What is an Inclusive Content Strategy?

You’ve likely invested in your content strategy to some extent, and know it’s an important part of any good business. But the term ‘inclusive content strategy’ may not be something your organization has considered. Many value-driven organizations are overlooking this vital part of creating content that puts their audiences’ unique needs at the forefront. 

The Content Marketing Institute defines it this way: We define inclusive marketing as creating content that truly reflects the diverse communities that our companies serve. It means that we are elevating diverse voices and role models, decreasing cultural bias, and leading positive social change through thoughtful and respectful content.

What is Inclusion?

“Diversity is being invited to the party. Inclusion is being asked to dance.”

Verna Meyers, Public Speaker

Often Diversity and Inclusion are lumped together, or used interchangeably. But it’s important to make the distinction, especially when creating an Inclusive Content Strategy. 

  • Diversity: Refers to the vast array of human differences.
  • Inclusion: Refers to the intent of individuals or systems to actively include and support this vast array of differences.

In other words, diversity is the “what” and inclusion is the “how”. And, that’s exactly what we’re going to cover in this article: how you can create and implement an Inclusive Content Strategy.

Inclusive Language 

The foundation of an Inclusive Content Strategy is inclusive language. When we strive to understand the ways that language often unconsciously makes assumptions about people, we can work to increase inclusivity. There are many ways we unintentionally reinforce dominant norms (like language related to gender, sexual orientation, race, class, ability/disability, and age).

To really understand what it means to use inclusive language, it’s helpful to compare it to language that isn’t inclusive. 

Ableist Language

Ableist language is any word or phrase that devalues people who live with a disability. Though often inadvertent, ableist language suggests that people with disabilities are abnormal.

Inclusive content strategy takeaway:

  • Use “people with disabilities” instead of “the disabled”
  • Use “people living with HIV/AIDS” rather than “AIDS victims”
  • Use “people who use wheelchairs” rather than “wheelchair-bound” or “someone confined to a wheelchair.”
  • It’s become rather common to use descriptive words like “crazy,” “dumb,” or “retarded” in the workplace, Using “crazy” might seem harmless, but giving negative value to words like crazy or insane can marginalize people.
  • ADD, ADHD, and OCD are common terms that are misused and can be hurtful. Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a mental illness that means so much more than a knack for organization. It is an obstacle that some people live with every day. Use words like “clean” or “organized” instead.

Gendered Language 

Another aspect of inclusive language is being sure words are gender neutral. Use words that encompass all genders, rather than only two.

Inclusive content strategy takeaway:

Use gender neutral terms:

  • Nouns
  • Titles and names
  • Pronouns

Gendered words and their better alternatives:

  • Man the booth → Work the booth
  • Man Hours → Work hours
  • Freshman → First year student
  • Stewardess, Steward → Flight attendant
  • Man-made → artificial
  • Mother / Father → Parents
  • Waiter, Waitress → Server
  • Sissy → Coward
  • Forefathers → Ancestors
  • Mr. and Mrs. → Mx.

Racial Undertones

Our language is littered with symbolism of white as positive and black as negative. Let’s eliminate using the word “colored” when describing people, instead use “people of color,” which is a widely accepted umbrella term that includes any non-white person.

“Gypped” comes from the word “gypsy,” which refers to Romanian people who are often characterized unfairly as swindlers. 

“Ghetto”  is suspected to derive from an Italian slang term for waste, and dates back to the concentration camps of World War II. it also has been used to label the neighborhoods that marginalized communities were forced to inhabit due to social and economic disadvantage. Classism and racism come into the picture when you call a place, or a person “ghetto.”

Cultural racism in phrases like “culturally deprived,” “economically disadvantaged” and “underdeveloped” are other terms which warps the truth to and frames a sense of  superiority.

Inclusive content strategy takeaway:

Avoid negative or demeaning language:

These common phrases unfortunately have negative origins:

Privilege

There’s also a lot of hidden bias around the idea of privilege when it comes to our language

For example, we shouldn’t assume that all people have graduated from high school and/or gone to college (or will go to college after high school), and we should use language that keeps this in mind.

It’s also important to use language that does not assume a certain level of financial means or certain type of vocation. For example, we should not assume that everyone is presently employed, has a stable living situation, or can afford to meet their basic needs. Using phrases like “real job” and “honest living” can be problematic by perpetuating discriminating against certain sectors of the labor force.

Inclusive content strategy takeaway:

Consider areas of privilege when writing content:

  • Level of Education
  • Socio-Economics
  • English as a second language
    • Situational privilege 

Be mindful in your writing.

It’s unfortunate how many non-inclusive examples there are in our language that have snuck in over the decades, and we aren’t even aware of it! This is why it’s important to be mindful of what you write.

Want to learn more? I’ve created an entire presentation around inclusive content strategy. 

If you need help creating an Inclusive Content Strategy, we’re here! We’ve helped many organizations create accessible and inclusive websites. Reach out to us to start the conversation. 

Three Content Strategy Improvements You Can Make Today

We’ve all heard it: content is king. But anyone who’s tried to audit their content — much less get a full handle on it — has come to understand how big of a call that is. Your content makes you relatable to users as you guide them through their journey (with the goal of conversion) while also communicating the value of your content to search engines too. Your content needs to entice the new visitors that you want to attract, gently suggest to your non-target market that this content is not for them, all while delighting returning users again and again. It’s a lot

So, instead of taking on the word, or your content all at once, let’s look at the 3 content strategy improvements you can make now to optimize this incredible asset. 

“Success is making those who believed in you look brilliant.”

Hubspot

Define & Track Success

Until you know what it looks like for a user to convert, you’ll never celebrate an accurate conversion rate. Define your macro and micro conversions. What do you want your readers to do with your content? Is there a form you want them to fill out, or a way you want them to engage?

To continue winning the internet marketing game, your content has to be more than just brilliant — it has to give the people consuming that content the ability to become a better version of themselves.”

Michelle StinsonRoss, Managing Director of Marketing Operations, Apogee Results on Hubspot

The key to all content marketing is to make the end-user the protagonist — the hero of their own story. Before they can strap on that cape and tights they need a goal, which is  that point when they convert. Clearly define what your users need to do to be their own hero. Some common conversions are:

  • contact form submitted
  • donation made
  • chat engagement
  • responded to an ad or social media engagement
  • download gated content
  • video watched to completion
  • blog article read to completion

Once that’s done, track it. Utilize Google Analytics’ goals, events, and functions. Build funnels and review the behavioral flow. See where users are coming from, and where they are going. If you have the option, optimize a tool like SEM Rush to see how your search engine rankings for keywords and phrases measure up to your competition. Set yourself up for success to not only say your users are making a difference, but to demonstrate how well you’ve accomplished this. 

Navigation

Ok great work! You now know what success looks like. Time to break out the map to get them there. I know, we don’t typically envision Superman stopping up in the clouds, pulling out his phone and looking up an address on Google Maps, but our heroes need a bit more help than he does. Simply put, your navigation is there to help the user along their journey from point A to point B. So… how clear are your pathways? 

Often, even the best-maintained sites suffer from sprawl; content is added in a hurry and different teams are updating all the information as regularly as possible. The problem is, over time this can blur the steps a user will take to get where they’re going. Navigation dropdowns can collect 10 or more links and users are so overwhelmed with choices they often just click anything, which isn’t the best way to move them towards their goal. So let’s break down a few basic rules to apply to your navigation:

  • Try to keep it limited to about 4-5 options per navigation: this includes your main nav, your hero nav, and each dropdown. Perhaps the only exception would be your footer, but even then, each column should only include 4-5 options. Make it easy for your users. Either a path will lead them to your goal or it won’t. 
  • Use clear language: you don’t have long before an end-user gets frustrated and clicks anything (including the back button). Make the language consists and representative of the page. And remember: if your menu items are outputting your properly formatted page titles, these menu links will also be what shows up on search engine result pages,helping your hero get to you as well as move within your site. 
  • Make sure it’s accessible: this isn’t only for the 20% of self-identified disabled users out there, this is for everyone. From a poor internet connection to a cracked phone screen to a user who hasn’t had their coffee yet and is prone to ‘fat fingering it’ (The Thing was a hero too!) accessible menus make it easier for everyone.

Engaging Calls to Action (CTA)

A strong CTA is far more than a combination of words that hopefully compels people to click on a button — it’s a powerful statement of intent, a rallying cry to our tribe, the crescendo of a rousing speech that leaves the audience exhilarated, clenched fists raised triumphantly to the sky. Well, that’s the idea, anyway.”

Dan Shewan, Wordstream

What if Commissioner Gordon never called Batman on his red phone, or the random person never yelled help as they point to the villain descending? The hero would never know where they were needed next. Your CTAs are the same thing: they show your user, the hero, where to go next to accomplish their goal. 

Make them clear. 
Make them engaging. 
Direct to the next step.

And for accessibility purposes, don’t be vague. “Click here” doesn’t give tell a screen reader what the user will gain by clicking. Use words and directions that tell assistive technologies what clicking will accomplish. 

A few great CTAs include:

  • Get involved today!
  • Make a difference in someone’s life.
  • Start the conversation.
  • Tell us what you think.

There is a lot more you can do with your content, but these are three critical steps you can take right now to make an impactful difference that will add value to your site. Think about it: you know your user, your company, and your goals. You’re already in the best possible position to help your users do more than visit your website, you’re empowered to make them the hero. Start with these three steps and verify how they are working. And if something isn’t working, just adjust and try again. 

If at any point this starts to feel overwhelming, and we get it, you’ve already got a lot on your plate, just drop us a note and we’ll talk it through content strategy improvements. You’re the hero of our story and we’re happy to write that together.