Our world has gone digital, and with that has come the rise of social media. While some may have negative feelings about the use of social media, we can’t deny its importance — especially for business owners and brand builders.
Here are some stats according to Sprout Social:
- 55% of consumers learn about new brands through social media
- 68% of consumers agree that social media enables them to interact with brands and companies
- 72% of companies use social media data to inform business decisions
Now, let’s look back at one statistic in particular: 68% of consumers agree that social media enables them to interact with brands and companies. Social media greatly affects how companies interact with their patrons and vice versa. This means you want to leave a window of communication open for customers to engage with your brand’s content, and by doing that, you have to include everyone.
Every person who sees or engages with your content is a potential customer or, for local businesses, a potential way to spread the word. Your company or brand could overlook many potential consumers by not having a digitally accessible social media presence.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that at least 2.2 billion people globally have near or distance vision impairment.
In terms of deafness and hearing loss, another WHO report says. Nearly 2.5 billion people will have hearing loss by 2050, and at least 700 million will need hearing rehabilitation.
Since social media outreach can extend past borders, your content could reach a global audience, meaning this is a large part of the population that deserves consideration when your company is creating social media content.
Here are tips to make sure you’re engaging and connecting with your full potential audience:
Be considerate with capitalization: Overusing full caps can make content difficult to read and be misinterpreted by screen readers.
When using multi-word hashtags, use camel case (also referred to as medial capitals). This is when the first letter of each word in the hashtag is capitalized, which makes it more legible for those with low vision and screen readers.
Pro-tip for hashtags: Ensure they are at the end since screen readers read punctuation aloud. This also goes for mentions, known as @ signs used for tagging.
Limit emojis: While emojis can seem like a fun addition to copy, they’re disruptive when read aloud by assistive technology since screen readers describe and read emojis aloud.
For example: “loudly crying face” doesn’t translate well in the middle of a sentence and can confuse your audience.
Use active voice in call-to-actions (CTAs): Phrases like “click here” and “tap the link” don’t give the reader much context, which causes a gap in understanding. Using descriptive, action-based phrases like “sign up” or “subscribe” clearly communicates the message.
Representation matters, be inclusive: Be sure to make sure your content is inclusive and avoids ableist language. It is also important to be inclusive when choosing photos and videos to post.
Include descriptive captions and alternative text: Be as descriptive as possible in captions and alternative (alt) text. Using descriptive words allows people to visualize what they cannot see in the photo, video, or gif, which enables them to be more engaged and feel included.
Pro-tip for alt text: Don’t bother saying “photo of” or “image of” before the description. Most screen readers prefer more concise descriptions.
Consider color contrast: The minimum recommended color contrast is 4.5 to 1. This is the ideal contrast between text and background color, which also considers those who are colorblind.
Pro-tip for color choice: Never use green and red or blue and yellow combinations as they are difficult to read.
When creating digitally accessible content, your best source for ways to improve will come from your audience. Be open and considerate to the feedback you receive.
Another source of feedback is testing your content. When working on captions or alt text, read it aloud to hear for yourself how it sounds. Your company can even run content through assistive technology before posting at a checkpoint. For graphics, Color Oracle is a site that simulates color blindness.
Digital accessibility should not be an afterthought and instead should be at the forefront during the creative process, whether through photos, video, graphics, or social posts. Make your audience feel included to expand your reach in our global, digital world. With the tips above, you will be on your way to creating dynamic and inclusive content to reach your full audience potential.
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