Over the previous decade, we’ve seen more and more major companies focusing on diversity in their marketing campaigns in countless ways — an effort that has had major positive impact on sales, brand perception, and customer loyalty, according to an empirical global research study.
But diversity is just a part of practicing true inclusion in marketing. While creating accessible content is something that can often be overlooked, it is a key piece in making sure your communications can be understood by as many people as possible, no matter your industry or company. Implementing these five tips below is a great start to making sure your message can actually reach the audience it was aimed at.
1. Make sure your visuals really are visible to as many people as possible.
Before you post, email, or share that cool new graphic you just designed, take a moment to make sure it meets some basic accessibility requirements. No matter how aesthetic your orange text on a yellow background might be, using high color contrast of dark text on a light background or vice versa is critical for users who have vision difficulties. Taking 10 seconds to input your colors into a tool like this one will tell you in an instant if you need to tweak your colors to make them more accessible.
2. Cross your t’s and dot your i’s clearly
Unfortunately, your creative copy may not be as effective as you planned it to be if your audience is struggling to read it. Whether your text is on digital or printed media, make sure it follows some basic guidelines to ensure that it is more easily legible to readers with dyslexia. Some of the best fonts for dyslexia include Arial, Verdana, Century Gothic, Calibri, Helvetica, and Open Sans, because of their sans-serif design and letter distinguishability.
3. Mind your media
If you’re using images and graphics, make sure you’re correctly using alternative (alt) text to describe your content for those using screen readers. For guidance, follow this Harvard University guide for writing helpful alt text. If you’re using video or audio, make sure you add a transcript and closed captions to allow as many people as possible to interact with your content.
4. Not seeing a good ROI because of your high BR and CPC?
While many industries rely on jargon, unique verbiage, and acronyms to get information across more easily, always consider who will be seeing this piece of content. While it may be appropriate to include this language in an email to your members, a piece of content that is being shared with non-members or the public, such as your website or a social media ad, should avoid this language when possible. When writing for the public, make sure your language can be understood by someone with a lower reading level- ideally around a grade 8 reading level of comprehension- by plugging it into a tool like Hemingway Editor or your AI tool of choice.
5. There’s more to global content than just Google Translating it
If you’re sending content to a multicultural audience, it can be tempting to just pop your text into a translation service and call it a day. But to ensure content is truly high-quality across languages and cultures, make sure you remove any idioms or localized cultural references that might not translate well across cultures. While your Super Bowl or March Madness campaigns might resonate with American members, consider developing more globally-minded campaigns if your members span more than just the US.
Final Thoughts
While there are a number of other marketing accessibility practices to make your communications even more widely enjoyed- check out the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) website for more in-depth guides- implementing the above tips for your next marketing materials can go a long way in making your members and non-members feel even more supported and included. Your message is only as good as the number of people who can access it — make it count.
Angelina Valente
After initially joining the RGI team as a Meetings and Events intern and a Marketing and Communications intern, Angelina stayed on to become a Marketing and Communications coordinator in 2025. With experiences in marketing and hospitality, she enjoys working in the association industry to foster connection and community among members from diverse backgrounds who are brought together by a shared passion.