Content for All: Creating Inclusive Content for Social Media
Learn to make your content on social media inclusive, accessible, and usable for your audience!
Introduction
Social media has the potential to connect people and create rich communities of individuals who share similar interests. These environments give people a digital space to feel seen and heard. As content creators facilitating these communities, it’s essential to understand the nuances of inclusion and accessibility on social media.
When content creators can break down barriers that individuals may face in interacting with online content, it can make a world of difference in helping people feel included in a community. For some, these online spaces are among the few places where they feel genuinely connected to others.
As we create and share content, we are essentially building a digital environment. The broader an audience we can reach and engage, the stronger our audience connection will be, resulting in a more inclusive community. Not only that, but this inclusivity can often improve our performance on social media as well.
What Is Digital Accessibility?
Digital accessibility is the practice of designing and developing digital content in ways that are usable by as many people as possible, including those with disabilities.
A helpful reminder for content creators is: "I cannot assume everyone uses social media the same way I do."
A common pitfall is designing content in a way that only works for ourselves, assuming everyone experiences social media as we do. For example, many content creators work from desktop computers and may overlook how their content appears on mobile devices. However, most people access social media on mobile devices, where the experience can be drastically different.
Why Design Social Media Content for Mobile
A "mobile-first" approach—designing content with mobile users as the priority—is essential, as most people view content on mobile devices. For social media, where mobile access is so prevalent, prioritizing mobile-friendly design can ensure the best user experience across platforms.
Understanding the Needs of Our Audience
Audience is the most important factor in content performance on social media. To create effective, accessible content, it’s valuable to conduct an audience analysis to understand the demographics and needs of the people engaging with our posts.
While audience analyses typically consider factors like location, age, occupation, and preferred media formats, they can often overlook users with disabilities. Here are some key considerations for creating accessible content:
- Visual Impairments: People with low vision, no vision, or color blindness may use screen readers to interact with content. Ensuring compatibility with screen readers and selecting high-contrast color schemes can improve accessibility.
- Hearing Impairments: Individuals with partial or full hearing loss may rely on closed captions for videos. Adding captions to videos allows for a more inclusive experience.
- Cognitive Disabilities: People with ADHD, autism, or dyslexia may experience information overload. Structuring content clearly and minimizing unnecessary information can make it easier for them to engage.
- Motor Disabilities: For users with physical limitations, spacing out clickable elements like links or tags can make interacting with content easier.
These are just a few ways to consider accessibility in content creation.
What Is Inaccessible Content?
Here are some examples of content that may create accessibility issues:
- Videos Without Captions: Videos, including Reels, Shorts, and Story posts, that lack captions can be challenging for both hearing-impaired and hearing-abled users. Adding captions is essential for accessibility.
- Graphics with Low Color Contrast: Using colors with poor contrast can make text hard to read. Tools like the WebAIM Color Contrast Checker can help determine if your color choices are accessible.
- Font Size That Is Too Small: Packing too much text into a graphic can make it difficult to read. Instead, use fewer words and larger font sizes to make content clearer and less overwhelming.
Best Practices for Creating Inclusive Content on Social Media
Many of the tips shared here apply to all web content, not just social media. Creating accessible, user-friendly content not only fosters a more inclusive environment but can also enhance content performance, boost engagement rates, and improve search engine optimization.
Wait! Before You Hit SHARE…
Ensure your content is accessible and user-friendly. This applies to both sharing content from other pages and publishing your own.
- Avoid Direct PDF Links: Directly linking to PDFs can pose accessibility challenges, as they are often not mobile-friendly and may be unreadable by screen readers. Instead, link to a webpage with the same content, which improves user experience across devices.
Creating accessible content not only enhances inclusivity but increases the chances of others sharing your content, benefiting everyone.
Writing Tips for Social Media
- Use Plain, Inclusive Language: Simplify your language and avoid jargon, field-specific terms, and potentially exclusive terms. Inclusive writing avoids labels like “normal” vs. “different” and uses gender-neutral language. This style makes content easier to read for people of varied backgrounds and reading abilities.
- Break Up Large Text Blocks: Short paragraphs (1-3 sentences) are easier to read on mobile devices. Long paragraphs require more cognitive load and are harder to digest, particularly on smaller screens.
- Make Lists for Better Readability: When listing items, use bullets or numbered lists instead of paragraphs. Lists reduce cognitive load and enhance the user experience by making information scannable.
- Limit Emojis and Consecutive Emojis: Emojis can disrupt readability for users relying on screen readers. Limit them, especially consecutive emojis, and place them at the end of sentences. Avoid replacing words with emojis unless you’re sure the meaning is clear.
- Use Hashtags Sparingly and in CamelCase: Limit hashtags, as they can add cognitive load. For readability, use CamelCase (capitalize each word within a hashtag, like #ThisIsCamelCase). This makes hashtags more accessible to screen readers and easier for everyone to understand.
Using Images on Social Media
Visuals, such as photos, graphics, and GIFs, improve engagement, but some types can reduce accessibility.
- Avoid Sharing Flyer Images Directly: Flyers designed for print can be problematic on social media. They often contain too much text, aren’t mobile-friendly, and make it hard to add alt text. Instead, create a simplified social media graphic with essential information.
- Add Alt Text to Images: Always add alt text, even if social platforms generate it automatically. Describe what’s happening in the image and include relevant details (e.g., colors if significant to the message). Alt text enhances accessibility, improves SEO, and ensures users can understand your message if the image fails to load.
Creating Accessible Videos
Video is highly engaging on social media, particularly short-form content, but it needs to be accessible:
- Add Captions: Captions ensure your content is accessible to people who are deaf or hard of hearing, as well as to those watching videos in silent mode. Aim for accurate, clear captions that capture all spoken content.
- Edit Auto-Captions: If the automatically generated captions are wildly incorrect, take some time to edit them.
- Enunciate and Choose Words Carefully: As a speaker in a video, it can be helpful to prepare what you are planning to say and to enunciate well, as this will help save time while editing auto-captions.
- Include What’s Happening in the Video Description: For people with visual impairments, reading what is happening in the video can be helpful and provide context for understanding the content.
Closing
Creating inclusive, accessible content on social media is more than just a good practice; it’s a responsibility that helps ensure everyone can participate in the digital world. By taking steps to make your content clear, readable, and considerate of various needs, you’re actively broadening your reach and building a more engaged, loyal audience. Remember, accessibility isn’t a one-time checklist but an ongoing commitment to keep refining and learning. Small changes can make a big impact, so keep these best practices in mind as you continue crafting content that truly connects and includes all.
Resources
- UADA Employees: Accessibility on Social Media
- Digital.gov: Social Media Accessibility Toolkit
- UADA Employees: All About Alt Text
- Accessible Social: Social Media Accessibility Education Hub
Questions about social media for UADA? Email socialmedia@uada.edu for support!