Creating content material that’s accessible and inclusive is essential within the work of content material advertising and marketing, not just for shaping the notion of your model but additionally for being socially accountable. Your content material must be relatable to everybody within the viewers, regardless of their background or skills, in order that they don’t really feel excluded or tired of your model . Subsequently, accessibility and inclusion shouldn’t be an afterthought however a elementary side of your content material creation technique. On this article, we’ll focus on some key areas to think about whereas crafting advertising and marketing content material on your B2B model that’s each accessible and inclusive.
1) Model information
On the core, your content material staff wants to know what is supposed by accessible and inclusive content material and your organization’s ongoing dedication to it.
You can begin with outlining how your small business will guarantee your content material is accessible and inclusive — and what content material goes towards these requirements.
Your fashion information ought to embody a selected part about language and pictures. Many phrases and phrases are rooted in our vocabulary, and we don’t take into consideration their undertones. For instance, you may specify avoiding using gendered jobs (“fireman”) or phrases like “falls on deaf ears.”
Your fashion information can even notice particular ways in which textual content could be extra accessible. “CamelCase” for hashtags (capitalizing the primary letter of every phrase) is healthier for display readers. Ornamental fonts in social posts are inaccessible to display readers altogether. And, as Chelsea Fortress, who heads up content material at Lavender factors out, you want areas on either side of any emojis.
Further suggestions whereas creating content material that follows your fashion information embody at all times utilizing clear and concise language: Keep away from utilizing overly sophisticated jargon, technical phrases or slang that is likely to be unfamiliar to a few of your readers. Preserve your language easy and straightforward to know.
Pleasant reminder that when you aren’t including areas on either side of your emojis, you are not producing content material that’s totally accessible to all people studying it. đź’ś
— Chelsea Fortress (@ChelseaCastle) February 10, 2023
2) Photographs
Photographs can typically really feel secondary to content material groups. You end a weblog publish and rush to seek out an acceptable hero picture or add some alt textual content. However for the reader, photos are a part of the primary impression.
In case you’re utilizing inventory images or creating illustrations that embody folks, just be sure you’re representing variety: race/ethnicity, gender, age, and talents. With the huge vary of individuals in trendy society, you’ll give off a vibe that your organization isn’t paying consideration — or doesn’t care — in case your photos lack variety.
Give alt textual content the eye it deserves. For anybody utilizing a display reader, your alt textual content ought to have an effect in the best way you anticipate a picture to boost the content material. (Plus, you give context to Google for search engine rankings.)
Write good alt textual content descriptions for your whole photos. And you should utilize them as a option to improve your model content material! A few of the finest alt textual content can also be enjoyable and playful, along with describing the picture.
3) Movies
We’re within the Age of Video. YouTube, TikTok, Instagram Reels… movies have crept into our LinkedIn feeds and even present gross sales outreach methods. And video content material could be limiting for folks in numerous methods, starting from hearing-impaired to neurological problems to ADHD.
If video is a part of your content material technique, keep in mind to make your movies accessible to viewers. Meaning at all times together with closed captions and contemplating further various codecs like audio variations, audio descriptions. You must also embody a transcript for individuals who want to skip the video altogether and browse the content material as a substitute.
Video could be particularly onerous for folks with sensory points, so keep away from auto-playing, loud default volumes or flashing lights.
4) Interviewees
Collaboration is a crucial a part of content material, whether or not you’re interviewing material consultants or internet hosting a webinar. Do your collaborators symbolize a various group of individuals?
With our personal podcast, Elevate B2B Advertising, we’re on a mission, not solely to Elevate the B2B advertising and marketing trade, but additionally to raise the varied voices making an impression inside the area — actively looking for out voices who promote and mirror inclusion (in addition to encourage us all).
Illustration issues, particularly in industries dominated by males, white folks, or each. In case you solely seize the “simple to seek out” consultants in these fields, you’re not getting a variety of views. Even when you’re not conducting dwell interviews however quoting consultants primarily based on analysis, be sure you’re together with marginalized folks — and actively looking for them out.
Ask any of your collaborators for his or her appropriate pronouns. Don’t assume. Use the right pronouns in something you write or any interviews you conduct. In case your collaboration contains audio — both dwell or recorded — ask your collaborator for proper identify pronunciation.
“Collaboration is a crucial a part of content material, whether or not you’re interviewing material consultants or internet hosting a webinar. Do your collaborators symbolize a various group of individuals?” — Katelyn Drake @KB_Drake Click on To Tweet
5) Web site
Many of those components talked about will converge in your web site. And since web sites typically comprise a lot of content material, you’ll need to look at every web page in each internet and cell codecs.
Colours
Colour — and particularly, shade distinction — makes your web site content material extra accessible to folks with visible impairments or who’re colorblind. They’ve issue with sure colours or shade mixtures, probably making it onerous for them to navigate your website.
In case you use a shade scheme with good distinction for a variety of individuals, you’ll improve the general person expertise, no matter visible skills. You’ll be able to run your colours via a distinction checker to see in case your website wants enchancment. This is applicable to textual content, photos, icons, and buttons.
Fonts
Not all fonts are created equal, and a few are very tough for visually impaired folks. If the font is just too small, too skinny, or has a low distinction with the background, it will likely be tough to learn.
Sans serif fonts (like Arial) are higher for folks with dyslexia as a result of the letters are much less crowded. In case you’re searching for a serif font, a mono-spaced font like Courier is less complicated to learn.
General, select one thing easy, with good spacing, and don’t use italicized fonts.
Construction
Creating content material that flows in a logical order is a crucial a part of web site accessibility. Heading twos (H2s) and heading threes (H3s) assist display readers. Breaking apart blocks of textual content with headers additionally helps neurodivergent readers with info processing.
You can even use bullet factors to extend the readability of your posts.
Overview and make modifications as wanted
As Rease Kirchner, senior content material advertising and marketing supervisor at Webflow factors out: “[Inclusive content] will not be a badge of honor you earn with a single initiative or intention — it’s an ongoing and intentional effort.”
As you create your B2B model content material, take into consideration variety and illustration. General, be certain your content material displays variety and keep away from stereotypes. Use inclusive language that doesn’t exclude sure teams of individuals primarily based on gender, race or capacity.
As entrepreneurs, we’re at all times on the alert for modifications on this planet round us. Know-how, tradition, language, work — they’re all continually evolving. And meaning being conscious of further methods to be extra accessible and inclusive sooner or later.
In case you’re searching for a inventive associate to help your model’s content material wants, join with the TopRank Advertising staff. Contact us to study extra!
