Best Ways To Make Sure Digital Marketing Strategies Are Neurodiversity-friendly

If you’re a digital marketer, you know the most successful digital marketing strategies belong to the businesses that get their brands to reach as many consumers as possible. 

Whether it’s about targeting them based on their geographical location, preferences, online activity, or even purchase habits, marketers are putting in some serious overtime to figure out how to get in front of the right audience. But even with all the tools available to digital marketers, there’s a group of consumers that are almost always left out of the conversation or consideration when it comes to accessibility.

Today, DEI makes up a large portion of the conversation as businesses race to hold themselves accountable and put the right measures in place for better inclusion in workplaces and digital accessibility.

Why should neurodiverse individuals be part of the conversation?

Neurodivergent individuals—autistic, dyspraxic, dyslexic, and ADHD, for instance—make up a large portion of the world’s population with one in seven people considered to be neurodiverse. They experience the world differently than neurotypical people and as such, digital communications and accessible designs also need to be shaped so that they can reach a much wider audience.

At present, an alarming 97.4% of website homepages do not comply with the existing guidelines for digital accessibility. Why is this important? One in five people have some form of physical or hidden disability that prevents them from accessing online content. What marketers don’t realise is that this is a huge market that they’re simply not paying attention to.

The cost of leaving these individuals out of the conversion when creating digital marketing strategies can be harmful not just to the consumers but also to digital marketing companies because you’re leaving money on the table.

Are there any online guidelines for creating neurodiversity-friendly content?

In a word, yes. Perhaps the most widely known is the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) which have existed since 1999. Even though they’ve been around for nearly a quarter of a century, many are not aware of them and even those who are, think of them as a set of guidelines that primarily focus on the visually challenged or people who need assistive technology to browse the web.

But the truth is that the guidelines cover much more than that and giving it a proper read could help you understand the full scope of the guidelines and how everyone can create better, more accessible web content.

The guidelines expand its influence on those with cognitive disabilities like dyslexia, autism, and ADHD, to name a few. Even some of the most passionate advocates of accessible web design are people who identify as neurodiverse.

So let’s take a closer look at how businesses are making neurodiversity a part of their digital strategy.

How to make digital marketing more neurodiverse

Neurodiverse people experience the world differently and apply to both the physical and digital worlds. This is why aspects such as fonts, screen layouts, design formats, colours, navigational functions, and more need to make sense to neurodivergent people because the alternative is that they’ll be frustrated with your content and walk away to a company that’s more sensitive to their requirements.

Simple messaging

Literal, punchy, and direct is what you should be aiming for. If you get the urge to add abstract phrases, neurodivergent audiences will likely be confused and go elsewhere.

Write your copy in the active voice instead of the passive voice. For instance, instead of saying “The chairs can be stored indoors”, you can say “Store the chairs indoors”. When you’re done writing the copy, don’t just send it off to be published. Take a minute and get rid of anything you feel isn’t adding any value or isn’t critical to what you’re trying to convey.

Ask whether your content is telling a story and whether it has a logical format. Try breaking it down into smaller, easily digestible chunks without overusing font formatting like italics and bold to navigate your content.

Create inclusive digital marketing strategies for neurodiverse audiences

Digital marketing is changing and so do the strategies it uses to reach audiences. It’s no longer limited to geography, gender, or age. Today, digital marketing is transcending these historically considered demographics and is moving towards more inclusive audiences to expand their consumer base.
For marketers who are just getting started or aren’t confident enough to take the necessary steps to make their digital content more accessible, finding the right help to create your digital marketing services can make sure that you generate content that’s not only accessible but also inspires others to take action to create a more inclusive digital world where everyone can thrive together.