Accessibility Tips For Your Digital Marketing
Accessibility goes far beyond bricks and mortar. It’s about removing barriers in every environment, including digital ones.
In digital spaces, accessibility means creating content that everyone can use, read and understand, including folks with disabilities. That means it should be a key consideration in your digital marketing efforts like social media, blog posts and email campaigns.
Why accessibility matters
The need for accessible content is far-reaching. According to Statistics Canada’s Canadian Survey on Disability, 27 per cent of Canadians (or eight million people aged 15 or older) had at least one disability in 2022. That marks an increase of five percentage points from 2017.
The Accessible Canada Act came into force in 2019, with an overarching goal of realizing a barrier-free Canada by 2040. When you prioritize accessibility in your content and design, you’re helping build a more inclusive, barrier-free community.
Not sure where to start? Keep reading for some accessibility tips for digital marketing.
Accessibility in social media
Social media moves fast (and can often feel like you’re flying by the seat of your pants, even with careful planning and strategy!). As you work to align your efforts with your goals and keep up with the latest viral trends, accessibility should be a key consideration.
Add alt text to images.
Most social media platforms allow you to add alternative text (also known as alt text) to your images. Alt text briefly describes what is in an image so screen readers can convey that information to users who are blind or visually impaired.
Some platforms have AI tools that generate alt text for you, and that’s a great start. Whether you’re using one of those tools or writing it yourself, make sure the key information is included. Be specific and concise. Instead of “photo of dog,” write “Golden retriever puppy sits in a field of flowers.” (No need to write “image of” or “photo of”!)
Also, alt text is an SEO consideration, so include relevant keywords where possible. (But don’t stuff them in there haphazardly!)
Use CamelCase in your hashtags.
If your hashtags include more than one word, capitalize the first letter of each word (like #DigitalMarketingTips). This helps screen readers catch each word appropriately.
Don’t rely on emojis to get your point across.
We love emojis and have been guilty of overusing them on occasion.
They should not, however, carry the entire meaning of your message. A screen reader will read out the description of an emoji, which can become confusing if it’s placed in the middle of a sentence or there are a string of them in a row.
Prioritize written content wherever possible. If you’re using emojis, make sure they a) don’t replace words themselves and b) appear at the end of a sentence. Use them in moderation!
Add captions to videos.
Captions are important for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, but they also benefit people watching videos in noisy environments. Many platforms offer auto-caption functionality, but it’s always worth editing them for accuracy.
Enhance your caption by adding context (like background music) and making sure it remains unobstructed by other visual elements. When it comes to visibility, prioritize high-contrast captions to guarantee they are easily readable for all viewers.
Don’t forget about your graphics.
When designing graphics for social media, avoid packing them with text. Instead, place the majority of the information in the caption or provide a link to a webpage.
Just like with your video captions, prioritize high-contrast visuals to ensure they are easy to read and interpret. There are plenty of contrast-checking tools online. Check ‘em out!
Accessibility in blog posts
As you’ve likely guessed, we’re big fans of blogs at Starling Social. They’re a fantastic way to educate and share stories with your audience. If they’re not accessible, you risk leaving people out.
Some of the social media tips we’ve already outlined apply to blog posts too—for example, always include alt text in your blog images. If an image is decorative in nature, mark it as such so screen readers skip it. And always include subtitles on embedded videos!
Structure your blog with headings.
In this blog post, you’ll see how we’ve broken down our content into heading tags (H1, H2, H3) to organize the content. This hierarchical approach helps screen readers understand the layout and allows users to easily navigate the content—and helps with SEO, to boot!
On that same note…
Use bullets and numbers to break up text.
No one likes coming to a blog (or webpage) and seeing a huge block of text. Break up text with bullet points and numbers.
Write descriptive text for links.
Avoid vague link text like “Click here” and use more descriptive language that tells the reader what they’re clicking and where they’re headed (“Visit the Starling Social blog”). Think action-oriented language!
Write in plain language.
Plain language isn’t just good for accessibility—it’s good writing. Avoid jargon and overly technical language. Opt for short, concise sentences. Spell out acronyms the first time you use them.
Make sure text is readable.
Font type (and size), spacing, contrast—it all plays a role.
Use high-contrast color combinations, like black text on a white background, paired with clean, easy-to-read fonts. Different sources recommend different font sizes, but it’s recommended to use at least 12 or 14 pt. Avoid large blocks of uppercase text as it can be hard to read on a screen.
Accessibility in email
Whether you’re sending a newsletter or a marketing campaign, email accessibility is often overlooked but just as important. The good news: A lot of what we’ve already covered (alt text, structure, contrast, etc.) applies to email content, too.
1. Use semantic HTML.
Use semantic HTML elements like headings, paragraphs and lists. Avoid building your entire email as an image (some screen readers can’t read it, and it may be blocked by email clients).
2. Write descriptive subject lines.
Your subject line is often the first thing someone sees, so make it count and make it clear! For screen reader users, vague or overly clever subject lines can be confusing or misleading. (Ditto for inserting too many emojis.)
3. Test for readability on mobile devices.
A significant portion of emails are read on phones. Design your emails for readability and use responsive design, avoiding tiny fonts, cluttered layouts or long, unbroken paragraphs.
Accessibility isn’t a one-time checklist. As standards and best practices evolve, so should your approach. Invest the time for ongoing learning and refining your content across all platforms.
Before you hit “post” or “send,” consider if there are any barriers to accessing your content. Even small changes can make a big difference. The best part? Accessible content and design improves the experience for everyone, not just folks with disabilities.
To see how we can help with your digital marketing, check out our services. If you’d like to see part two of this series, get in touch with our team today.
