What factors should you consider when making digital diplomacy more accessible?

1 Audience analysis

Before you design and implement your digital diplomacy strategy, you need to understand who your target audience is, what their needs and preferences are, and how they access and use digital media. You can use various methods such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, or analytics to gather data and insights about your audience. This will help you to tailor your content, tone, style, and format to suit their expectations and contexts.

2 Platform selection

Choosing the right platform for your digital diplomacy is crucial to reach and engage your audience effectively. You need to consider the availability, popularity, and functionality of different platforms in your target regions and markets. For example, some platforms may be blocked or restricted by governments, while others may have low penetration or usage rates. You also need to consider the features and affordances of each platform, such as interactivity, multimedia, feedback, and analytics.

4 Accessibility standards

Following accessibility standards and best practices is essential to make your digital diplomacy more inclusive and user-friendly for people with disabilities or special needs. You need to ensure that your content and platform are compatible with assistive technologies, such as screen readers, captions, or subtitles. You also need to provide alternative text, transcripts, or descriptions for images, videos, or audio files. Furthermore, you need to use clear and legible fonts, colors, and layouts that enhance readability and usability.

5 Feedback mechanisms

Providing feedback mechanisms for your digital diplomacy is important to make your audience feel valued, heard, and involved. You need to offer opportunities for your audience to interact with you and each other, such as comments, polls, quizzes, or live chats. You also need to respond to their feedback, questions, or concerns in a timely and respectful manner. Additionally, you need to monitor and evaluate the impact and outcomes of your digital diplomacy using various metrics and indicators.

6 Ethical principles

Adhering to ethical principles and standards is vital to make your digital diplomacy more credible and trustworthy for your audience and stakeholders. You need to uphold the values of transparency, accountability, and integrity in your digital diplomacy. You also need to respect the privacy, security, and rights of your audience and partners. Moreover, you need to acknowledge and address any errors, mistakes, or controversies that may arise from your digital diplomacy.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?