When you’re developing a content marketing strategy, it’s essential to think about everyone in your target audience. Small businesses can often get away with pushing accessibility to the back burner, but larger enterprises and corporations need to prioritize it. I’ve heard of several public companies getting in legal disputes due to a lack of focus on accessibility on their websites.
If you haven’t already, it’s time to assess the accessibility of your content marketing.
Being able to craft a fully inclusive and accessible content strategy is what separates good content marketers from great ones. Thankfully, in this tech-forward world, it’s easier than ever to master high accessibility standards.
Consider the last time you audited your content strategy for accessibility. Chances are, it’s time to revamp some things by applying the latest resources in the digital space. Let’s cover a few important elements you should start including in your marketing efforts, so you can meet everyone’s needs, regardless of their ability level or neurotypicality.
Marketing Toward Neurodiverse People
It’s estimated that 15–20% of the world’s population deals with some form of neurodivergence. While we commonly think of issues like autism and ADHD, neurodiversity simply refers to people who have brains that think differently than the “norm.” Because such a large percentage of the population is neurodiverse, it’s crucial to make sure your marketing content speaks to them and doesn’t cause confusion or frustration.
Making your strategy more accessible to neurodiverse people indicates that you know your audience and you’re willing to do whatever it takes to make them feel included.
Your main goal in creating content that is accessible to neurodivergent people should be simplicity. Don’t overcomplicate or overcrowd your content. Some of the best tips that can optimize your website and everything you post for those with neurodiversity include:
- Making all text easy to read
- Getting rid of distractions
- Creating clear calls to action
- Including approximate reading times for blogs and articles
- Using icons and infographics
It’s also essential to make sure your content is accessible on mobile devices. That isn’t just the case for your neurodivergent audience, but for everyone. Many people rely on their phones for regular Internet use, so it’s important to make sure your accessible efforts go beyond the computer screen
Vision and Hearing Issues
Vision and hearing problems are more common than you might think. Approximately 12 million Americans over the age of 40 have some type of vision impairment and 13% of people over the age of 12 deal with some degree of hearing loss. Again, ensuring your content is accessible opens your brand up to the people in these groups, allowing them to experience your corporation without feeling left out or struggling to find information.
Thankfully, with a few key changes, you can make all of your content more inclusive to those with disabilities or who might struggle with their hearing or vision. Consider implementing some of the following ideas into your website, blog, and every digital marketing campaign:
- Use accessible language
- Choose a font and color scheme that’s easy to read/see
- Use headings and subheadings
- Include accessible hyperlinks
Consider things like colorblind-friendly palettes, using subtitles, and optimizing your content so it can be easily picked up by screen readers. It might seem like a lot to think about, but that’s exactly why an audit is important.
An Accessibility Audit
You don’t necessarily have to put all of these accessibility features into place all at once. While you should go out of your way to ensure your business is catering to your whole audience, it’s a good rule of thumb to fix any trouble spots first.
One of the best ways to start is by using one of the many accessibility checkers available that can scan your digital properties to uncover issues. These tools are great for spotting improperly formatted website code, missing alt text and link titles, and color contrast issues that may make your page content difficult to navigate.
Alongside your digital properties, you also may need to look at other marketing methods or “touchpoints” that are getting less attention than others. While accessibility isn’t always the issue, it certainly can be, and can draw your attention to problems that need to be addressed immediately.
Multi-touch attribution is a fantastic way to work through your accessibility audit. It focuses on the customer journey, allowing you to look at touchpoints along the way to determine which ones are working and which ones need to be tweaked.
Different types of multi-touch attribution models put more weight on certain areas of your marketing platforms than others. The leverage you decide to give to each platform is up to you, but make sure you’re including:
- Website
- Blog posts
- Targeted ads
- Promotional emails
- Promotional materials
The more touchpoints you include, the easier it will be to see what people are responding to. Maybe you have an accessible website, but your promotional emails are difficult to read or the coloring is off. Maybe your blog posts use confusing language or they aren’t optimized for screen readers.
Once you’ve performed your accessibility audit, you can go back to the drawing board and either revamp or completely start over with your marketing strategy with a focus on inclusivity. The more inclusive you are, the easier it will be to showcase your company values and create an environment that caters to everyone.
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