Top 10 tips for inclusive marketing

Here I explain my top 10 tips for inclusive marketing. This is based on some workshops I ran recently for the Inclusive Fitness Initiative.

I’m going to approach this from two angles. First I’m going to give 10 tips on how to make your marketing accessible (size of font, colours, etc.), secondly I’m going to give 5 tips on how to make your marketing more effective for disabled people.

As always – if you want any help with making your marketing inclusive then please get in touch.

10 tips to making your marketing accessible

1. Always use font size 14 or higher in leaflets and size 26 or higher in posters
2. Use a sans serif font. These are fonts which don’t have squiggly bits on the end of letters. Examples include Arial, Verdana and Calibri. Examples of serif fonts which you shouldn’t use include Times New Roman and Georgia
3. All text should be left aligned – not centred, right aligned or even justified. Even though some people think justified text looks neater it makes it harder for people with visual impairments to read.
4. Use strong, clear images that convey a clear message
5. All images should either support the main body of the text, or should be accompanied by a text caption explaining their significance, but never on their own
6. Don’t place text over images
7. Avoid using glossy paper, gloss lamination or gloss encapsulation. Choose matt, silk or uncoated paper that weights 90gsm or more (normal paper used in printers in offices is 80gsm, or sometimes less). You can request certain paper thicknesses when ordering a print run from a printer.
8. Don’t use underlining, italic and only use capital letters for first word of sentence or proper nouns
9. Make sure there is a good contrast between background and text.
10. If using columns then make sure the margin between columns clearly separates them, and avoid putting pictures within the text of a column.

5 tips to make your inclusive marketing effective

1. Promote the opportunity for fun, sociable activity. The main motivation for nearly all groups (disabled or not) to do activity is fun. Spending time with existing friends and making new ones is also rated as top with many groups. However, a huge problem for disabled people has been that they haven’t been able to exercise together with others. This has led to social exclusion rather than inclusion. However, any gym with the right equipment allows disabled people and able-bodied people to exercise together. This is obviously a huge benefit.
2. For more competitive people promote opportunities to stretch themselves. This is because disabled people are so held back physically by a lack of support where they need it. We want to promote that they can stretch themselves while still having as much support as they need.
3. Promote the opportunities for freedom. There has been a lack of freedom for disabled people, especially around exercising. The chance to exercise in an environment where they don’t have to be treated differently is a major motivation. This new-found freedom should be built upon and promoted heavily.
4. Use great photos. A picture is worth a thousand words and all that! Make sure to use high-quality photos of people enjoying themselves. For photos of people using inclusive fitness equipment please see http://photos.makesportfun.com
5. Show how you can help overcome any potential barriers to taking part. There should always be supporting text to address the barriers to entry for disabled people. These barriers are numerous and varied and depend on what disability someone has. But there are some which should always be addressed:
   • Suitable toilets
   • Suitable changing facilities
   • Accessibility (e.g. disabled parking spaces)
   • Seating arrangements
   • Café
   • Suitable signage

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Not only do we have the most up-to-date inclusive gym equipment we also have the facility to match. Whether it’s getting here, getting changed or having a coffee afterwards we can cater for people with any disability.

If you would appreciate any support and help with making your marketing inclusive then please contact me and we’ll be only too glad to help you out.

Facebook Ad webinar

If you’re interested in learning more about how to use Facebook Ads to engage inactive people from hard-to-reach groups then you can sign up for our free webinar. In it we’ll cover these steps in more detail and give you a step-by-step guide to setting your ads up.