How can you create a more inclusive content strategy?

I think 'knowing one's audience' is one of the most misunderstood terms. FIRST, think in terms of the globe. Yes, the entire globe. It is made up of every single race, identity, age, and sex. It is a huge melting pot. So too is the audience of most businesses. A huge melting pot. That is the starting point. These days, no audience is made up of one colour, race, identity and gender. NONE. From there, then winnow down the specifics of your audience. What do they care about, how do they communicate best, what segment do they fall into and what are their needs. The key is to think very, very big and then winnow down. Too often, we start too small. And that is when we become obsolete. FAST.

My first question for the organizer of an event when I am asked to give a speech is: "what is my audience"? And then... "what is the topic exactly?" ?? There isn't a best way to keep everyone engaged during your talk than addressing everyone that is listening to you in one way or another. Touch their inner chords, stimulate them by mentioning common experiences. Very often content might be exactly the same for different talks, but the words to explain it, the images and the examples will change drastically. That makes a good an inclusive speaker: caring about your audience first and how to keep it positively engaged, then about the content and only as a last thing about showing achievements.

In my experiences flexibility with your audience and information is important. When you are sharing the information make sure it represents a wide range of perspectives, cultures, genders, and abilities. Once I come prepared with my content for a training, but had to change almost everything. Means sometime you have to format to what you know. The other aspect is how you say what you know. I recommend avoiding biases, stereotypes and offensive terms. Yes, being mindful of the tone, voice and words. Sometime when I am teaching I use all different sorts of methods like audio, video, reading, infographics and pictures. At the end getting right feedback from the audience to reframe it to represent diverse groups.

Knowing your audience is great but how to communicate to the audience is greater. You need to develop an inclusive communication strategy that will convey your message to diverse audiences such as communicating your adverts with closed captions and the likes to carry all audiences along.

To create a more inclusive content strategy, you can follow these tips: 1. Understand your audience and their diverse characteristics. 2. Avoid making assumptions about your audience's characteristics and preferences. 3. Assess points of bias in your content and design practices. 4. Use clear, simple, and thoughtful language Highlight diversity and inclusion in your campaigns. 5. Search for blind spots in your content and design practices. By implementing these tips, you can create content that resonates with a diverse audience and avoids exclusion.

Not only words, but images, too. Make sure your promotional materials include the full gamut of genders, races, abilities, weights, heights, and backgrounds. Representation truly matters; seeing yourself somewhere completely new can open doors for people, and can also be a fantastic opportunity to create something new. Being exposed to different points of view, cultures, and ways of living is always an enriching experience, and can provide a valuable feedback loop into making your content even more accessible for future.

Everyone smiles in the same language. This is the famous quote of George Carlin that perfectly describes the fact that despite living in different countries, using different languages, and having different views on things, we are all human beings with a lot of things in common. Language has an incredible ability to both unite and divide us. It can be a bridge that connects people from all walks of life or a barrier that separates us based on our differences. Choosing our words carefully is like planting seeds of respect, empathy, and understanding in the fertile soil of conversation. Let's choose our words wisely, not only to reflect our shared humanity but also to celebrate the rich tapestry of diversity that makes our world so beautiful.

Dont focus that much on that, it will loose the real content and message at the end...we are so focused on the language that we forget what we want to deliver and what is out point

We need to be very cautious while using the words, we should make sure that our words don't offend anyone. The opinion should be generalized and specific section of society should not be targeted

We all know that knowing your audience is sacrosanct! Yet, thanks to social media, any jargon is no longer regional, regardless of its place of origin, causing it to be morphed and watered down. Most suffer from dire FOMO searching outside their own environment. Empathy is key to any expression. Being authentic allows for any content to stick against the reality altering Ai wave.

Not diversify, but be more creative and innovative. Be curious and bold try somethinf that you thinkncan work for the topic you want to deliver and discuss

In addition to what's listed (which are alone all fantastic reasons to diversify your content), another added benefit of this cross-modality is that your message is repeated - and repetition leads to learning, as well as brand recognition.

The content should be diversified, and the type of content that receives maximum engagement should be repeated as the audience engages more with those content pieces

Diversifying your content not only makes it more relatable but also demonstrates your commitment to inclusivity. Incorporate stories, examples, and testimonials from individuals with various backgrounds and experiences. Use images and videos that feature people of different ethnicities, ages, and abilities. Avoid over-representation of any single group. Be cautious when using culturally specific references or humor that may not translate well across different cultures.

Diverse Representation: Ensure your content includes voices, images, and stories from a variety of backgrounds. Whether it's written content, videos, or imagery, diverse representation fosters a sense of belonging and ensures that multiple viewpoints are considered.

A crucial aspect of creating inclusive content is continuous testing and optimization. Conduct user testing with individuals from various backgrounds to gather feedback on the inclusivity of your content. Encourage learners to provide feedback on content accessibility and inclusivity, and use this feedback to make improvements. Keep your content up-to-date to reflect changes in language, culture, and societal norms.

The final step to creating any content is to test and optimize the content based on audience response and feedback; the takeaway being that inclusive content is no different! All inclusivity provides is more opportunity to connect with a broader, more diverse population that you may not have interacted with before. It can open perspectives and help elevate your brand/product/service to new heights, and provide personal enrichment as the skill can be used anywhere to create more accessibility.

Crafting an inclusive content strategy is essential in our diverse world. To ensure your content truly resonates, establish a comprehensive feedback process that avoids relying solely on a limited set of perspectives. Prioritize input from various backgrounds, cultures, and experiences by implementing diverse focus groups, surveys, and more. This holistic approach will guarantee that your content connects with a wider audience, nurturing inclusivity and a stronger sense of community. Additionally, don't forget to continuously evaluate and adjust your strategy to remain attuned to the ever-evolving landscape.

Testing and optimising the content is essential in order to ensure that our efforts are going in the right direction and the audience are benefited from the content

I have a personal test for inclusivity. When I go somewhere...anywhere...I want to see how I am received. Received means welcomed/ onboarded/ taken care of/ how my needs or requests are met/ how engaged the workers were in helping me achieve my goal. My goal might be 'checking in', or 'navigating a website', or 'ordering from a new menu in a noisy restaurant with a group eager to get served fast', or 'following multiple instructions while under pressure'. My evaluation includes: speed of response friendliness eye contact listening clarity of language connection confirmation of what they perceived or heard eagerness to learn & improve our communications making sure I feel that I matter. Simply put - this is a recipe for inclusion.

Don't be afraid to fail, every day we lose the chance to make this world better, but if you prefer to stay in your things, you will never know how valuable are you for other people who are waiting for your amazing ideas. It could be simple to remember, but take action in your life.

In easy relatable terms, think of inclusive content like cooking a diverse and delicious meal. Imagine you’re making a big pot of soup. To make it tasty, you need a mix of different ingredients - carrots, peas, and more. You wouldn’t just put in one thing, right? In the same way, when creating content, you mix in different stories, ideas, and perspectives. Just like how a good soup brings joy to everyone at the table, inclusive content brings joy to all your readers! ???????

Cultural Sensitivity: Understand and respect cultural nuances. This might mean avoiding jargon, considering the symbolism of colours and imagery, or understanding regional norms and values. Mistakes here can alienate or even offend portions of your audience. Accessibility is Essential: Inclusivity also means making sure everyone can access and understand your content. Use alt-text for images, provide captions for videos, and ensure your website is navigable for those using screen readers or other assistive technologies.

In a global company, inclusive content might mean something completely different to someone who is from another region or country. Find those nuances for the different geographical locations that your company serves and be cognizant of them in your communication.