Nowadays, where digital presence is fundamental to the success of any business, reaching and engaging a diverse audience is crucial. However, many companies neglect a vital aspect of achieving this diversity: the accessibility of content.
With that in mind, in this article we'll look at what is accessible content, its importance, the benefits for brands and the main strategies to ensure that your content is inclusive and effective. Let's go?
What is accessible content?
Accessible content refers to the practice of creating digital materials that are easily perceived, understood and used by all people, regardless of their physical or cognitive abilities. This includes people with visual, hearing, motor or cognitive impairments, as well as those who may be experiencing temporary limitations, such as slow internet connections.
For example, a website with accessible content must consider aspects such as navigability for people with motor disabilities, clarity and simplicity of language for people with cognitive difficulties, and even performance optimization to ensure that people with slow internet connections can access the content without problems.
In essence, accessible content is about ensuring that no one is left behind. It's about recognizing and respecting the diversity of people's abilities, experiences and needs and acting proactively to ensure that everyone has equal access to information and participation online.
When content is truly accessible, it not only complies with legal and ethical obligations, but also promotes a more inclusive and equitable society, where everyone has the opportunity to get involved, contribute and thrive.
Why is it important to invest in accessible content?
Investing in accessible content is not just a question of complying with regulations or being politically correct. On the contrary! It's also a smart business strategy.
By facilitating access to your content, you broaden your reach to a more diverse audience, which can result in greater engagement, customer loyalty and even increased sales. It also demonstrates a genuine commitment to inclusion and equality, which can strengthen your brand's reputation and attract loyal customers.
Benefits of digital accessibility for brands
Investing in accessible content promotes inclusion and equality, and brings a series of tangible benefits for brands. Here are some of the main benefits:
Expanding the target audience
By making your content accessible, you are removing the barriers that prevent people with disabilities from accessing your information.
In other words, this means that you are potentially reaching a wider and more diverse audience, including people with visual, hearing, motor or cognitive disabilities, as well as the elderly and those who may be in temporary situations of limitation, such as recovering from injuries.
And here it's worth noting that a larger audience means more opportunities for engagement, conversion and loyalty.
Improved user experience
As we pointed out earlier, accessibility is not just about meeting the needs of people with disabilities. It's also about creating a more intuitive, user-friendly and efficient experience for all users.
Therefore, by adopting accessibility practices, you are creating a digital environment that is easier to navigate, understand and interact with. This can lead to higher engagement rates, longer time on site and a positive brand impression.
Legal compliance
In many regions, there are regulations that require digital content to be accessible to everyone. For example, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has developed the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to ensure that websites are accessible to people with disabilities or limitations.
That's why investing in accessibility is also a great way to save time and resources in the future, avoiding fines and legal action that could damage your brand's reputation.
Brand reputation
Demonstrating a genuine commitment to inclusion and equality can strengthen your brand's reputation. Keep in mind that consumers are increasingly aware of companies' ethical practices and are more likely to support brands that demonstrate values in line with their own.
So we can say that accessible content isn't just good for business. It's much more than that. It's also a statement of commitment to diversity and equality, which can lead to greater customer loyalty and positive word-of-mouth recommendations.
Innovation and differentiation
The search for accessibility often leads to innovation and creativity.
By this, we mean that by considering the needs of different types of users, you can find new ways to present your content, create products or services, and even reach previously neglected markets.
Therefore, accessibility should not be seen as an obligation, but as an opportunity to drive innovation and differentiate your brand from the competition, creating a point of reference for your brand. differentiation unique on the market.
Key strategies for making your content accessible
To ensure that your content is truly accessible, it is important to implement a variety of strategies that address the diverse needs of all users. Here are some of the main strategies for making content accessible:
Suitable font size
Use font sizes that are easy to read, especially for people with visual impairments or the elderly. Also, allow users to adjust the font size as necessary by offering zoom options or text size controls on your website or application.
Colors and contrast
Choose color schemes with good contrast to ensure that the text is clearly legible on different devices and lighting conditions. Avoid color combinations that can make reading difficult for visually impaired people, such as light gray text on a white background. Test the accessibility of colors using available online tools.
Descriptive texts in images
In addition, include alternative texts on all images so that visually impaired people can understand the content of the images using screen readers. But not just any text. Alternative texts should be descriptive and concise, conveying the same information or context as the original image.
Subtitles in videos
Add subtitles or transcripts to videos to ensure that hearing-impaired people can understand the content. Also, provide video playback controls that allow users to easily pause, rewind and fast forward the video for easy navigation.
Simple, clear language
Use simple, direct and concise language throughout the content to make it easier to understand, especially for people with cognitive difficulties, dyslexia or beginner readers.
In this sense, avoid jargon, complicated phrases or unnecessary technical vocabulary. Read-aloud tools can help identify areas of text that can be simplified.
Multi-sensory content
Offer a variety of content formats, such as text, audio and videoIn addition to written articles, you can create podcasts, infographics or explanatory videos to convey information in a more accessible and engaging way. For example, in addition to written articles, you can create podcasts, infographics or explanatory videos to convey information in a more accessible and engaging way.
Navigation and keyboard
Make sure that your website or application is easily navigable using only the keyboard, without relying exclusively on the use of the mouse. This is especially important for people with motor disabilities who may have difficulty using a mouse. Provide clear and consistent keyboard shortcuts to help users quickly navigate through content.
Conclusion
Creating accessible content requires attention to many details, but the benefits for your brand and your audience are undeniable. By investing in accessibility strategies, you not only reach a wider audience, but also demonstrate a commitment to inclusion and equality.
If you need help implementing these strategies, a professional marketing agency how CMLO&CO can guide you through the process. We develop inclusive and efficient marketing strategies, ensuring that your content is accessible to everyone. Talk to our marketing and advertising experts.
