As the years go by, we have noticed how diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has been gaining attention. Nowadays, most companies and organizations are taking their time to pay close attention to their efforts toward diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Using inclusive language does not only imply making accessible social media posts. It involves your brand’s internal communications, the descriptions for advertised jobs, email marketing, and how your brand interacts with customers. Brands and companies should endeavour to incorporate the use of inclusive language into their social media; they should look at how their words might impact others of various identities because people do not obviously have the same identities.
Why Is Inclusive Language Important?
The first thing to note is that inclusive language acknowledges diversity and conveys respect to all people. It is sensitive to differences, and at the same time, promotes equal opportunities. Inclusive language does not support stereotypes and it makes the receiver feel like they are part of the target audience.
With the above definition, I am sure you now understand why inclusive language is important in today’s world, and that it is something your company should practise. Make sure that the goal of every published post of yours is to educate, empower, support, and inspire trust. This can be done when you use a language that will make all people feel seen and included.
Brands and companies should take proactive steps to avoid implicit bias in their communications. This would require that they carry out periodic research and a continual review process on all channels of communication. Brands need to keep up with the ever-changing use of language.
Implicit bias, which is reinforced by stereotypes, happens when someone unconsciously carries perceptions about a specific group of people. Somehow, this can have negative effects if we fail to pay attention.
Therefore, we must ensure that we are not being influenced by implicit bias in our everyday communication with people. You can avoid implicit bias when you use plain language and avoid industry jargon, acronyms and the like.
Ensure the diversity of your brand’s designs & images: If you want to hire models for your advertising campaign shoots or you are looking to find stock images to use in social media posts, b sure that both methods are included. You can use models of all sizes and colours. You can also make sure that disabilities are represented in your advertising campaign.
Pay attention to your brand’s communication: This means that you will have to review your company’s communication channels. This will include both internal and external communication processes. Watch the nature of the content on your website; consider your email communications; look at your published social media posts, and consider your recruiting efforts. All these are important when it comes to building connections with diverse community members. For example, advertising a job opening is one of the ways people get to learn about your company. Therefore, desist from using gendered language or phrases in any job description as it will certainly discourage some people from applying.
Using inclusive language can take time and effort to master. But you must try as much as possible to be used to it so as to avoid making blunders that might turn viral. More importantly, using inclusive language shows that you care about people and that is very important when it comes to capturing the hearts of people.
Featured Image Source: PR dailyGot a suggestion? Contact us: editor@connectnigeria.com
You might also like:
- Securing Your Social Media Accounts: Best Practices for Online Safety
- Crisis Management on Social Media: Best Practices for Businesses
- How to Set Up a Business Profile on Instagram: A Beginner’s Guide
- Managing Your Social Media Workflow: Tools and Tips
I have been looking for articles on these topics for a long time. baccaratsite I don’t know how grateful you are for posting on this topic. Thank you for the numerous articles on this site, I will subscribe to those links in my bookmarks and visit them often. Have a nice day