How To Create Accessible Instagram Content

Have you ever encountered a social media post you couldn’t decipher? Perhaps you scrolled past, giving up, only to return to it to try and figure out what the content creator is trying to say.

Did you know most likely some people feel the same way about your Instagram content? What is easy to grasp for you may be incredibly complicated for the next person. This is why it is crucial to create accessible social media content, including on Instagram.

Why Create Accessible Content?

The Instagram experience is not the same for everyone. You may think everyone logs into their accounts and scrolls to their hearts’ content. However, for some, joining Instagram conversations or accessing the information they need is an ongoing frustration.

The main reason for this is that at least 15% (one billion) of the world’s population live with a disability. This figure excludes temporary or situational disabilities. Around 33% of all people on Earth have a visual or hearing impairment.

So, if you create videos with the sound off, a blind person can't follow your content. When you are in a hurry and leave the captions out of your content, a deaf person cannot enjoy your posts.

And, if you do not make your Instagram content accessible to everyone, you miss out on a lot of engagement.

6 Ways To Create Accessible Instagram Content

Creating accessible content that everyone can enjoy and interact with takes effort. But the payoff is incredible.

1. Create an Accessible Bio For Your Instagram Profile

Your Instagram accessibility overhaul should start with your profile. Firstly, your bio should be short and to the point. Add a profile picture that speaks for itself.

Currently, Instagram does not have the option to add alt text to your profile picture, but you can add a short description on the image itself. Typically, you would do this within a design or editing program.

Your username should be easy to understand, spell, and remember. You can also add detailed descriptions to your Instagram highlights.

2. Utilize Alt Text

You can add alt text to all your website and social media images. Don’t rush the process, and do not use AI alt-text generators. Describe your photos the way you visualize them. This is the only way to capture the essence of each image.

So, instead of describing an ocean picture as “Atlantic Ocean,” you can write “The frigid Atlantic Ocean sparkling in the winter sun as a pod of whales frolic near the surface.”

Ideally, you want alt text to be 125 characters or less. In addition to describing each image in detail, you must add relevant keywords. This will make it easier for people to find your content.

Don’t be tempted to overdo it with emojis. Rather, leave them for social media posts themselves and don’t use them in alt text.

3. Create Highly Visible Captions

Captions differ from alt text in that they tell the story behind an image or video instead of describing a particular scene. When creating a carousel or video, you must have captions for each scene or slide so people can follow along easily.

The best way to make your captions visible is to use dark text on a light background or vice versa. Never use cursive or decorative fonts, as these are hard to read. Stick to standard fonts like Arial or Lato.

Again, you can use emojis in your captions, but remember to use only one or two per post. And add a description of each emoji next to it.

For example, if you use a happy emoji, you can add “(a smiling face emoji)” next to it. This makes a huge difference in the accessibility of your posts.

With Instagram, there is ample opportunity to add hashtags. You can add up to thirty to each post. However, if you want your social media content to be accessible, only add up to 3 for each post. Hashtags make your content discoverable, so remember to add a branded one in there.

Moreover, you can pin crucial information to the top of your Instagram page so that everyone sees that first. Add captions to this as well.

4. Captions and Alt Text Go Well With Instagram Stories

Instagram users love Stories. You can make yours more accessible by adding closed captions to live stories. This means people can follow what is being said and done.

You can add alt text to your story stickers to make your content more accessible. Again, high contrast is important, so choose background colors that complement the color of the text.

5. Experiment With Different Content Formats

Instagram is a highly visual social media platform, But this does not mean all your content should focus on visuals only. Not everyone can process visual information, so you must experiment with different content formats.

For instance, you could create audio clips that describe your images. These clips typically complement alt text.

If you have an audience that prefers audio content, you should put more live audio sessions into your content plan. If you struggle to get going with alternative content formats, you may want to partner with an influencer.

Influencers focused on accessible content would be the perfect way to reach a wider audience.

6. Ask Your Audience If Your Content Is Accessible Enough

It is crucial to engage with your audience regularly. You can run polls or add a question sticker to a couple of your posts, asking your followers whether your content is accessible enough.

Let them know how committed you are to improving the accessibility of your existing content. Gather feedback and implement all the feasible suggestions.

Make Your Instagram Content More Accessible

It is never too late to implement accessibility strategies for your Instagram content. You can even go back to your old content and optimize that, too.

By using the methods detailed above, you can build an inclusive online community. You will reach more people and create a positive Instagram experience all around.

If you keep striving to include everyone, your content will thrive on Instagram.