Content marketing is a must in anyone’s marketing strategy for various reasons. For instance, you can save money on marketing costs while growing your quality leads list. You also have an opportunity to build customer relationships unlike any other.

But if you’re not prioritizing accessibility in your content marketing, you probably won’t see the above results. Ultimately, ensuring your content marketing checks all accessibility boxes is brilliant. Here’s why:

Serve More People

First and foremost, keeping accessibility at the forefront of your content marketing allows you to serve more people. The last thing you want to do is exclude any part of your customer base with your content because you aren’t accounting for those living with a disability.

Regardless of ability, background, or experience, people should be able to learn from and entertain themselves with your content. When more people can consume your content, you open up additional opportunities to connect with customers and help them resolve pain points.

Start by learning how accessibility affects your unique audience. What kind of disabilities are they living with? Are they permanent, temporary, or situational? What does their day-to-day look like? What challenges do they face? How are they making things easier on themselves?

Also, unearth their content desires and patterns, traditional marketing content included. If you don’t know what kind of content your audience needs and how to make it almost effortless for them to absorb, you can’t create the deep customer relationships you’re hoping for through content marketing.

So, for example, just like the color scheme, typography, and navigation matter to make digital content more accessible, they also matter in your print media and traditional marketing content.

Keep Customers Long Term

One of the best results you can get from prioritizing accessibility in your content marketing is long-term customers.

Whether your content is accessible or not, you’re probably still going to attract customers in some capacity. For instance, they may need your product or service urgently and are willing to overlook the lack of accessibility for a one-time purchase.

But if you intentionally create content that’s accessible by anyone, you drastically improve your chances of retaining customers. Those living with a disability will know they can count on your brand to create content they can consume. As a result, they will keep coming back.

Even those that aren’t living with a disability will appreciate your efforts to make everything you do accessible and easy to absorb. This, in turn, helps build a positive buzz around your brand that leads to loyal customers.

So, create accessible content for your returning customers as you do your new customers. Factor in what you know about the disabilities they live with and cater to them in your content, whether it be a hearing impairment, issues with sight, or other mobility issues.

Promote a Positive Brand Reputation

A recent study revealed that “more than half of all consumers say they’re loyal to companies that prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion.” Consumers are supporting brands that prioritize accessibility, diversity, and inclusion more than ever because it shows them a brand genuinely cares about its customers and their experience.

When you keep accessibility at the forefront of every piece of content you produce, it makes for a fantastic brand experience. As a result, more people will share their experience with your brand’s content, thus perpetuating a positive brand reputation.

As people express how easy it is to use your website or how amazing they feel because you catered to their disability with your latest social media content, your brand becomes that much more favorable in the public’s eye.

Come forth with your commitment to accessibility, diversity, and inclusion as much as possible. First, in the way that you create your content. And second, in the way you talk about your accessibility commitments on your marketing channels.

Eliminate the Competition

There’s a big chance your competition isn’t living up to accessibility standards. By not ensuring their content is accessible, they’re neglecting the needs of those living with a disability. You can eliminate the competition or get a leg up on them by fulfilling the needs of this huge group of users with content everyone can enjoy.

Focus on your website’s accessibility. Map out your customer’s journey on your website. See where they’re engaging the most and where they’re falling off. You can optimize where they’re engaging the most on your website.

Then, improve the pages or spots where your visitors are dropping off to make them more user-friendly with things like descriptive and clear alt text where appropriate and simple and understandable language throughout your site.

Ultimately, if you want to be a brand unlike any other, ensure your website content is incredibly accessible. Then, take those practices and implement them on your other marketing channels to ensure people can count on your brand to give them an inclusive content experience no matter the touchpoint.

Conclusion

Your content isn’t likely to miss when you make it accessible to everyone. By keeping accessibility at the forefront of your content marketing, you can serve more people, attract long-term customers, boost your brand’s reputation, and get a leg up on the competition.