Inclusive and Accessible Marketing Practices for Small Business Owners

A few small changes to your marketing strategy can get you in front of more customers. The secret? A marketing plan that prioritizes accessibility.

Accessible marketing practices maximize your efforts and signal to your community that you care about inclusion.

Here are a few top-of-mind considerations when it comes to making your marketing efforts more accessible:

1. Clear Branding and Messaging

Everyone understands information in unique ways. Recognizing this diversity can help you create a marketing campaign that will connect with more people. With a few minor changes, you can clarify your existing branding and messaging, resulting in a better brand reputation as everyone feels included in your messaging.

Inclusive Language and Messaging

In your marketing materials, ensure that your messaging is inclusive and respectful. Learn about plain language best practices and familiarize yourself with appropriate language in diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

  • Use plain language
  • Use headings, bullet points, and clear formatting to organize your content
  • Define any terms that a general audience might not understand

Next Steps: Review SBBC’s Accessibility Glossary and get confident in your inclusive messaging.

Inclusive Imagery

The images used in your marketing should reflect the genuine diversity of your customers and community. To avoid stereotypes, ensure that your imagery features individuals who vary in body time, ethnicity, gender, and ability with authentic representation. Additionally, all imagery should be accessible, so add clear and detailed alt-text descriptions for visuals and graphics on websites and social media.

Next Steps: Visit our Website Accessibility page for more tools and resources to make your website more accessible.

2.  Accessible Web Content

When your website is accessible, you improve the overall user experience and reach more consumers. Website accessibility means that people with disabilities can use a website easily and have equal access to information online.

Tip: Many people rely on features like text resizing and accessibility apps to use the internet, so be sure to optimize your content for mobile devices using responsive design.

Here are some examples of how you can make web content more accessible:

  • Include subtitles on all video content
  • Add alt-text (brief descriptions of images) to all images
  • Have a simple, user-friendly interface

Next Steps: Visit our Website Accessibility page and watch the free webinar on Website Accessibility and Inclusive Design.

3. Accessible Social Media

Most marketing strategies use social media to get your messaging out to your customers. As you share on social media, consider these strategies:

  • Image alt-text: Platforms like Instagram and LinkedIn allow you to add alt-text to your images
  • Hashtag formatting: Write hashtags in CamelCase (e.g., #SmallBusinessBC) to make them easier to read for everyone, including people using screen readers
  • Video transcripts: As you post a video, include a full transcription in the video description

Next Steps: Check out Accessible Employers’ free Accessibility in Marketing Online Course and see if it’s a good fit for you.

4. Accessible Email Marketing

Even your email marketing strategy can be improved with accessibility considerations.

  • Plain Text Emails: Offer plain text versions of your emails in addition to your HTML-based emails
  • Descriptive Links: use descriptive anchor text for links instead of “click here”
  • Readable fonts: Use simple and easy-to-read fonts

3. Hosting Accessible Events

If events and activations are part of your overall marketing strategy, then it’s important to review how you can make your next event more accessible. Planning an accessible event means more than just choosing a location that meets basic accessibility standards. Here are some more things to keep in mind throughout the planning process:

  • Provide various communication methods to connect with your team, such as phone calls, video calls, and email, to allow people to communicate their accessibility needs.
  • Consider offering live captioning services, live streaming services, and American Sign Language (ASL)interpretation where appropriate
  • Events should not be overly enrolled – consider offering duplicate sessions rather than maximizing capacity at the cost of accessibility.
  • Create a layout that will allow people to move well throughout the space.
  • Ensure emergency exits are accessible for people using wheelchairs, mobility devices, or for those with limited mobility.
  • Leave space between seats and tables so that a wheelchair user can navigate the space.
  • Reserve seats and spaces for people with disabilities to use.
  • Ensure that your venue has accessible restroom facilities.

Next Steps: Read our guide to making events accessible and download the free checklist.

With files from Kate Glinnum.

Continue your Accessibility Journey with SBBC

Small Business BC is a non-profit resource centre for BC-based small businesses. Our Workplace Accessibility Resources page is full of tips, tools, and more to support your next stage.

We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction.

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