In today’s digital age, marketing and accessibility have become increasingly intertwined. As businesses strive to reach a wider audience and create a positive brand image, they must also prioritize making their content accessible to all users, including those with disabilities.
Website Design
One of the key ways in which marketing and accessibility come together is through website design and UX(User experience). A well-designed website not only attracts visitors but also ensures that all users can easily access and navigate the content. This includes implementing features such as alt tags for images, captions for videos, breadcrumbs, and using semantic HTML such as clear headings for easy readability. By incorporating these accessibility features, businesses can not only improve the user experience but also enhance their search engine optimization (SEO) efforts.
Why it matters
Designing for inclusivity not only opens up our products and experiences to more
people with a wider range of abilities. It also reflects how people really are. All humans are growing, changing, and adapting to the world around them every day. We want our designs to reflect that diversity.
Every decision we make can raise or lower barriers to participation in society. It’s our
collective responsibility to lower these barriers through inclusive products, services,
environments, and experiences.
Source: https://inclusive.microsoft.design/tools-and-activities/Inclusive101Guidebook.pdf
Marketing Campaigns
Moreover, marketing campaigns themselves can play a crucial role in promoting accessibility. By creating inclusive and diverse advertisements, businesses can send a powerful message that they value and cater to all individuals. This can help build trust and loyalty among customers who appreciate a brand’s commitment to inclusivity.
Understand Your Audience: Conduct thorough market research to understand the demographics, interests, and values of your target audience.
Social media platforms also offer opportunities for businesses to promote accessibility. By using alt text for images and providing closed captions for videos, companies can ensure that their content is accessible to individuals with visual or hearing impairments. Additionally, using descriptive hashtags and keywords can help users with disabilities find relevant content more easily.
Posting on Social Media
The rules for accessibility in copy and design apply on social media, but platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and others also have some special guidelines that don’t come up elsewhere.
Hashtags
#checkouttpmsaccessibilitygame is pretty hard to read and will increase the chances of confusion for people using screen readers or other accessibility devices. Keep hashtags simple. If you must use a longer hashtag, use camelcase to make it easier to decipher. #DoingAccessibilityRight
Emojis
Using emojis in place of text is cute, but can also obscure your meaning and make your post harder to understand. Emojis to enhance your text are great; emojis as text are not cool.
Specialty fonts and characters
Have you ever heard a screen reader try to interpret a Tweet that uses lots of italicized, bold, or specialty fonts? You don’t want to.
In conclusion, marketing and accessibility go hand in hand in today’s digital landscape. By prioritizing accessibility in website design, marketing campaigns, and social media content, businesses can not only reach a wider audience but also demonstrate their commitment to inclusivity. Ultimately, this can lead to increased brand understanding, customer loyalty, and a positive impact on society as a whole.
Sources:
https://totalproductmarketing.com/blog/digital-marketing-campaign-accessibility/
https://inclusive.microsoft.design/
Social media