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May 2, 2022 Content Chat Recap: How To Make Your Content Marketing More Inclusive

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How To Make Your Content Marketing More Inclusive

Every word or image you use when talking to your brand community can reinforce or strongly detract from your brand’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. But creating inclusive content is more than following a guide and using specific words. It requires you to deeply understand your individual community members and the many facets of their identity and life.

In this #ContentChat recap, Michelle Ngome (@MichelleNgome), award-winning inclusive marketing consultant and founder of Line 25 Consulting, joins the community to discuss how to make your content marketing inclusive. Read the below recap to learn:

  • How to audit your content inclusivity
  • Common mistakes brands make when creating inclusive content (be sure to avoid these!)
  • Ways to encourage and support diverse team members across your brand

Q1: What is inclusive content?

Inclusive content represents the diverse communities and subgroups that your company serves.

Language and imagery directly affect your content’s inclusivity.

Q2: What are the common mistakes that brands make regarding trying to create more inclusive content?

Too often, brands create content based on assumptions, not research. This leads to one-size-fits-all content that fails to resonate with your entire community.

It takes a genuine commitment to creating inclusive content that respects your community, instead of viewing it as a way to get good press.

Q3: What steps should teams take to audit their existing content’s inclusiveness?

To audit your content inclusivity, you should first review your internal and external digital footprint. Then, you can revamp your operational processes, such as adding diversity-related topics to the editorial calendar.

Ensure that your content and imagery align. Original photography and graphics are best for inclusivity.

Empower your team to identify and voice concerns about your content inclusivity.

Inclusive also means accessible. Evaluate your site for ADA compliance. We discussed how to create accessible content in this past chat recap.

Set inclusivity goals. Evaluate how your strategy should adapt based on how your content performs.

Outside experts and consultants are incredible resources to help you learn more about creating inclusive content.

Michelle shares her DEI glossary below:

Q4: How should content marketing teams create a culture that prioritizes inclusivity in their day-to-day operations?

Inclusivity starts with education and acknowledgment. Learn about your team and community as diverse individuals and celebrate differences.

Encourage employees to express concerns, and build a culture where it is safe to freely raise concerns at any time.

With a consistent effort, DEI should become a part of everything your company does, across every department.

Q5: How can content marketing teams better support diverse team members and ensure their voices are heard?

Create safe spaces for team members to share ideas, without the risk of repercussions.

Use inclusive language in all your brand communications. Highlight diverse team members throughout the year.

Pay attention during team meetings to see who most often speaks up and whose voices are silenced. Actively engage team members who do not speak up as often.

Detach the evaluation of feedback, ideas, and content from the person it came from. This removes some potential bias when the team first assesses the idea.

Q6: What are your go-to resources for learning more about inclusive communication and content creation?

Michelle and the community share resources for creating inclusive content below:

Q7: Are there any brands that are good examples of creating consistently inclusive content?

About Alek Irvin

Alek Irvin is a content marketing professional with a rich history in social media management, executive thought leadership development, and media relations. As a consultant at Erika Heald Marketing Consulting, he creates human-focused content and thought leadership platforms that help brand leaders connect and engage with their communities. Alek has worked with a range of startups and Fortune 500 companies across the B2B technology and consumer spaces, including IBM, Dell Technologies, Hitch Works, Emtrain, Integrate, and Frameable. Connect with him on Twitter @AlekIrvin.

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