitment to usability, respect, and empowerment. Overlooking accessibility can prevent businesses from receiving certain complaints or feedback from customers facing barriers, so addressing it proactively builds better relationships.
Inclusive Design Tips for Social Media
To effectively leverage the benefits of accessibility in social media marketing efforts, it’s essential to implement inclusive design practices across various platforms.
Add Alt Texts
Alt text provides descriptions of images, allowing screen reader users to perceive and understand their content. Include concise, contextual alt text for every image on social profiles. Think of alt text as a substitute for visually seeing the image since this text gets read aloud. Keep language factual rather than cluttered while fully portraying what’s shown through description alone. Ensure the meaning is conveyed even without seeing accompanying visuals.
Add Closed captions and subtitles to Videos
Videos have taken over social media, creating barriers for hard-of-hearing communities without captions. Adding closed captions or subtitles for deaf users not only helps them access information conveyed in the visual content but also boosts SEO.
Make Your Text Accessible
When creating social media content, readability and accessibility should be top priorities. Use clear, concise language without complex jargon to make posts easy for all users to understand. Break up lengthy blocks of text with headings and bullet points to visually separate different topics for scanning.
Be Mindful of Using Emojis
Emojis add personality but rely on inherent meaning, so they pose accessibility challenges for users relying on screen readers or other assistive technologies. Use them sparingly and provide descriptions when used so their meaning isn’t limited.
Design Accessible Visual Content
Visual elements like infographics, memes, and graphics have become powerful marketing tools across social platforms. When designing such visual content, focus on features that enhance accessibility and comprehension for all users.
Employ high-contrast color palettes so key details distinctly stand out. Use clear fonts of sufficient size for text overlaying graphics. Always include alt text descriptions for any visuals, allowing individuals with visual impairments to understand through other means like screen readers.
Use CamelCase hashtags
Hashtags serve an essential role in sorting and highlighting content across social networks. However, for users living with certain disabilities, hashtags can pose readability obstacles. To solve this, employ CamelCase capitalization. Scanning and vocalizing hashtags becomes much simpler by writing hashtags with each word’s initial letter capitalized (#LikeThis instead of #likethis). The highlighted visual contrast supports individuals with low vision, while the title capitalization format translates readily for screen readers.
Be Open to Feedback
Accessibility should be a work in progress, not a one-time fix. Stay receptive to guidance from users navigating limitations of various forms. Provide accessibility across all your platforms. Schedule an accessibility audit for your website to examine compliance with standards like Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
Inclusive Approach Helps Your Business Grow
An inclusive strategy fosters long-term growth and resilience by empowering the widest demographic to engage as customers. Over time, implementing best practices for accessibility strengthens brand equity as a thoughtful, empowering business welcoming diversity. It nurtures loyal relationships with a broad community and removes barriers that could arise from an unaccommodating experience. A commitment to usability for all sets businesses up to prosper through inclusive leadership with customers at the core.
