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  • Inclusive Marketing for Better Sales

    Inclusive Marketing for Better Sales

    The World Health Organization (WHO) mentioned that about 15% of the world’s population had disabilities in 2021. Back then, the global population was around 7.9 billion.
    Looking at these figures, you can see how many disabled people are worldwide. From a business point of view, these numbers represent a significant sales potential—that is, if your products and services can address their needs.

    And it’s not just disabled people. You should also consider individuals with diseases and diversity issues if you want to market your goods inclusively. If you’re a business owner in Greater Augusta interested in incorporating inclusive marketing, how can this method help boost your sales? What diseases or disabilities should you consider when implementing inclusive marketing strategies?

    This article discusses how you can improve your business sales through inclusive marketing and covers the various illnesses and disabilities you should address when marketing for inclusivity.

    Inclusivity is about marketing products and services considering diversity, including age, ethnicity, gender identity, religion, socio-economic status, and physical or mental abilities. Inclusive marketing also considers people with disabilities and diseases, especially those with chronic illnesses like arthritis and cancer or those suffering from any of the four stages of mesothelioma.

    When business owners consider these diverse factors, there’s a potential to tap a market that can bring in more sales to the business. Read more to learn how inclusive marketing can help boost your business sales while establishing customer loyalty and trust in your brand.

    How Inclusive Marketing Can Help Boost Sales
    One of the best methods to market your products and services inclusively is through digital means. Accessibility is often a challenge among websites and apps, especially when individuals with disabilities need access to these services but can’t. For example, if your online store’s text is too small, visually impaired people may have difficulty buying your products. So your site should allow users to adjust the text size to improve accessibility, increasing the potential to bring in more sales.

    Other accessibility features websites can utilize are the following:

    • Alternate or alt text: Invisible text descriptions of non-text content that you can read aloud to blind users
    • Captions: Text added over spoken (audio) content for users with hearing difficulties
    • Audio descriptions: Audio describing information, scenes, and actions not heard, written, or spoken
    • Colorblindness adjustment: Color adjustment to help improve content visibility to all users
    You can also incorporate inclusive marketing strategies through in-person events that immerse the audience in your products and services. Such efforts utilize different senses like sight, smell, touch, hearing, and taste. Some disabled individuals may have a deficiency in one or more senses, limiting their potential experience with your products and services.
    In this case, you can consider multisensory marketing. This approach utilizes multiple senses where one sense can act as an alternative to another. Multisensory marketing creates an opportunity to help people with sensory disabilities form a positive experience with your product before making a purchase.

    For example, a restaurant may include a braille menu for blind customers or hire a sign language expert to describe products and services to people with hearing and speech impairments.

    Word choice, especially when using metaphors, stories, and references, also matters when implementing inclusivity. Consider developing a marketing language supporting your goals while considering the tone and word choice.
    Certain words can help bring people together but can also divide and create misunderstandings. So be mindful of your language’s potential impact on diverse audiences.

    When properly incorporated into your campaigns, inclusive marketing may achieve the following:
    • Help attract the attention of diverse groups
    • Reach a wider audience or untapped market segment
    • Help generate new customers
    • Speak for underrepresented groups
    • Demonstrate your awareness of diversity
    • Help influence positive social change
    • Improve brand perception
    • Emphasize your product or service’s appeal to multiple groups
    • Show support for diverse people
    • Build a brand’s reputation as inclusive and accepting
    • Help create brand loyalty

    Disabilities and Diseases to Consider When Implementing Inclusive Marketing Strategies
    The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) drafted the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines), a set of standards that help ensure content accessibility to a broader audience, especially those with disabilities. These conditions include:
    • Low vision, blindness, and photosensitivity
    • Hearing loss and deafness
    • Movement limitations
    • Speech impairments
    • Cognitive limitations
    • Learning disabilities
    Some diseases are linked to one or more of the disabilities mentioned above. For example, heart disease is a primary cause of disabilities. Meanwhile, individuals with specific disabilities are likely to have flu-related complications. Other disorders like multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injury can cause other adverse physical or mental health conditions like pain, obesity, fatigue, and depression.

    Accessibility provides customers with disabilities and diseases a chance to purchase products with ease. For marketers like eCommerce site owners or online store entrepreneurs, improving accessibility may help businesses boost sales through inclusivity.

    If you’re a business in Augusta, Staunton, Waynesboro, or anywhere in Virginia, consider reviewing the WCAG to help improve your website’s accessibility. You can also consult a marketing consultant well-versed in inclusive marketing to develop a campaign that will make everyone feel seen, included, and heard.


    References
    Inclusive Marketing: Building a Loyal Customer Base Through Accessible Digital and Physical Experiences
    https://www.bu.edu/bhr/2022/06/14/inclusive-marketing-building-a-loyal-customer-base-through-accessible-digital-and-physical-experiences/

    A world of 8 billion: Towards a resilient future for all - Harnessing opportunities and ensuring rights and choices for all
    https://www.un.org/en/observances/world-population-day

    Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1
    https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/#abstract

    Disability and Health Related Conditions
    https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityandhealth/relatedconditions.html

    Casey Bloom’s field of studies is concentrated on language and literature. Before her stint as a writer, she was an advertising creative. Casey aspires to become a mother who raises a naturally healthy family. You can find her insights at various health and wellness sites such as Motherhood Community.

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